49ers minicamp takeaways (paywall)
“This was not necessarily a surprise. But when Romello Height ran the hoop/bend drill, it looked distinct. For those somehow unaware, Height was the 49ers’ 70th overall pick, an edge rusher out of Texas Tech.
As I said with Dieter, my first impression of Height was misunderstanding which Texas Tech edge rusher was the top-5 prospect and which was the 2nd/3rd-rounder. Height has limitations. He’s far too lean. He will likely get ragdolled in the run game.
But there
are few players I’ve evaluated with the same sort of burst that can only be met with an involuntary “god DAMN!” when you see it for the first time.
The coaches, media, other players… when Height did the drill, everyone noticed. It looked different. He hit a quasi cross-chop while bending to get a towel at the edge of the hoop and maintained speed. Cameras weren’t allowed at that point, but it was astounding. He can fly off the ball….Khalil Dinkins certainly piques my interest. He’s someone I think we’ll be able to tell almost immediately whether he can cut it or not once the pads come on and he’s asked to block in line. I’m not confident he can do it. He got rocked at times at Penn State, but also looked promising in space. There’s good size, length and movement ability. We’ll see.”
Carver Willis isn’t an NFL tackle—they told him that in college
“Willis noted that he considers himself an offensive lineman, not just a tackle. In addition to his understanding of playing guard, Willis also noted he’s working on snapping the ball for proficiency to play center if needed. That’s useful since Jake Brendal will be a free agent after the 2026 season.
“It’s wherever they need me,” Willis said, elaborating on his preparation.
Of course, he could always find himself at tackle again. The 49ers are no strangers to injuries. Willis isn’t set on the idea and has accepted that tackle may not be in his professional football future.
“I call it winning the genetic lottery. I didn’t.”
