The San Francisco 49ers are spending time looking at tight ends in this draft class trying to find someone who might complement their Pro Bowl tight end, George Kittle. The team has hosted a pre-draft visit with Iowa's Noah Fant and looks to talk to San Jose State's Josh Oliver on April 17.
That's when the 49ers will host their local pro day with attendees from the area. The former Spartan is likely to be in attendance, according to his agent, Andrew Kessler.
"If he attends, which he likely will, Josh will meet privately with the 49ers coaches and front office when they have their local day," Kessler told NBC Sports Bay Area. "He would not do any on-field work as that is not necessary for him at this point in the pre-draft process."
Because Oliver is considered a local prospect, his meeting with the 49ers will not count against their 30-player limit for pre-draft visits. Nor will any of the players in attendance at the local pro day.
Oliver (6-5, 249) had his best collegiate season as a senior in 2018 when he caught 56 passes for 709 yards with four touchdowns. Oliver registered 91 receptions for 1,005 yards with five touchdowns over his final two seasons with San Jose State.
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At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-foot-5 and 249-pound Oliver had a 40-time of 4.63 seconds, a vertical jump of 34 inches, a broad jump of 117 inches, completed the three-cone drill in 7.21 seconds, 22 reps in the bench press, a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.47 seconds, and a 60-yard shuttle time of 121 seconds. Other measurables for Oliver include an arm length of 33 1/2 inches and hands that measure 10 3/4 inches.
The 49ers have tight ends Garrett Celek, who is entering the final year of his contract and will be 31 years old at the start of the upcoming season, Ross Dwelley, and Marcus Lucas on the roster behind Kittle.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Oliver to Vance McDonald, wrote the following about Oliver within his scouting report:
"Above-average, mid-air athlete with plus ball skills who was forced to deal with coverages that were consistently shaded in his direction thanks to an excessive target count. Oliver's route-running and ball-tracking talent allow him to work beyond the first level and can help NFL team's looking to push the ball downfield. Oliver will flash as an in-line blocker at times but might need to enter the league as a TE2/3 who works from the slot until he becomes more skilled and consistent at the point of attack."
Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst wrote the following about Oliver within his scouting report:
"Oliver is a terrific pass-catching tight end who should only get better as a blocker as he physically matures and adds bulk to his frame. He projects well as a move tight end, and in many ways he plays the position like a big-bodied possession receiver."
Brad Kelly of The Draft Network wrote the following about Oliver within his scouting report:
"Oliver produced more than half of his career numbers in his senior season, suggesting that he is an ascending player. He has NFL athleticism, but there are still some raw aspects to his game despite the increase in production. Still, Oliver did enough this season to warrant an invite to the Senior Bowl. He likely will never be a dominant factor in the run game, but has enough traits to get by in the receiving game. Oliver has a relatively high ceiling, but best projects as a TE2 for an NFL team."
Measurables
Height: 6-5
Weight: 249 lbs.
Arm length: 33 1/2 inches
Hand length: 10 3/4 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 4.63 seconds
Vertical: 34 inches
Broad jump: 117 inches
3-cone drill: 7.21 seconds
Bench press: 22 reps
20-yard shuttle: 4.47 seconds
60-shuttle drill: 121 seconds
| College Statistics | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Class | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||||||
| 2015 | San Jose State | FR | 4 | 4 | 36 | 9.0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2016 | San Jose State | SO | 4 | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2017 | San Jose State | JR | 10 | 35 | 296 | 8.5 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2018 | San Jose State | SR | 12 | 56 | 709 | 12.7 | 4 | ||||||||
| Total | San Jose State | 98 | 1067 | 10.9 | 7 | ||||||||||
