The San Francisco 49ers were busy on Thursday, with one or more representatives on hand for Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo's private workout, according to Matt Barrows. The 49ers previously expressed some level of interest in Carroo at the Senior Bowl. He did not play in that game due to an ankle injury.
The big issue for Carroo would be the assault charge he faced in September. It was eventually dismissed when he and the alleged victim reached an agreement of mutual restraint. Even though this is supposedly in his past, the issue will remain on the radar in trying to figure out if off-the-field concerns will be an issue moving forward. Chip Kelly avoided players with character questions, but he is not running the show in Santa Clara. It will be interesting to see how he and Trent Baalke work together in that regard.
Carroo ranks No. 9 in Football Outsiders' Playmaker Score. The comps FO provides are Todd Pinkston and Peerless Price.
Carroo was the big-play artist for run-first Rutgers. His 19.5 yards per reception were better than any other Division I wide receiver invited to the NFL combine this year. But Carroo topped 1,000 receiving yards only once in his college career, and he is entering the draft as a senior.
There is a lot of upside in Carroo, but the floor seems like it could be considerably lower as well. He finished this past season with 809 yards and ten touchdowns. Nine of the touchdowns and half the receiving yards came in three of the eight games he played. There is serious playmaking potential, and in 2014, he showed at least a little more consistency, but there is still that floor that is concerning. CBSSports.com currently projects him as a third round pick.