With the 22nd pick (No. 240 overall) in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Middle Tennessee State wide receiver Richie James.
James was named first-team All-C-USA as a redshirt freshman after a 107-catch, 1,334-yard, eight-touchdown season. He also carried the football 13 times for 158 yards and a score. James topped those numbers in 2016 when he recorded 105 receptions for 1,625 yards with 12 touchdowns along with 38 carries for 339 yards and four more scores, earning first-team All-C-USA honors again.
James' junior season in 2017 was shortened to just five games due to a broken collarbone.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 5-foot-10 and 183-pound James had a 40-time of 4.48 seconds, a vertical jump of 35.5 inches, a broad jump of 122 inches, completed the three-cone drill in 6.87 seconds, had 6 reps in the bench press, a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.16 seconds, and a 60-yard shuttle time of 11.44 seconds. Other measurables for James include an arm length of 31 1/4 inches and hands that measure 9 1/4 inches.
NFL.com projected James to be a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares James to De'Anthony Thomas, wrote the following about James within his scouting report:
"Undersized slot option with good foot quickness and consistent play speed, but lacking in polish and strength. While James is more reliant upon his athleticism than his route acumen, he does have the suddenness to gain instant separation in tight quarters. James plays with good toughness but has to prove his 2017 injuries were a fluke. James lacks size and his focus as a pass-catcher is very average, but he does have talent that could be developed with more time."
Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst wrote the following the following about James within his scouting report:
"James is a consistent pass catcher who plays tough, fast football. He projects as a slot receiver at the next level, but his greatest contributions must come as a return specialist."
Measurables
Height: 5-10
Weight: 183 lbs.
Arm length: 31 1/4 inches
Hand length: 9 1/4 inches
Utah State QB Logan Bonner meets with 49ers; John Lynch, others attend local pro days
By David Bonilla
Mar 22
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the San Francisco 49ers were among the teams to meet with Utah State quarterback Logan Bonner at the school's pro day on Wednesday. The quarterback also met with the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Utah State quarterback Logan Bonner excelled at Pro Day, displaying arm talent, athleticism. Met with #Colts #Packers
The San Francisco 49ers have several positions to bolster via the upcoming draft. While most of the starting lineup seems set, the team lost some key depth via free agency.
NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter published his latest four-round mock draft and has the 49ers addressing some of those needs. Unfortunately, San Francisco doesn't make a pick until late in the third round, where they own three of the final four selections in that round.
Reuter has the Niners adding BYU offensive tackle Blake Freeland at pick No. 99.
San Francisco watched starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey depart for the Denver Broncos. The
Podcast: 49ers with Grant Cohn: Are the 49ers the favorites in the NFC with Trey Lance?
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Mar 24
Rohan Chakravarthi and Grant Cohn discuss whether the 49ers are favorites in the NFC after free agency.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
?feature=share
You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our
49ers considered trading Mike McGlinchey last year
By David Bonilla
Mar 25
Mike McGlinchey received a life-changing payday, signing a five-year, $87.5 million deal with the Denver Broncos. The offensive tackle has known for a while that he would not return to the San Francisco 49ers, the only NFL team he has played for and the one that made him the No. 9 overall pick in 2018.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear to McGlinchey that he was likely playing his final months for the team. There was too much money invested in other spots, and the 49ers knew they couldn't compete with other interested teams.
Behind the scenes, Lynch and Shanahan kept McGlinchey in the loop of what the team was thinking, and everything pointed to the tackle playing elsewhere in 2023 … maybe even
