Matt Barrows of The Athletic identified seven more pre-draft interviews conducted by the San Francisco 49ers. Draft prospects are not allowed to meet face-to-face with NFL representatives amid the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping through the nation.
Instead, interviews are being conducted via video conferencing software, like FaceTime and Zoom, or by telephone. Conversations can't last more than an hour, with no more than three with a single player per week.
RELATED 49ers 2020 Pre-Draft Visit/Meeting Tracker
Barrows' additions bring the total of recent 49ers remote interviews up to 19 prospects. The new additions are made up of three offensive players and four defensive players.
- DL Ross Blacklock, TCU
- RB Reggie Corbin, USF
- S Kamren Curl, Arkansas
- DL Jordan Elliott, Missouri
- DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State
- WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
- WR Quez Watkins, Southern Miss
The 49ers had met with a couple of these players already. San Francisco reportedly had a meeting with Blacklock before the pre-draft visit shutdown. The team met with Corbin at the East-West Shrine Game.
Below is what Lance Zierlein's NFL.com draft bios say about each prospect.
DL Ross Blacklock, TCU - Flashes menacing disruptive qualities as a gap seeker, but is just ordinary when forced to sit and take on blocks. Blacklock rebounded from a 2018 Achilles injury and showed off basketball quickness that was often too much for a single blocker. However, his technique and hand usage need work, as he's inconsistent holding the point and keeping his feet. He's a hit-or-miss run defender, but he's a relentless pass rusher with elite lateral quickness and change of direction to exploit interior galoots and open pathways to the pocket. Blacklock needs development as a one-gapping three-technique with rare movement talent and intriguing rush potential. Full Bio
RB Reggie Corbin, USF - Corbin's career at Illinois started off slowly, as he suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder during a blocking drill before his freshman season. He became a reliable option in the backfield as a redshirt freshman, however, even getting two starts in 12 games (86 carries, 523 yards, 6.1 average, two touchdowns; 10 receptions, 112 yards, 11.2 average). The Upper Marlboro, Maryland, product did not get many touches in the team's back-by-committee approach in 2017 (18 carries, 78 yards, 4.3 average; nine receptions, 27 yards, 3.0 average) but returned to a starring role as a junior. Corbin was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick in 2018, ranking third in the FBS by averaging 8.5 yards a carry (128 carries, 1,085 yards, nine touchdowns). He also caught 16 passes for 176 yards in 12 games (eight starts). Corbin was not as productive in 12 games (11 starts) as a senior (143 carries, 675 yards, 4.7 average, seven touchdowns; three receptions, 28 yards, 9.3 average) but Big Ten coaches still voted him third-team all-conference. Full Bio
S Kamren Curl, Arkansas - Curl was a three-year starter for the Razorbacks, playing strong safety over the last two seasons. He led Arkansas with two interceptions in 2019 while also posting 76 stops, four for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. As a sophomore, he started the team's first 11 contests (53 tackles, five pass breakups) and then was suspended for the season finale after being seen socializing with Mississippi State's dance team before Arksansas' game against the Bulldogs. As a freshman, Curl played cornerback for the Hogs as an injury replacement, recording 46 tackles and breaking up eight passes on the year. Full Bio
DL Jordan Elliott, Missouri - Elliott is from Missouri City, Texas, making it quite a coincidence that he decided to transfer from Austin to Columbia after his freshman season. The top-100 national recruit from Westside High School played in six games as a reserve with the Longhorns in 2016 (eight tackles, 1.5 for loss), missing six games due to an MCL injury. He said he was not happy wearing burnt orange, however, so he joined his former Texas defensive line coach (Brick Haley) at Mizzou. Elliott redshirted the 2017 season, earning the team's Defensive Scout Player of the Year award. He then became a playmaker in his sophomore campaign despite not starting (24 tackles, eight for loss, three sacks in 13 games). Elliott's junior campaign was what people expected, as he garnered second-team Associated Press All-American honors after leading his team with 10 tackles for loss (including three sacks) among his 44 total stops in 12 starts. Full Bio
DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State - Yetur Gross-Matos was a four-star recruit from Spotsylvania, Virginia, before making the trek to Happy Valley. He suited up for all 13 games as a reserve in his first year with the Nittany Lions (17 tackles, two for loss, 1.5 sacks). During that season he showed glimpses of the talent that would manifest itself in 2018. Gross-Matos earned third-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, as well as Penn State's Defensive Lineman of the Year award, after leading the team with 20 tackles for loss and eight sacks among his 54 stops (with two forced fumbles) in 13 games. He moved up to first-team all-conference as a junior after pacing his defense with 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks among 40 total tackles. Full Bio
WR Denzel Mims, Baylor - Mims' family reunions are stacked with former football players. Three of his brothers played high school football. His cousin, David Mims II, played cornerback at Texas State, and David's father, David, was a running back for Baylor. Another cousin, Keyarris Garrett, led the nation in receiving yards as a senior and was signed by Carolina as an undrafted free agent. Mims built an impressive resume at Daingerfield High School in Texas, including earning honorable mention All-State honors in football, District MVP honors in basketball and winning the Class 3A 200-meter state title as a junior. He became Baylor's next "big thing" at receiver in his sophomore season, as Big 12 coaches voted him second-team all-conference after he started 11 of 12 games played and caught 61 passes for 1,087 yards (17.8 per catch) and eight touchdowns. Mims had a huge outing against Oklahoma that year, grabbing 11 throws for 192 yards and three scores. He did not see many passes his freshman year (four catches for 24 yards and 6.0 yards per catch in 11 games) due to the presence of talented players like KD Cannon and Ish Zamora ahead of him on the depth chart. His production dropped as the Bears took a step back in 2018 (55 catches, 794 receiving yards, 14.4 yards per catch), but he still managed a team-high eight receiving scores in 12 games with 10 starts. The Bears were back in 2019, partially because Mims was again torching opponents (66 catches, 1,020 receiving yards, 15.5 yards per catch, 12 receiving TDs in 14 starts) on his way to first-team all-conference honors. Full Bio
WR Quez Watkins, Southern Miss - Watkins became a star receiver for the Golden Eagles over the past two years, garnering first-team All-Conference USA honors each season. In 2018, he started all 13 games and led the squad in receiving with 72 receptions for 889 yards (12.3 per) and nine touchdowns. Watkins missed the first two games of his senior year for an undisclosed reason but came back to rack up a team-high 1,024 yards and five touchdowns on 55 catches (18.6 per). He was a three-star recruit and second-team all-state selection from Athens, Alabama, who redshirted his first year in Hattiesburg before recording 23-337-14.7, two TDs in 13 games in 2017. Full Bio
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