The San Francisco 49ers are doing a lot of work on tight ends in the incoming rookie class. They hosted pre-draft visits with Noah Fant of Iowa and Tyree Mayfield of Wyoming. The team also hosted Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
It's been a busy several weeks for #TAMU speedy TE Jace Sternberger, who has had visits with 9 teams (#Packers, #Lions, #Vikings, #Patriots, #Bills, #Texans, #Seahawks, #49ers, and #Chiefs), while working out for 5 other teams (#Cowboys, #Saints, #Bengals, #Raiders, #Titans).
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 18, 2019
Sternberger felt his talents weren't being showcased with Kansas so he transferred to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a junior college, after the 2016 season. He committed to Texas A&M after an impressive 2017 campaign. Sternberger caught 48 passes for 832 yards with 10 touchdowns through 13 games with the Aggies in 2018, which earned him first-team All-SEC honors and first-team All-America honors.
RELATED 49ers 2019 Pre-Draft Visit/Meeting Tracker
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-foot-4 and 251-pound Sternberger had a 40-time of 4.75 seconds, a vertical jump of 31.5 inches, a broad jump of 113 inches, completed the three-cone drill in 7.19 seconds, 17 reps in the bench press, a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.31 seconds, and a 60-yard shuttle time of 129 seconds. Other measurables for Sternberger include an arm length of 32 1/8 inches and hands that measure 9 3/4 inches.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Sternberger to Jacob Tamme, wrote the following about Sternberger within his scouting report:
"Despite his experience in-line and willingness to block in Jimbo Fisher's offense, he has neither the size nor strength to handle those duties as a pro. Sternberger is athletic with above-average ball skills, catch radius and route breaks that help him undercover on the second and third level. His paychecks will be tied to his pass-catching so he'll need to play stronger through route contact and with better focus when contested. He has eventual starter potential as a move tight-end who can function as a big WR3/4 from the slot."
Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst wrote the following about Sternberger within his scouting report:
"Sternberger looks the part and really played to it in 2018, when he came out of nowhere to become one of the better tight-end prospects in this year's draft. He needs to complete his game but is a terrific pass catcher who could eventually develop into a starter at the next level."
Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network wrote the following about Sternberger within his scouting report:
"Jace Sternberger is an excellent receiving threat from the TE position and his receiving chops should allow him to get reps early as a rookie. Sternberger has smooth breaks, soft hands, good concentration skills and enough blocking to not be considered a liability at the POA. He needs to continue to add some false breaks on his routes and really focus on his balance and lower body power as a blocker but his three year projection is favorable, can impact pass game year one. "
Measurables
Height: 6-4
Weight: 251 lbs.
Arm length: 32 1/8 inches
Hand length: 9 3/4 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 4.75 seconds
Vertical: 31.5 inches
Broad jump: 113 inches
3-cone drill: 7.19 seconds
Bench press: 17 reps
20-yard shuttle: 4.31 seconds
60-shuttle drill: 129 seconds
| College Statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Class | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2016 | Kansas | FR | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | -- |
| 2018 | Texas A&M | JR | 13 | 48 | 832 | 17.3 | 10 |
| Total | 49 | 837 | 17.1 | 10 | |||