The San Francisco 49ers held a pre-draft interview with North Dakota State defensive end Derrek Tuszka via FaceTime, according to Justin Melo of USA Today's Draft Wire.
.@NDSUfootball EDGE Derrek Tuszka had the best 3-cone time (6.87) of any EDGE rusher at the combine.
He's recently held pre-draft FaceTime meetings with the #Giants, #Bengals, #Eagles, #Chargers, #Jaguars, #Titans & #49ers.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 20, 2020
Tuszka racked up 13.5 sacks to go along with his 48 tackles, 19 for a loss, five passes defensed, and forced fumble as a senior with the Bison in 2019. He has compiled 133 tackles, 42 for a loss, 29.5 sacks, six passes defensed, and three forced fumbles in his four collegiate seasons.
RELATED 49ers 2020 Pre-Draft Visit/Meeting Tracker
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-foot-4 and 251-pound Tuszka had a 40-time of 4.79 seconds, a vertical jump of 33.5 inches, a broad jump of 120 inches, completed the three-cone drill in 6.87 seconds, 24 reps in the bench press, and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.34 seconds. Other measurables for Tuszka include an arm length of 31 3/8 inches and hands that measure 9 7/8 inches.
Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Tuszka:
Tuszka (pronounced TUSS-kuh) has been one of the reasons for the Bison's recent run of FCS titles (eight in nine seasons). He had a strong senior year, leading the team to its third straight title as a first-team Associated Press All-American and Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year (48 tackles, led team with 19 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks, five pass breakups in 15 starts). His 2019 sack total ranked sixth in the FCS. In 2018, Tuszka was an honorable mention all-conference selection (48 tackles, 12 for loss, 7.5 sacks, starting seven of 15 games played). He started 12 of 15 games played as a sophomore, leading NDSU with 7.5 sacks among his 33 total tackles, 9.5 for loss. As a redshirt freshman in 2016, Tuszka made four tackles (1.5 for loss, one sack) in eight appearances as a reserve. Tuszka is a South Dakota native who earned all-state honors at Warner High School twice and starred on the basketball court and track. His brother, Jarrod, played for the Bison from 2013 to 2017.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following about Tuszka within his scouting report:
Tuszka is a hard-nosed, physical 4-3 base end with a lack of length and bend but good strength and motor to make play after play. His lack of length and explosiveness weren't an issue in college but will likely be exploited by NFL starting tackles. His skilled hands and secondary effort are traits that will help his cause but Tuszka may need to prove he can handle a transition to 3-4 outside linebacker during individual workouts to expand the number of teams/schemes that might consider him.
Measurables
Height: 6-4
Weight: 251 lbs.
Arm length: 31 3/8 inches
Hand length: 9 7/8 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 4.79 seconds
Vertical: 33.5 inches
Broad jump: 120 inches
3-cone drill: 6.87 seconds
Bench press: 24 reps
20-yard shuttle: 4.34 seconds
