The San Francisco 49ers have worked out and visited with plenty of big name players in advance of the 2017 NFL Draft, but they are also meeting with plenty of lesser known names. The three latest come courtesy of NFL Draft Diamonds. They are reporting the 49ers had private workouts with New Hampshire defensive back Casey DeAndrade and Fordham tight end Phazahn Odom.
Both players are currently projected as undrafted free agents. The field of defensive backs and tight ends is extensive, so both are likely going to end up trying to get into a rookie camp and show things from there.
The 49ers have a clear need in the secondary. DeAndraide played cornerback in college, but is listed as a free safety in most draft projections. They are likely moving Jimmie Ward to free safety, although they could also invest in Malik Hooker with the No. 2 overall pick. DeAndrade seems like a project-type that would be competing for a practice squad spot in his first year.
They also have a lot of tight ends, but they don’t have anybody that is clearly going to be the leader of the group. Vance McDonald got a contract extension under Trent Baalke, but he still has plenty of prove to the new folks. They drafted Blake Bell, but he remains a project. There is definitely room for a tight end.
Back in early February, Matt Waldman put together a scouting report on Odom. He sees a guy who at 6’7 251 pounds is going to add some weight, and if he can get up to 260, could be a really intriguing h-back with the ability to go up over a lot of guys in the red zone. Here’s Waldman’s scouting report on Odom: