Teams usually invite a draft prospect to their headquarters for what is known as “an official visit” for three reasons:
* There are concerns, such as character or medical issues, about the prospect and the team wants reassurance.
* The prospect is an underclassman and the team simply wants more information.
* The team is seriously considering using a first-round pick on the prospect and wants as much exposure as possible before pulling the trigger.
Said John Lynch on Monday about his philosophy on official visits: “Ours was kind of a compilation of things. Sometimes we just wanted to feel a guy’s presence one more time. We saw him at the combine, but 15 minutes (at the combine), does that give you enough time to really get the feel of a person? When you bring them in for a visit, your coaches have an opportunity to sit down, watch film. We get an opportunity, lots of times in the draft meetings, we’d be here and Kyle (Shanahan) and I would leave and go in there for 10 minutes and sit down with the player. And I think those interactions, just the more you can see and feel these players, I think the more valuable it is and ultimately, you’re still guessing a little bit, but you get a better feel on people.”
Here the list of prospects who visited Santa Clara broken down by position group. Teams are allowed to bring in 30. In addition, they can hold workouts for individual local players, which are noted with an asterisk.
Cornerbacks (5)
* Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado*
* Kevin King, Washington*
* Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State
* Teez Tabor, Florida
* Ahkello Witherspoon, Colorado
Safeties (4)
* Jamal Adams, LSU
* Budda Baker, Washington
* Obi Melifonwu, UConn
* Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
Guards (4)
* Dion Dawkins, Temple
* Dan Feeney, Indiana
* Nico Siragusa, San Diego State
Running backs (3)
* Dalvin Cook, Florida State
* Leonard Fournette, LSU
* Kareem Hunt, Toledo
Quarterbacks (2)
* Deshaun Watson, Clemson
* Davis Webb, Cal *
Tackles (2)
* Cam Robinson, Alabama
* David Sharpe (G/T), Florida
Inside linebackers (2)
* Reuben Foster, Alabama
* Elijah Lee, Kansas State
Defensive linemen (2)
* Jonathan Allen, Alabama
* Jordan Willis, Kansas State
Receiver (1)
* Chad Hansen, Cal*
Tight end (1)
George Kittle, Iowa
** Kyle Shanahan conducted a workout with UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky and UNC receiver receiver Ryan Switzer in Chapel Hill, N.C.; Lynch worked out Watson at Clemson along with tight end Jordan Leggett, receiver Artavis Scott and receiver Germone Hopper.
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