Now that the NFL Combine has passed, the athletic testing can confirm any priors or show whether a prospect stood out in a positive or negative way. That can be a tool to go back and see what you missed.
The San Francisco 49ers have several needs to address in the coming months. In ESPN’s latest two-round mock draft, the Niners double-dipped on the offensive side of the ball, starting at wide receiver:
27: San Francisco 49ers
KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
The 49ers are at a crossroads at receiver. Their
leading pass catcher at the position (Jauan Jennings) is set to be a free agent, veteran Brandon Aiyuk seems to be moving on, and 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall is still looking for his footing in the offense. Concepcion is an explosive playmaker who has many traits that translate to success in coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme. Concepcion kicks it into gear on route stems and racks up plenty of big plays as a pass catcher and a return specialist.
In this exercise, the Rams take cornerback Jerod McCoy while the Broncos take safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in successive picks after the Niners’ selection. Those are arguably the top players at their position. Wide receiver Denzel Boston falls into the top of the second round, as do a couple of other offensive linemen, including Max Iheanachor, Emmanuel Pregnon, and Chase Bisontis.
The wide receivers selected up to this point were Carnell Tate (9), Makai Lemon (12), Jordan Tyson (21), and Omar Cooper (24).
Concepion measured in at 5’11”, 196 pounds, which were both good numbers for him. He did not test, which was mildly surprising, given that he was expected to run well. Concepcion received rave reviews from former Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne, saying Concepcion, “Had the most confidence of anybody in the building when we talked football.”
Concepcion’s top traits that translate to the next level are his release package and ability to run away from defenders. He will make the difficult catches behind his body, but drop the easy ones. There’s also value as a returner.
While he’d give the Niners a speedy option at the position capable of winning in ways the offense needs, there are enough reservations or question marks that make you wonder if he’s worthy of a first-round pick or projects to be a No. 1 wide receiver—which is what you’re hoping for from your Day 1 pick.
In the second round, the Niners went the offensive line route:
58. San Francisco 49ers
Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
All-Pro tackle Trent Williams will turn 38 years old prior to next season and is currently renegotiating his contract. Finding an heir apparent would be wise. At 6-foot-8, 328 pounds, Tiernan is a dependable and high-floor blocker who could eventually take over at either tackle spot.
Another sandwich spot here, where the Bears took Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley one pick prior, and the Texans took Oklahoma safety Gracen Halton one pick after. The Bills took Chris Brazzell at 60, while the next few picks were D’Angelo Ponds, Malachi Fields, and Skyler Bell.
I have not watched Tiernan, who comes in at No. 63 on the consensus big board. Listed at 6’8″, 323 pounds with a 35.5 vertical jump, we’re off to a good start. However, his 9″ hands are basically an inch smaller than the historical average for offensive tackles. At the same time, his arm length is close to 2″ below average.
He has 38 starts at left tackle. PFF graded him a 59.7 against the run and an 84.3 against the pass. Tiernan allowed 13 pressures all season, with five of those coming in one game against Illinois. That just so happened to be one of the few games Northwestern went against an NFL prospect in 2025. Edge rusher Gabe Jacas had seven pressures that day.
Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn, who specializes in offensive lineman evals, gave the Northwestern product a third-round grade, listed him as the seventh-best offensive tackle in the class, and compared him to none other than Jaylon Moore.
