Ranking 49ers’ undrafted rookies, who are led by do-everything Jack Colletto

The 49ers plan to sign at least 11 undrafted free agents this week, including the most versatile player in college football this past season, a tailback who ran wild against Notre Dame and an offensive lineman whom The Athletic’s Dane Brugler thought was worthy of a fifth-round pick.

I made phone calls to NFL evaluators, consulted Brugler’s rankings and spoke to the agents of many of the prospects below before compiling this ranking in order of their chances to make the season-opening roster or practice squad. It’s based on the player’s ability, the competition he’ll face and how aggressively the 49ers — and other teams — pursued the prospect before and after the draft.

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49ers post-draft depth chart: A 53-man projection and look at team strength

FB/LB/QB/RB/TE/ST Jack Colletto, Oregon State

Colletto had five formal visits in the run-up to the draft, an indication of how much teams valued him. The Jets and Dolphins — who both run a 49ers-like offense — were eying him as their version of fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The Seahawks saw him as a newer version of do-everything special teamer Nick Bellore. The Broncos thought he could be a Taysom Hill-like chess piece in their offense. The Chiefs looked at him, too.

That’s the allure of the 6-foot-3, 237-pound Colletto. The position list above is no exaggeration. He’s a jack of many, many trades.

He won the Paul Hornung Award last year as the most versatile player in college football. During Shrine Game practices earlier this year, he’d wear one color jersey while playing fullback, then would run to the sideline and switch jerseys so he could line up at linebacker. He also took a lot of snaps at tight end during those sessions.

.@BeaverFootball's @JackColletto tested well and worked out at fullback, linebacker and tight end at Pro Day
He posted a 36.5 vert + 9'10 broad, both top-5 among FBs the last 10 years
Colletto is going to offer value at LB, TE and ST, along with being one of the drafts best FBs
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) March 14, 2023

The 49ers likely see him as a core special teams player and someone Kyle Shanahan could fold into his offense if Juszczyk, 32, got hurt or if there were a string of injuries at tight end. Or if there were injuries at linebacker. They could even insert him in short-yardage or goal-line situations as a Wildcat quarterback.

Quarterback was Colletto’s first position at Oregon State, and he appeared in eight games at that spot in 2018. No, he won’t be the fourth quarterback on San Francisco’s roster this offseason. But he could serve as someone who lines up for short-yardage sneaks and is available for emergency situations. That is, if he had been on last year’s 49ers team, it’s safe to say he would have been under center in the second half of the NFC Championship Game after Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson went down.

Colletto takes the top spot on the list because he fills so many roles on the roster and because it seems like he’d quickly get snapped up if the 49ers tried to waive him and stash him on their practice squad.

THE HAMMER FOR SIX ‼️🔨💥
🏈 @Jackcolletto
📺 ESPN
📱
— Oregon State Football (@BeaverFootball) November 21, 2021

OL Joey Fisher, Shepherd

Like Colletto, Fisher came close to being drafted. He took part in the NFLPA game in January, and his performance there led to an invitation to the Senior Bowl, which is rare for a Division II player. But he broke a bone on the top of his hand on the second snap of the NFLPA game, and that meant he couldn’t practice in the Senior Bowl.

If he’d been able to block players from Alabama, Tennessee and Notre Dame in Mobile, Ala., perhaps the chief concern about him — how will he match up against big-time competition? — would have been allayed.

Another concern is his age. Fisher originally went to Maryland but left when the new coaching staff wanted him to play tight end. He spent the next two years working for his dad as a locksmith. As a result, he’ll turn 26 in November, which means he’s nearly four years older than last year’s fourth-round rookie offensive lineman, Spencer Burford.

Still, Fisher got a lot of attention in the run-up to the draft and took visits to the Jets, Commanders and Ravens. Brugler rated him as a fifth- or sixth-round guard. He also was popular after the draft, with the 49ers finally landing him with a $130,000 guarantee. By comparison, their top undrafted offensive lineman last year, Arizona State center Dohnovan West, got a $100,000 total guarantee.

Fisher’s allure is his combination of size and speed. He ran a 4.97-second 40-yard dash at his pro day at 6-4 and 296 pounds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 40 times (despite the broken bone in his hand; it’s since healed without surgery).

Fisher was exclusively a right tackle at Shepherd, though his body type — 32-inch arms — suggests he’ll move inside with the 49ers. He practiced at center in the run-up to the draft but has never played that position. It will be interesting to see where he lines up during the 49ers’ rookie minicamp next week.

RB Khalan Laborn, Marshall

Last year, we put Jordan Mason at the bottom of the undrafted list because the 49ers’ roster was already loaded with running backs. We’re not making the same mistake this year.

Running backs coach Bobby Turner was back to his old tricks in the run-up to the draft, placing hundreds of phone calls to scores of runners. The best one he landed is Laborn, who began his college career at Florida State and ended it last season at Marshall, where he ran for 1,513 yards and 16 touchdowns. His yardage total ranked in the top 10 among college tailbacks.

Yes, a chunk of that came against schools like Gardner Webb and Norfolk State. But Laborn’s best game last season might have been his 163-yard, one-touchdown performance at Notre Dame.

Laborn is 5-9, 204 pounds and ran his 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds. He gets very low to the ground in traffic — a la Frank Gore — and the bulk of his touchdowns came on runs between the tackles. He had 865 yards after contact last season, which ranked ninth among all rushers, according to Pro Football Focus.

The 49ers’ running backs room is strong with Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price. But the past few years have proven it can’t be deep enough, and Laborn runs like an NFL tailback.

DL Spencer Waege, North Dakota State

The 49ers have been wooing Waege for months, with scout Ryan Kessenich taking him to dinner before North Dakota State’s pro day in March.

Waege was a 6-4, 265-pound defensive end for the Bison, but bulked up to 295 pounds after the season to make himself more versatile. His ability to play on the inside and outside of the defensive line is what made him attractive to the 49ers. He also was one of the college players who trained with former 49er Joe Staley in the run-up to the draft, with the two working on technique and counter moves.

Waege tore his ACL in 2021 but bounced back to lead North Dakota State in sacks (nine) and tackles for loss (17.5) last season. In his report on Waege, Brugler notes he has the traits to work the “gap-and-a-half techniques” the 49ers utilize. Which is to say, he appears to be a good fit for San Francisco’s scheme.

The 49ers always have a full house along the defensive line, and that’s especially true this year after adding Javon Hargrave in free agency. Still, with Javon Kinlaw, Kevin Givens, T.Y. McGill, Kerry Hyder Jr., Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant in the final year of their contracts, the plan seems to be for Waege to develop on the practice squad this season and push for a spot on the 53-man squad in 2024.

DB D’Shawn Jamison, Texas

Jamison was a four-year starter at cornerback at Texas who’s likely being eyed as a nickel cornerback and special teamer with the 49ers. He had two interceptions — one he returned for a 69-yard touchdown — and nine pass breakups in 2022.

He also blocked a punt and, until this past season, served as Texas’ return man. He had a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown in 2018, a 98-yard kick return for a touchdown in 2019 and a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown in 2020.

He obviously has speed and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds at his pro day. What he lacks is size — 5-9, 184 pounds — and that might mean he’s best as a sticky, nickel cornerback in the mold of K’Waun Williams.

D'SHAWN JAMISON… WILL… GO… ALL… THE… WAY!@TexasFootball up 7-0 in the 1st quarter.
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 29, 2018

OL Ilm Manning, Hawaii

Manning is another offensive lineman who is attractive to the 49ers because of his foot speed — 4.97 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Like Fisher, Manning is a bit undersized for offensive tackle (6-2, 294 pounds, 32 5/8-inch arms), and the 49ers will likely move him inside to center or guard. The Cowboys and Bears thought enough of Manning to bring him in for official visits before the draft, and the Vikings and hometown Cardinals — Manning is from Glendale, Ariz. — were interested in him, too.

WR Shae Wyatt, Tulane

Wyatt averaged an impressive 19.8 yards on 35 catches last season and scored seven touchdowns. An average like that usually comes with a fast 40 time, but Wyatt’s was a ho-hum 4.62 seconds. His 10-yard split, however, stands out at 1.49 seconds, as do his vertical jump (39 1/2 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 7 inches). All of that suggests Wyatt has the sort of short-area skills Shanahan looks for in a receiver.

The 49ers have some high-end receivers, but the position is not all that deep. Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud and Danny Gray were on the 53-man squad last year, and Tay Martin spent the year on the practice squad. The 49ers also used a seventh-round pick on a receiver, Michigan’s Ronnie Bell.

LB Mariano Sori-Marin, Minnesota

The 49ers picked up a pair of outside linebackers in the draft: TCU’s Dee Winters in the sixth round and Purdue’s Jalen Graham in the seventh. Sori-Marin is more of a traditional two-down middle linebacker with good size — 6-2, 236 pounds — for the position. He started all 26 games at middle linebacker the last two seasons.

For the last four years, Azeez Al-Shaair has been the 49ers’ primary backup for Fred Warner at middle linebacker. Oren Burks will likely have that role in 2023, though with Burks signed only through this season, the team could stand to develop another “mike” among its cast of young linebackers.

RB Ronald Awatt, UTEP

His statistics aren’t nearly as impressive as Laborn’s. Awatt ran for 734 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games last season. His measurables, however, stand out. At 5-11 and 205 pounds, he ran his 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at his pro day. And his time in the short shuttle — which gauges change of direction and acceleration — was very strong at 4.36 seconds.

C Corey Luciano, Washington

A Danville, Calif., native, Luciano grew up a 49ers fan and attended the team’s local pro day in April. He was a 13-game starter at Washington last year and will be worked in at center and guard with the 49ers. Luciano is 6-3, 305 pounds and ran his 40 in 5.35 seconds.

DB Avery Young, Rutgers

Young started 54 games at Rutgers, the most by any player in school history. He spent his first three seasons at cornerback before moving to safety in 2021. His slow time in the 40 — 4.78 seconds — suggests he’ll play safety, where he’ll have plenty of competition to make the roster. Not only did the 49ers use their top pick on a safety (Penn State’s Ji’Ayir Brown), but two other undrafted players from 2022 — Qwuantrezz Knight and Tayler Hawkins — spent the season on the practice squad and have a head start.

(Photo of Jack Colletto: Soobum Im / USA Today)