Getty Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders
The San Francisco 49ers have a Lombardi Trophy to win, but draft season is simultaneously arriving in the NFL. While there are several areas the 49ers could consider addressing, many anticipate them focusing on offense.
In the first mock draft from NFL.com’s lead draft writer Lance Zierlein, San Francisco takes Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. Considering the 49ers’ stacked group of weapons, this may feel like a weird pick but Zierlein believes Sanders’ unique skill-set could appeal to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“Sanders isn’t a great blocker, but he can beat man coverage and makes tough catches,” Zierlein wrote on February 5. “He would provide Kyle Shanahan with a unique size matchup for his offense.”
Sanders isn’t a household name among national college football fans, but has been a clear NFL prospect since arriving in Austin, Texas. With a 6’4″, 256-pound frame, Sanders has an elite athletic profile that will garner attention during the NFL combine.
Drafting a tight end that high prompts questions about George Kittle, but Zierlein somewhat addresses that. Kittle is a complete tight end whose blocking abilities are almost as important as his skills as a receiver. Sanders is more of a project, but someone that the 49ers can utilize alongside Kittle.
What to Know About Ja’Tavion Sanders
Originally from Denton, Texas, Sanders was a member of Texas’ 2021 recruiting class. As a freshman, he spent very little time on the offensive side of the ball and was a special teams mainstay instead.
However, he was given more opportunities in 2022 and it paid off heavily as Sports Reference shows. Sanders played in all 13 of Texas’ games, catching 54 passes for 613 receiving yards and five touchdowns. His size and speed made him a mismatch for most safeties and linebackers and he appeared poised for an even bigger 2023 season.
That didn’t exactly happen. Sanders did hit the field in all 14 games, catching 45 passes for 682 receiving yards and two scores. It wasn’t a significant improvement, if at all, but he still showed all the traits the NFL wants to see in a tight end.
Texas TE Ja’Tavion Sanders is an excellent vertical weapon in passing game. Excellent acceleration & athleticism.
In Zierlein’s draft profile of Sanders, he describes him as having “size and play strength to play through route traffic” and that his “run-after-catch features quick vertical burst and getaway speed.”
Sounds exactly what the NFL expects out of modern TEs.
49ers Also Linked to Georgia Standout WR
In a similar vein, the 49ers were also recently projected to draft Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey. McConkey has primarily functioned as a receiver, but he also is a “hybrid” type of player similar to Sanders.
Pro Football Network’s Oliver Hodgkinson had the 49ers rounding out the first round with McConkey. Similarly to Zierlein’s mock, he doesn’t necessarily say this is to replace WR Brandon Aiyuk or another weapon, but rather as a way to further diversify the San Francisco offense.
McConkey totaled 1687 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns in three seasons at Georgia. And with two College Football Playoff championships to his name, it certainly doesn’t hurt that he knows how to win trophies.