The San Francisco 49ers attended Auburn's Pro Day on Monday, and took some interest in a prospect who did not get a combine invite. NFL reporter Aaron Wilson is reporting the 49ers were one of seven teams to interview cornerback Blake Countess.
Countess is not a big guy, measuring in at 5'9, 185 pounds. The 49ers do not have an especially tall group of cornerbacks outside of Dontae Johnson, and even among that group Countess would be on the smaller end. At the same time, it's clear he is a strong player, no matter the size. He put up 21 reps on the bench press, which would have been tops for defensive backs at the Combine. He also out-lifted three of Auburn's linemen.
He finished the 2015 season with 71 tackles, two interceptions, and 11 passes broken up. He appears to be a player best suited for nickel back and special teams work. He ran an unofficial 4.49 40 at the pro Day. You can also check out a preseason interview here.
I imagine the 49ers representative(s) kept an eye on other prospects as well. Here is a list of some of the more notable prospects at Auburn (CBS round projection in parenthesis):
OT Shon Coleman (2nd)
CB Jonathan Jones (3rd-4th)
OT Avery Young (6th)
WR Ricardo Louis (7th)
OLB Kris Frost (7th-UDFA)
RB Peyton Barber (7th-UDFA)