8. Josh Hokit, FB, Fresno State
Josh Hokit not only played running back for the Bulldogs but was also an All-American wrestler in 2019 placing fifth in the NCAA championships.
As a freshman, Hokit played fullback, running back, and even some linebacker. He started two games that season, one at fullback and one at running back. In 2017 as a sophomore Hokit was the most productive.
He appeared in all 14 games but started only four. He accumulated 583 rushing yards to go along with seven touchdowns on a 4.5 average. As a junior he played less, only making one start and the same can be said for his senior season.
Hokit was never a full-time starter, but he was a decent power back and has experience blocking since he played some fullback as well.
Because of ability on the ground, he is more valuable than most fullbacks. If a player gets injured and you lack depth at running back, Hokit could slide in and be apart of the rotation.
For that reason, I do believe Hokit has the talent to make an NFL roster and could potentially be a team’s fullback at some point. However, I’m not sure how many fullback-needy teams there are in the NFL right now and the 49ers certainly aren’t one them.
A lot of teams don’t carry one fullback, let alone two.
7. Jonas Griffith, LB, Indiana State
Jonas Griffith is another small-school prospect coming out of Indiana State, an FCS Division-I program. Griffith stands 6-foot-3 inches and weighs around 247-pounds.
He played both outside and inside linebacker for the Sycamores and was an accomplished player through his five years in college finishing with six All-American honors.
Griffith was a tackling machine leading the team in two consecutive years as a junior and senior. As a junior Griffith finished the season with 132 tackles, 81 of which were solo, to go along with 9.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and an interception. His 7.4 solo tackles a game lead the nation.
His stats as a senior were absurd. Griffith racked up 106 tackles and averaged 8.8 a game. He more than tripled his tackles for a loss, finishing with a whomping 28.5. He also had four sacks.
The 49ers have a pretty solid linebacking core, so Griffith will most certainly need to standout on special teams to get even a practice squad spot. If the coaching staff ends up preferring him over Joe Walker or Mark Nzeocha, it’s possible he makes the back end of the 55-man roster.