The San Francisco 49ers are busy as free agency gets started, but there is plenty of work to be done in advance of April’s 2018 NFL Draft. School pro days have begun, and will last into early April. The front office is sending scouts, coaches, and executives around the country to observe and meet with players, and reports from these events can offer some hints about team interests.
NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline is reporting the team was in attendance at Princeton’s Pro Day this past Friday. According to Pauline, the 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and Indianapolis Colts are four teams that have shown the most interest in quarterback Chad Kanoff and were in attendance in spite of a Nor’easter that brought bad weather.
Pauline had positive things to report from Kanoff’s Pro Day:
The big-armed passer measured in at 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, timed 4.90 in the 40 and posted a vertical jump of 32.5 inches. His hands measured 10-1/4 inches, a big number for a quarterback. Kanoff threw 55 passes; all had excellent velocity, and all were on the money.
The 49ers are locked in with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, and have a capable backup in C.J. Beathard. That being said, the team will add at least one more quarterback, and probably two, to compete in the offseason workout program and training camp. They won’t invest a lot, but a late round pick, UDFA, or cheap young veteran are the most likely options.
Kanoff is an interesting name that offers a hint of a bit of trend of sorts. During the January Senior Bowl, the 49ers met with Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta. A Senior Bowl meeting could mean nothing, and just be a quick introduction to collect some information. But given that Lauletta has been compared to Jimmy Garoppolo, it got on our radar.
I mention this because according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Kanoff is represented by Don Yee, who also represents Jimmy Garoppolo.
Having the same agent doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s certainly an interesting little tidbit. The 49ers could very well be interested, but I suppose it could also be possible the team is comfortable being connected to Kanoff so that Yee can boost his client’s stock. Kanoff was not invited to the NFL Combine, and Princeton is not exactly a powerhouse that generates many draft picks. Kanoff seems like a UDFA candidate for somebody, and more teams interested or appearing to be interested could help generate more of a market. That’s just speculation on my part, but there is often a dance to be played between agents and teams, so who knows.