49ers: Ranking all 10 undrafted free agent signings
By Nico Di Fede
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.