The San Francisco 49ers already have one former Iowa tight end on their roster and may be looking to add another. The team is hosting a pre-draft visit with Noah Fant, according to Alex Marvez of SiriusXM.
Not sure if out there but I'm told Iowa TE Noah Fant is visiting with the @Patriots after meeting with the @49ers
— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) April 11, 2019
The 49ers used a fifth-round selection on George Kittle in 2017. He has emerged as one of the best players at his position and in 2018 set an NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end.
San Francisco might be looking to compliment Kittle. Fant and his former Iowa teammate, T.J. Hockenson, are considered to be among the top tight end prospects in this draft class. The second tight end on the 49ers' depth chart is Garrett Celek, who is entering the final year of his contract and will be 31 years old at the start of the upcoming season.
Fant caught 39 passes for 519 yards with seven touchdowns through 12 games with the Hawkeyes in 2018. He has recorded 69 receptions for 1,013 yards with 18 trips into the end zone over the past two seasons.
RELATED 49ers 2019 Pre-Draft Visit/Meeting Tracker
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-foot-4 and 249-pound Fant had a 40-time of 4.5 seconds, a vertical jump of 39.5 inches, a broad jump of 127 inches, completed the three-cone drill in 6.81 seconds, 20 reps in the bench press, a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.22 seconds, and a 60-yard shuttle time of 11.49 seconds. Other measurables for Fant include an arm length of 33 1/2 inches and hands that measure 9 3/4 inches.
Other teams Fant has reportedly visited or will visit include the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and, as Marvez mentions, the Patriots.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Fant to Eric Ebron, wrote the following about Fant within his scouting report:
"Pass-catching tight end with the length, acceleration and speed to create matchup challenges both short and long. Fant is at his best in open space and on the move as his catch-focus appears to wane when coverage crowds him or he hears footsteps. He needs to get stronger and more competitive at the point of attack to help a run game, but if that never happens, his ability to uncover and hit big plays will still make him a coveted prize for teams ready to add a move tight end as their new matchup toy."
Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst wrote the following about Fant within his scouting report:
"Fant is an impressive-looking tight end who catches the ball like a receiver and plays with outstanding balance and body control. Overrated in some quarters, he has the potential to develop into a No. 1 tight end at the next level, although there may be bumps in the road early in his NFL career."
Measurables
Height: 6-4
Weight: 249 lbs.
Arm length: 33 1/2 inches
Hand length: 9 3/4 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 4.5 seconds
Vertical: 39.5 inches
Broad jump: 127 inches
3-cone drill: 6.81 seconds
Bench press: 20 reps
20-yard shuttle: 4.22 seconds
60-shuttle drill: 11.49 seconds
| College Statistics | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Class | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||||||
| 2016 | Iowa | FR | 6 | 9 | 70 | 7.8 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2017 | Iowa | SO | 12 | 30 | 494 | 16.5 | 11 | ||||||||
| 2018 | Iowa | JR | 12 | 39 | 519 | 13.3 | 7 | ||||||||
| Total | Iowa | 78 | 1083 | 13.9 | 19 | ||||||||||
