The San Francisco 49ers personnel evaluators are plenty busy these days! With the 2018 NFL Draft two weeks away, the team is wrapping up its official pre-draft visits and on-site workouts with some big names.
The team brought in Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick for a two-day visit on Monday and Tuesday, according to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport. They are following that up with a workout of LSU defensive end Arden Key, per Rapoport. The 49ers are also planning on hosting Key for an official visit before the draft.
Key is an intriguing prospect, for both good and bad reasons. He stands 6’6 and has crazy length. He weighed in at the Combine at 238 pounds, but has had issues with weight fluctuation. He left the team last spring for personal reasons, and returned 30 pounds overweight. He dropped the weight, but struggled and saw his numbers decline. There are worries about the discipline needed to take the next step in the NFL.
This has all seen his draft stock plummet from potential first round pick, to potential day three pick. There’s a ton of talent, but the questions could cost him. And so, it makes sense that the 49ers would do a ton of work on him. If they are going to roll the dice on someone like Key, they will need to be absolutely sure of what they are getting with him. They can’t be certain, but they’ve got the opportunity to figure out what his deal is.