Rick Stockstill has been the head coach of Middle Tennessee State's football program since 2006. You can hear the pride in his voice when he discusses the San Francisco 49ers' seventh-round draft pick, wide receiver Richie James.
Stockstill joined the 49ers Studios Podcast this week and discussed his former player with team reporter Joe Fann. He provided a unique scouting report on James, who may have flown under the radar due to his size (5-foot-10, 183 pounds).
"Very dynamic, has great vision, has good hands, he can make contested catches," said Stockstill. "He's not going to overpower you with his strength because he is a small guy. He plays fast. And you guys have seen it where guys run a 4.4, but when the game comes on, they don't run a 4.4. Richie is a full-size guy that runs 4.5 all the time. He plays really fast.
"I think this has probably gone unnoticed a little bit. I told NFL scouts this. Yes, he is small, he is short, but he has long arms. He has a really good catch radius which enables him to make some contested catches. He's great with the run after the catch."
James had 107 receptions for 1,334 yards with eight touchdowns during his redshirt freshman year and was named first-team All-C-USA. The next season, he registered 105 catches for 1,625 yards with 12 touchdowns, once again earning first-team All-C-USA honors. James' 2017 season was limited to just five games due to a broken collarbone.
The 49ers saw enough in the young receiver, who ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the combine, to draft him with the No. 240 overall selection.
While James primarily played inside with the Blue Raiders, Stockstill says he can be effective on the outside as well. He won't just contribute on the football field either. Stockstill believes James will be a positive presence in the locker room.
"He's a great teammate," Stockstill continued. "People in the locker room are going to respect his work ethic. They're going to respect his personality. He's not a loud, boisterous guy. He's humble, he's appreciative, and he's a hard worker. I think at the end of the day, the 49ers will be pleased with [who] they picked."
Stockstill believes the 49ers will utilize James much like he did – by using him to create mismatches on offense. His arm length measured in at 31 1/4 inches at the combine. San Francisco selected another wide receiver in the draft – Dante Pettis. His arm length measured in at 32 1/4 inches at the combine.
After the draft, general manager John Lynch discussed the importance of length when it comes to players on the team. At the time, he was talking about the 49ers' third-round draft pick, Fred Warner, whose arms measured in at 32 inches.
"We covet length," Lynch said. "We always talk about no absolutes, but length, much like I remember (former NBA head coach) Phil Jackson was at the forefront of that in basketball, closes down passing lanes. And so when you're in those hooks, guys that have great length and great ability to move in a real athletic fashion, it shrinks the field, and we think Fred's one of those guys who can shrink the field."
As for James, Stockstill believes the 49ers are getting a competitive and hungry player. James may not be the biggest receiver Stockstill has coached, but he has traits that compare well with players drafted in higher rounds.
"Richie knows how to get open," said Stockstill. "Richie knows how to catch the ball. Richie knows how to work. If I'm coaching a receiver, those are probably the three most important things you want."
You can listen to the entire interview with Stockstill at 49ers.com.
