Former Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea told reporters on Saturday that his family grew up fans of the San Francisco 49ers. He is from Milpitas, California, a city if Santa Clara County.
When asked about the possibility of playing for a Bay Area team, Vea stated he and his family "loved the 49ers" over the Oakland Raiders but playing near home for either team "would be awesome."
Vea, who grew up in the Bay Area, said his family "loved the 49ers over the Raiders." On possibility of being drafted by either team: "That would be awesome, to play back home."
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) March 3, 2018
Vea appeared in 13 games as a junior in 2017 and registered 43 combined tackles, 5.5 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles, according to Sports Reference. He started just four of 14 games as a sophomore but was still voted second-team all-conference in 2016 after compiling 39 combined tackles, 6.5 for loss, and five sacks.
NFL.com projects that Vea will be selected in round 1 of the draft.
Lance Zierlein of NFL Media, who compares Vea to Danny Shelton, had the following to say in his scouting report:
"Vea's tape can frustrating because he flashes star potential one series and then looks average the next. With that said, he's still very raw and should be judged by his ability rather than just his results as he should unlock his potential with more coaching. Vea has the size and power to play nose in an odd or even front and he could be targeted by 3-4 teams looking for dominant run defender on the end. He should work into a defensive line rotation immediately and has the ability to become a good NFL starter for years."
Measurables
Height: 6-4
Weight: 347 lbs.
Arm length: 32 5/8 inches
Hand length: 10 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 5.10 seconds
Bench press: 41 reps
College Statistics
| Year | G | Tkl | Loss | Sk |
| 2014 | RS | - | - | - |
| 2015 | 13 | 17 | 3.0 | 1.0 |
| 2016 | 14 | 39 | 6.5 | 5.0 |
| 2017 | 13 | 44 | 5.5 | 3.5 |
| Totals | 40 | 100 | 15.0 | 9.5 |