The San Francisco 49ers selected Fordham OT Nick Zakelj with the eighth pick (No. 187 overall) in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 49ers acquired this selection from the trade of linebacker Jonas Griffith to the Denver Broncos in 2021.
Zakelj is from Broadview Heights, OH. He earned a pre-draft grade of 5.93 from NFL.com, which equates to an "average backup or special-teams player," per the site's 8-point grading scale.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6' 6 1/8" and 316-pound Zakelj had a 40-time of 5.13 seconds, a vertical jump of 28.5 inches, a broad jump of 110 inches, a 7.75-second three-cone drill time, 27 reps in the bench press, and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.71 seconds. His other measurables include an arm length of 32 1/2 inches and hands measuring 9 7/8 inches.
NFL.com projected Zakelj to be a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick.
Zakelj (pronounced zah-KELL) was an All-Patriot League selection at left tackle each of the last four seasons. Conference coaches voted him to their second team in 2018 (11 starts). They voted him to the top squad in 2019 (12) and for the 2021 spring (three) and fall campaigns (11). He was also a team captain in 2021. The Ohio native played in nine games with eight starts (seven at right tackle, one at left) as a true freshman in 2017 before earning all those accolades. -- by Chad Reuter
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Zakelj to Josh Wells, wrote the following within his scouting report:
Decorated four-year starting tackle with NFL-caliber size and traits. Zakelj plays with strain and aggression. However, his block sustain and finish are occasionally derailed by modest knee bend and core strength at the point of attack. Athletic feet and reactive athleticism allow him to stay connected to outside edge speed or inside counters in his pass sets. Despite his foot agility, he is just average in getting three-techniques reached on backside zone blocks, but there is a noticeable pop into initial contact when coming off the ball and getting downhill. Field toughness, an NFL frame and pass protection ability give Zakelj a shot as a swing tackle with the potential to develop into a bigger contributor.
Joe Marino of The Draft Network wrote the following about Zakelj within his scouting report:
Nick Zakelj was a four-year starter at left tackle for Fordham and confirmed his skill set with a strong showing in 2021 against Nebraska and earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Zakelj is a tenacious run blocker that generates notable power and creates movement. He has a firm anchor in pass protection and his overall hand technique is strong in terms of timing, placement, and the compactness of his strikes. His hands can work independently and his overall package of size, power, aggressiveness, and hand usage makes him appealing. With that said, he has to clean up his weight distribution issues to avoid leaning and getting top-heavy. He also needs to embrace a transition to guard, where my concerns about his ability to reach set points, frame pass rushers, and elongate their path to the quarterback are reduced. His footwork in pass protection is choppy, which is a bad combination for how he distributes his weight. His lateral mobility is modest, which makes hitting backside cut-offs a challenge. Zakelj is a worthwhile developmental option that will benefit from the jump in competition but there will be a curve ahead of him to change positions and develop his footwork.
Measurables
Height: 6' 6 1/8"
Weight: 316 lbs.
Arm length: 32 1/2 inches
Hand length: 9 7/8 inches
49ers sign 6th-round draft pick Jarrett Kingston to 4-yr, $4.16 million rookie deal
By David Bonilla
May 15
The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly signed former USC offensive lineman Jarrett Kingston to his rookie four-year deal. The team made him a sixth-round draft pick, selecting him 215th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. This leaves wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, the team's first-round selection, as the only unsigned 49ers draft pick.
According to OverTheCap.com, Kingston's four-year contract is worth about $4.16 million. This includes a signing bonus of approximately $138,000 and a 2024 salary-cap hit of about $830,000.
When asked about his pre-draft evaluations, Kingston said, "I feel like I am athletic. I think whatever like the ratings were, but I feel like I'm really athletic. I think my background playing all these different positions, like defensive and tight
AFC GM hoped to draft 49ers WR Ricky Pearsall: "It was a great pick"
By David Bonilla
May 9
The San Francisco 49ers' selection of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick in the draft surprised many, with several analysts labeling it as a reach. However, one AFC general manager described the pick as "great."
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta had hoped to select Pearsall and was disappointed to see the former Florida wide receiver chosen at the end of the first round. While he admits to being surprised by Pearsall's early selection, he thought the Ravens might have a chance at him later.
"It was a great pick. I give those guys a lot of credit," DeCosta said of the 49ers' selection,
49ers coordinator Nick Sorensen previews his defense, discusses Brandon Staley's role and more
By Kirk Larrabee
May 10
New 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen may not have all the answers yet in regards to how his defense will perform in the upcoming season, but it sounds like his approach will remain largely similar to what the team has done in the past under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Sorensen held his first media session as 49ers defensive coordinator before the team's rookie minicamp on Friday and provided a glimpse on how he wants his defense to look once they take the field in September. The plan is to show the NFL that the 49ers haven't changed much in terms of intensity and flying to the ball.
"I want them to see we're still the standard of what we've always been -- an attacking defense that plays fast," Sorensen said. "We play violent. We play with speed, and we
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen spoke to reporters during the team's rookie minicamp. Here is everything he had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening comments:
"Good to see you guys. I'm excited. Go ahead, you can ask questions. We just got out of walk-through with our rookies. It's pretty cool to have those guys here."
When an offense takes a look at your defense, early in the season, what do you want them to see? What is going to be the identity of your defense?
"I want them to see that we're still the standard of what we've always been, an attacking defense that plays fast. We play violent, we play with speed
