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The San Francisco 49ers continue their search for NFL-caliber talent far and wide. The team was in attendance at a private workout for offensive lineman Ali Marpet, who plays for Division III Hobart & William Smith. Draft Insider's Tony Pauline is reporting the 49ers were one of at least eight teams in attendance, including the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.
The workout was scheduled prior to the Syracuse April 7 Pro Day. Hobart is in upstate New York, thus the mention of Syracuse. I'm not sure if Marpet also attended that Pro Day, but I'm guessing he did not given the private workout. According to Pauline, Marpet has 9 visits and 15 private workouts over the next three weeks.
Marpet finagled an invite to the NFL Combine after a strong performance in the Senior Bowl, and had the fastest 40 time of any offensive lineman. He was the only one to crack the 5.0-second mark, finishing at 4.98, with a 1.71 10-yard split. His Combine numbers were as follows:
40-yard dash: 4.98
10-yard split: 1.71
Bench press: 30 reps
Vertical: 30 1/2"
Broad: 9'0"
20-yard shuttle: 4.47
3-cone drill: 7.33
And for those wondering, Marpet measured in with 33 3'8" arms.
Marpet played tackle but would likely switch inside at the NFL level. Scout.com ranked him their No. 5 guard prospect, while ESPN and CBS Sports have him at No. 4. The biggest concern is that he faced inferior competition, so the film only presents so much value. The scouting reports indicate he has the technique, although he sometimes got away with bad habits due to the inferior competition.