The 49ers made an interesting selection with their first of three seventh-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, picking tight end Brayden Willis out of Oklahoma at spot 247 overall.
Willis saw time at tight end and H-Back at Oklahoma and was used sparingly as a pass catcher initially, totaling just 35 receptions in his first four seasons. He decided to return to Oklahoma for a fifth season and doubled his overall production, catching 39 passes for 514 yards and seven touchdowns. Willis finished his college career with 75 catches for 998 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Here are some things to know about Willis as he makes his way to the Bay Area.
An unexpected addition
According to The Oklahoman, Willis was a lightly recruited player at Arlington (Texas) James Martin high school who was recommended to former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley and Cale Gundy by a coach at another high school. After meeting with the coach, Riley began looking at video of Willis in the passenger seat of Gundy's truck and would occasionally show highlights of Willis to Gundy while the truck was stopped. They met with Willis 90 minutes after getting the recommendation, then Willis signed with Oklahoma a week later.
"That's one of those kind of stories you look back on like, 'Man, I'm glad we found that guy,'" Riley said.
Willis played some quarterback as a senior at James Martin, throwing for 521 yards and four touchdowns while catching 29 passes for 586 yards and seven touchdowns with 572 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
A respected Sooner
Willis earned raves as a blocker at Oklahoma before having his breakout year production-wise in 2022. He could have declared for the NFL Draft after the 2021 season but used his extra year of eligibility to return to Oklahoma and serve as a leader.
Willis's high school coach, Bob Wager, told OU Daily that the two of them discussed the possibility of Willis staying a year to work on his leadership after Riley left for USC at the end of the 2021 season.
"He said, 'Coach, really the thing that's driving this is, the program has been shaken up,'" Wager said. "'It's been really good to me, I love it there, and I've got some teammates that are hurting right now. And I think I've put myself in a position where I could bring a lot of benefit from a leadership standpoint.' And I said, 'I think that's an awesome idea, and I think you ought to go for it.'"
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables called Willis "a guy that can change a locker room," according to OU Daily.
The 49ers saw good value in Willis
Why did the 49ers select Willis even though they spent a third-round pick on tight end Cameron Latu? Part of it had to do with the fact they had him rated much higher than his draft spot.
"We had him ranked really high," 49ers general manager John Lynch said of Willis after the draft's conclusion on Saturday. "Everybody always says this, but we had him kind of at a fifth-round grade, so when he was still around it made a lot of sense."
The 49ers liked the fact Willis could conceivably help them in a number of ways on offense.
"He's got a lot of versatility to his game," Lynch said. "He's a guy who kind of embodies what we like in terms of after the balls in his hands. He can do some special things, play some tight end, play some fullback, a nice tool that to move around. Made a lot of big plays for Oklahoma, former quarterback, real smart, cerebral kid. You can put a lot on him. So when he was still there, it just made sense for us."
What scouts said about Willis
Willis posted no 40 time during the pre-draft process but was clocked at 4.36 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle and 7.3 seconds in the 3-cone drill at the NFL Scouting Combine while reaching 33.5 inches in his vertical leap with a 9-foot, 10-inch broad jump at Oklahoma's Pro Day. NFL.com rated him as an undrafted free agent.
"Willis' size and athletic profile leaves him lacking as both an in-line blocker and as a pass-catching option," wrote Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. "He lacks in-line power and plays with low-burn intensity getting into blocks at times, but body control and hand strength help increase his sustain effectiveness when blocking on the move. He's tough working into traffic, but a high percentage of his catches came with nobody around him in space. He will need to prove he can separate against man coverage outside of the Oklahoma scheme."
The Draft Network rated Willis as the No. 228 overall prospect in the 2023 field.
"Brayden Willis provided value to the Oklahoma Sooners' program in a variety of ways, showcasing exciting versatility that makes him an appealing prospect," wrote Joe Marino of TDN. "He delivered his most impactful season in 2022 while improving in several critical areas. The name of the game for Willis is versatility. He has proven ability to make an impact as a pass-catcher, runner, blocker, special teamer, and even threw a touchdown pass."
