{"id":782014,"date":"2026-02-28T11:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T11:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/782014\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T11:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T11:08:15","slug":"golden-nuggets-what-a-beautiful-weekend-to-furiously-refresh-the-49ers-nfl-combine-meetings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/782014\/","title":{"rendered":"Golden Nuggets: What a beautiful weekend to furiously refresh the 49ers\u2019 NFL combine meetings\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.49erswebzone.com\/articles\/199399-reportedly-targeting-louisville-receiver-nfl\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">49ers reportedly targeting Louisville receiver amid NFL Combine buzz<br \/><\/a>\u201cThe recent word here at the combine is that Bell is back in the conversation as a potential late first-round pick,\u201d Pauline wrote. \u201cThe teams that I\u2019m told are targeting Bell in this area are the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. Both teams make sense, as the Broncos and Niners need receivers, and both have a history of selecting players early in the draft that fit their needs rather than going the route of conventional wisdom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Bell carries some risk, as he is recovering from an ACL injury that required surgery, sidelining him during pre-draft workouts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">\u201cAt the Senior Bowl, I was told Bell should be able to take part in on-field\/non-contact work this June and would be 100 percent soon after that,\u201d Pauline reported, adding that Bell is ahead of schedule and expected to be fully ready for training camp.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Pauline also noted, \u201cI also viewed videos of his recent workouts, which showed no ill effects from the knee injury.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsportsbayarea.com\/nfl\/san-francisco-49ers\/nfl-draft-prospects-wide-receiver\/1920528\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Five wide receivers 49ers could target with first-round pick in 2026 NFL Draft<br \/><\/a>\u201cThe body control he has is crazy,\u201d Mendoza said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. \u201cAnd I know people compare him to Deebo Samuel, and I believe Omar is a receiver by far more than a running back. That\u2019s what I see, a prime Deebo Samuel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Cooper had 69 receptions for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns for the undefeated national champs. He is tough, a willing blocker and a guy who can be deployed in a number of different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsportsbayarea.com\/nfl\/san-francisco-49ers\/nfl-draft-defensive-backs-prospects\/1920571\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Five defensive backs 49ers could target with first-round pick in 2026 NFL Draft<br \/><\/a>\u201cThe 49ers demand that their cornerbacks get aggressive in the run game, and that will not be an issue with [CB Colton Hood]. At 6-foot, 193 pounds, Hood played stronger than he looks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">His press coverage skills would fit well with some of the new looks that defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is expected to bring to the 49ers.\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7073377\/2026\/02\/27\/49ers-offensive-line-nfl-draft-john-lynch\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7073377\/2026\/02\/27\/49ers-offensive-line-nfl-draft-john-lynch\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">John Lynch likes the 49ers\u2019 current offensive line, but says \u2018we\u2019ll add to it\u2019<\/a><br \/>\u201cBurford is hitting free agency, and Brendel thinks he will be a popular target for teams \u2014 just like guard Aaron Banks was last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Lynch knows he might need to add a left guard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">\u201cThat\u2019s probably one that we need to figure out,\u201d Lynch said. \u201cBurford is a free agent, and Bartch did have some foot surgery. He\u2019s struggled to stay healthy. \u2026 He\u2019s been pretty good when he\u2019s played, and so we\u2019ll see where that goes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">And don\u2019t count out Colby, a 2025 seventh-round pick out of Iowa with a first-round mullet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">\u201cWe were intrigued and excited at times with Connor Colby and the way he stepped in and played through some injuries,\u201d Lynch said. \u201cAnd I thought we responded really well. Far from perfect, but he showed he could play in our league.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hutchreport.substack.com\/p\/behind-the-curtain-oklahoma-dt-gracen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Behind the Curtain: Oklahoma DT Gracen Halton (Paywall) <\/a><br \/>\u201cBut there are some physical limitations that worry me specifically with his rush style. I think he\u2019s a guy that needs to have a pretty clear-cut role as a rookie, and I think his career success will largely be determined by how he\u2019s utilized and who he\u2019s coached by.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I looked at his tape against Michigan and Tennessee, and frankly, there\u2019s not a ton to parse from the Michigan stuff because of how much quick game they used.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.49erswebzone.com\/articles\/199388-49ers-dynamic-receiver-nfl-combine\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">49ers meet with dynamic receiver at NFL Combine <\/a><br \/>\u201cAccording to Chase Senior of Chat Sports, the San Francisco 49ers met with former Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">\u201cReally dynamic with the ball in his hands after the catch,\u201d Senior wrote. \u201cHe said his biggest strength is separation. The 49ers WR room really struggled with that in 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.49erswebzone.com\/articles\/199393-nfl-announces-2026-salary-million\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NFL announces 2026 salary cap set at $301.2 million <\/a><br \/>\u201cBased on the new cap and data from OverTheCap.com, the San Francisco 49ers currently have an estimated $38.9 million in available cap space. That total could still change as teams finalize adjustments, restructures, and carryover from the 2025 season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.49erswebzone.com\/articles\/199394-report-special-contributor-expected-interest\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Report: 49ers special teams contributor expected to draw interest from others <\/a>\u201cRobert Saleh was complimentary of Lucas last season \u2014 calling him \u2018invaluable\u2019 at one point \u2014 so the Titans would likely be interested,\u201d Garafolo noted.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"49ers reportedly targeting Louisville receiver amid NFL Combine buzz\u201cThe recent word here at the combine is that Bell&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":782015,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2080],"tags":[220,52307,7,6,1161,252,1137,2624,2623],"class_list":{"0":"post-782014","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-francisco-49ers","8":"tag-49ers","9":"tag-49ers-links","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-nfl","12":"tag-san-francisco","13":"tag-san-francisco-49ers","14":"tag-san-francisco-49ers-news","15":"tag-sanfrancisco","16":"tag-sanfrancisco49ers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116147946087570126","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=782014"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782014\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/782015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=782014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=782014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=782014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}