The San Francisco 49ers officially designated Fred Warner to return to practice, per the NFL’s transaction wire. The Niners also had three visits:
WR Colton Dowell
DB Darrick Forrest
TE Hayden Rucci
Dowell was a 7th-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s 6’3″, 212 pounds. He also ran a 4.44 40-yard dash. He was drafted by the Titans and played in every game from Weeks 11 to 17 in 2023. He spent most of his time playing special teams. It would not be surprising to see Dowell potentially take the place of Malik Turner. Dowell only had two targets as a rookie.
Forrest would likely take Ji’Ayir Brown’s spot. Forrest, a 5th-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, played 731 snaps in his career with Washington. Most of his playing time came in 2022 and 2023.
More importantly, Forrest played 440 snaps during his four-year stint in Washington on special teams. He feels like the type of player the 49ers would want. Forrest was in the 89th percentile for the 40-yard dash, 86th percentile in the vertical jump, 925th percentile in the broad jump, and 83rd percentile in the bench press. One of his comparisons on mockdraftable.com is Donte Whitner
Rucci, 6’5″, 247 pounds, was an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played in Weeks 8 through 11 this past season with the Miami Dolphins. Rucci appeared on three separate special teams units, totalling 81 snaps. He was not targeted. Rucci would be a George Kittle replacement if the 49ers don’t want Brayden Willis on the active roster.
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