The San Francisco 49ers could use some size at wide receiver, and they are spending one of their 30 pre-draft visits on a huge pass catcher. The team is bringing in Florida State wide receiver Auden Tate for a visit on Wednesday, according to beat writer Matt Maiocco.
Tate stands 6’5, 228 pounds. His arms are 33 3⁄4 inches, which were the longest at the Combine. His 9 3/8 inch hands were 21st among Combine receivers. He ran a 4.68 40 and play speed is viewed as a negative, but you certainly can’t teach 6’5 height.
Tate finished his junior season with 40 catches for 548 yards and ten touchdowns. He lacks speed and there are questions about if he can get separation, but with that size, he could be a heck of a possession receiver and red zone threat. The 49ers have some options, with Pierre Garçon, George Kittle, and Kyle Juszczyk among their red zone threats. But adding a big body like Tate would certainly be intriguing.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein views him as an early day three option. He had this to say in Tate’s overview:
Tate’s speed and quickness limitations could make finding an NFL role for him challenging if he’s unable to create enough separation for quarterbacks to target him. What he does have going for him is that he can catch through contact and has very good ball skills -- especially near the endzone. Tate’s toughness and willingness to play through a shoulder injury this year will stand out to teams. Tate will be targeted by teams looking for a matchup weapon with value as a zone beater and red zone target.