49ers Mine Traits in UDFA Signings

The 49ers undrafted free agent signings are led by a powerful and athletic offensive lineman Mel Kiper had the team taking in the 3rd round. In addition, a running back few know who ESPN ranked as the #36 recruit in the country coming out of high school - and he had national top 10 stats this year.

This UDFA group of 11 has great talent, but the 49er roster is so deep even the practice squad is stacked. The 49er roster cutdown decisions this summer will be more difficult than ever.

The official Combine measurements are used for height and weight, press release mileage may vary.

Joey Fisher (Shepherd) 6-4/296 IOL
31 teams came to Fisher’s pro day and he put on a show: 4.96 40, third among all draft-eligible offensive linemen, 40 bench reps, the most of any player in the draft. Yup, all of them. Plus a 32-inch vertical.

So why wasn’t he drafted? He’s 25, has 32-inch arms, and lacks NFL technique since he played in D2 and could ragdoll most of the players he faced. Fisher’s highlight tape is hilarious, think Michael Oher in The Blind Side, guys get pancaked, tossed to the turf as an afterthought and go flying.

While the need is at tackle, Fisher’s shorter arms may force him to play inside in the NFL. 49ers Offensive Line Coach Chris Foerster has a player with elite physical traits to mold. If Fisher develops quickly it could be too much of a risk to put him on the practice squad where he could be poached by another team.

Khalan Laborn (Marshall) 5-9/198 RB
An ESPN Top 40 recruit from Virginia Beach, Laborn signed with Florida State. He suffered a dislocated knee, had 63 carries as a sophomore, and eventually transferred to Marshall. This year he had 302 carries for 1,532 yards and 16 TDs, but also five fumbles. He had 16 catches for 131 yards. In testing, he ran a 4.44 40, with a 38.5 vertical, and a 125 broad jump.

Laborn ranked 7th in the country with 65 missed tackles forced and tied for 8th in explosive plays (plays of 10-plus yards) at 57 with Pitt’s Israel Abinikanda. Laborn jump cuts effectively and anticipates well to find gaps in tight spaces. Why undrafted? He’s 25. However, due to the injury and lack of snaps in Tallahassee, he had fewer career carries than the 20-year-old Abinikanda.

Ronald Awatt (UTEP) 5-11/205 RB
His size and playing style remind of Jeff Wilson Jr. He has 4.56 speed and had 163 carries for 734 yards and two touchdowns this year. He also had 26 missed tackles forced and 26 explosive plays. Awatt was born in Nigeria.

The Niners have identified many outstanding UDFA running backs that made the team including Jordan Mason, JaMychal Hasty, Wilson Jr., and Matt Breida.

Jack Colletto (Oregon State) 6-2/237 FB
At Corvallis he played quarterback, linebacker, and fullback, starting in five games. In 2021 he had 31 carries for 144 yards and nine total touchdowns. He has 4.85 speed with a 36.5 vertical.

D’Shawn Jamison (Texas) 5-10/187 DB
Good length for his height with 31-plus-inch arms, he combined that with 4.49 speed and sharp ball skills for two interceptions and seven PBUs. Jamison’s catch rate against was an excellent 44.7%. He has trouble wrapping up, a missed tackle rate of 19.4%. Also a kick returner, Jamison averaged 33.2 yards on 17 kickoff returns in 2020 and had three return touchdowns in his Texas career.

Corey Luciano (Washington) 6-4/294 C
An All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention center, Luciano blocked for Jake Haener in high school at Monte Vista in Danville. He ran a 5.35 40 and has 32-plus-inch arms. Luciano was the top-rated lineman when UW upset then-No. 6 Oregon. The Huskies put up 522 yards of total offense averaging 9.2 yards a play, and the line did not allow a sack.

Ilm Manning (Hawaii) 6-2/2904 IOL
Manning is a good athlete running a 4.97 40 with a 30.5 vertical, 110 broad, and 25 bench reps. At 6-2 with 32-plus-inch arms he played out of position at left tackle and was Hawaiian barbeque. Five sacks against with 24 pressures and 15 penalties. Given his speed and power, and a move inside into a pro system, Manning’s pass pro numbers should improve significantly.

Mariano Sori-Marin (Minnesota) 6-3/245 LB
Sori-Marin is known for recognition that stems from his fervent film work. He ran a 4.62 40, he had 88 tackles with six tackles for loss this year and 1.5 sacks. The recognition accelerates his game speed and he plays with physicality.

Spencer Waege (North Dakota State) 6-4/280 Edge
Highly productive FCS edge with 12 sacks, 42 pressures, and 32 stops (tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage). 4.91 40 but a Combine top-ten 3-Cone at 7.19, matching Tennessee’s Byron Young and faster than Derick Hall (7.23) and Robert Beal Jr. (7.26). He has short arms at 32 inches and benched 23 reps.

Shae Wyatt (Tulane) 5-10/188 WR
He’s a sure-handed 4.66 receiver, with 35 catches for 692 yards and 7 TDs. His 19.8 yards per reception ranked 9th in the country. He played 23% of his snaps from the slot and his average depth of target at 14.3 was one of the highest in the nation. He had 13 missed forced tackles. Given his size, he’s not a contested catch guy at just over 30% but he is an elite jumper with a vertical of 39.5 inches and a broad of 127.

Avery Young (Rutgers) 5-11/198 S
Young provides the versatility 49er Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks values highly. An outside corner this year with experience playing at every position in the secondary and in multiple schemes. He’s a chameleon. The catch is he’s slow at 4.78 but has long speed with fluid hips. His ball skills are average, with one interception and 4 PBUs this year. He has a history of penalties but cut it down to four this year. Young can press, mirror, and tackle.