Weapon the NFL forgot to draft is the exact type of player the 49ers want to develop under Kyle Shanahan's offensive system
Isaiah Neyor is 6-4, 218 pounds. He had a 4'4 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, combining an almost perfect (9.99) Relative Athletic Score. The Athletic's Dane Brugler evaluated him as a sixth-round prospect, and NFL Network's Lance Zierlein has a 6th/7th-round grade for him.Neyor went undrafted, though, and the San Francisco 49ers signed him […]
Isaiah Neyor is 6-4, 218 pounds. He had a 4'4 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, combining an almost perfect (9.99) Relative Athletic Score. The Athletic's Dane Brugler evaluated him as a sixth-round prospect, and NFL Network's Lance Zierlein has a 6th/7th-round grade for him.
Neyor went undrafted, though, and the San Francisco 49ers signed him after the draft as a developmental project. But it's not a coincidence why the Niners gave him $259,000 in guaranteed money, including a $25,000 signing bonus. The 49ers see the talent and traits that can make Neyor a real NFL wide receiver.
"Neyor is an imposing physical specimen with the elite combination of height, weight and explosive speed to be a mismatch. His catch radius is tremendous, especially against air, but he doesn’t do enough with his frame to keep smaller cornerbacks from challenging the catch point. Overall, Neyor is arguably the most physically gifted athlete in the 2025 NFL Draft class, but aggressive defenders can negate his physical advantages and the inconsistencies in his game make him a better talent than a football player. He has upside as a receiver and will help his chances if he can prove himself as a gunner on special teams." — Dane Brugler.
Neyor had a promising season at Wyoming in 2021, with 878 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2023, he transferred to Texas, but got injured and played only a game. Coming back last year for Nebraska, he had 34 catches for 455 yards and five touchdowns. He's relatively old for NFL Draft standards at 25, but his range and athleticism make him an intriguing prospect. At the rookie minicamp back in May, those attributes were obvious on the field.
During OTAs and mandatory minicamp, it was harder for Isaiah Neyor to make huge impressions, simply because there is a lot of internal competition. Brandon Aiyuk is still returning from the knee injury, so he won't be around for training camp.
But the reps also go for players like Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Isaiah Hodgins, Russell Gage, Malik Knowles, and Terique Owens. Even among rookies, the 49ers would reasonably want to prioritize fourth-round pick Jordan Watkins and seventh-rounder Junior Bergen.
Neyor is a solid blocker, which is particularly important in Kyle Shanahan's offensive system. Although his speed does not always show up on tape, it's a promising combination of skills for the future.
It will be a tough task for Neyor to produce enough early on to make the 53-man roster, but his guarantees would indicate that he can at least make it to the practice squad.
San Francisco 49ers signed an undrafted free agent that the rest of the NFL made a mistake not selecting in the 2025 NFL Draft
The San Francisco 49ers added eleven players through the seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. They have also added multiple undrafted free agents to finish up their rookie class. I, for one, am still shocked that one of their UDFAs, in particular, wasn't drafted. The 49ers signed Cincinnati RB Corey Kiner who went undrafted […]
