The San Francisco 49ers continue to do their homework on tight ends, perhaps searching for someone to take some of the pressure off of All-Pro George Kittle. The team was among those that reportedly held a pre-draft interview via FaceTime with former Portland State tight end Charlie Taumoepeau, according to Justin Melo of USA Today's Draft Wire.
The other teams Melo mentions are the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, and Atlanta Falcons.
#Portland TE (and Senior Bowl participant) Charlie Taumoepeau has recently held pre-draft meetings over FaceTime with #Packers, #49ers, #Cardinals & #Falcons.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 18, 2020
Taumoepeau recorded 117 receptions for 1,876 yards with 11 touchdowns in four seasons with the Vikings. He was named to the 2019 Big Sky Football All-Conference Team and participated in the 2020 Senior Bowl.
RELATED 49ers 2020 Pre-Draft Visit/Meeting Tracker
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-foot-2 and 240-pound Taumoepeau had a 40-time of 4.75 seconds, a vertical jump of 36.5 inches, a broad jump of 121 inches, completed the three-cone drill in 7 seconds, 18 reps in the bench press, and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.27 seconds. Other measurables for Taumoepeau include an arm length of 32 1/4 inches and hands that measure 9 1/2 inches.
NFL.com projects Taumoepeau to be a seventh-round draft pick.
Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Taumoepeau:
Taumoepeau (pronounced TOU-mo-PAY-uh) was a three-sport star in Ohio before flying across the country to play for the Vikings. He played in 11 games as a reserve his true freshman year (eight receptions, 149 yards, 18.6 average, one touchdown). Taumoepeau became a major factor on offense the following fall, garnering second-team All-Big Sky Conference notice by grabbing 45 passes for 673 yards (15.0) and three touchdowns in 11 contests (nine starts). NFL scouts took notice of his play early in the 2018 season, as he grabbed eight passes for 255 yards and four scores in back-to-back games against Nevada and Oregon. Despite a midseason ankle injury, Big Sky coaches named him first-team all-league because he averaged more than 20 yards a catch (28 receptions, 580 yards, 20.7 average) and scored five times. Taumoepeau missed two games due to injury in 2019, but still landed second-team Associated Press FCS All-American and first-team all-conference honors (36 receptions, 474 yards, 13.2 average, two touchdowns in 10 starts).
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following about Taumoepeau within his scouting report:
Went into the tape study looking for athleticism and catch production but came away impressed with his attitude and consistency of effort as a run blocker. While he's not used all that often as a primary blocker to help spring the run game, he appears to be capable of doing it within reason. Taumoepeau has average size and athletic traits but needs to play faster and with more focused burst to improve separation against NFL coverages. He has the ball skills to handle zone work and can take what defenses give him, but may need to prove his worth on special teams to land a roster spot as a backup H-back.
Measurables
Height: 6-2
Weight: 240 lbs.
Arm length: 32 1/4 inches
Hand length: 9 1/2 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 4.75 seconds
Vertical: 36.5 inches
Broad jump: 121 inches
3-cone drill: 7 seconds
Bench press: 18 reps
20-yard shuttle: 4.27 seconds
