San Francisco 49ers undrafted gem: WR/TE Devon Cajuste

The San Francisco 49ers may have struck gold with the addition of undrafted free agent WR/TE Devon Cajuste out of Stanford. Can he make the team?

The San Francisco 49ers are set to have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, and their roster is one that could include former Stanford Cardinal receiver/tight end Devon Cajuste.

Cajuste is in the mold of a Devin Funchess/Rob Housler, a player who is not quite big enough to be considered a full-time tight end and not necessarily the type of player who is going to be a full-time receiver. That said, I think there’s a role in the NFL for Cajuste, as he is a mismatch in terms of his size, he has good hands, and he runs well for a big man. He’s also a willing blocker.

I think he was a great undrafted pickup for the 49ers, and I think he’s a player that could make this team and make an impact down the line.

The 49ers seem to be rolling with Cajuste as a wide receiver, but it wouldn’t kill him to add some weight to his frame to be a more effective player at the point of attack. He has great length and does a good job of setting the edge in the running game when asked to do so.

What I think makes Cajuste an interesting roster candidate is obviously his ability to catch the football and make plays vertically. He has good athletic ability, solid quickness, and the ability to box out defenders and win one-on-one situations. I don’t think he’s the type of player that’s going to dominate every single play, but he can win in the red zone where teams can exploit the size of smaller defensive backs.

Here’s what I wrote about Cajuste before the draft:

“I think no matter what way you spin it, Cajuste is going to be able to catch a lot of passes at the next level because he’s so much bigger than defensive backs and faster than linebackers…In addition to playing outside as a receiver, Cajuste can play inside as a slot, and you could also try and use him as a TE/H-back at the next level. Like I mentioned before, he’s not big enough to play in-line tight end, but he’s still a good blocker and does a great job of seeking out defenders to create openings in the running game….

…He showed off strong hands and an ability to win matchups because of his ability to high point the ball and catch it far away from his body…

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…Because of his size, hands, and deceptively good straight line speed, I like Cajuste as a late-round player who has some serious upside. If he tests well at the Combine, he could be a guy that goes maybe in the 5th or 6th round. Otherwise, his size and hands as well as the ability to block will get him noticed by NFL teams, and he’ll latch on quickly at camp. I could see him being a better professional player than he was a collegiate one…”

There’s certainly plenty to like about his game, though he isn’t going to be the most dynamic receiver on the roster. He can contribute in a number of different ways, and provide an additional big weapon when you get inside the red zone.

Those factors lead me to believe that Cajuste was an undrafted steal for the 49ers and someone who could be making teams look at the tweener WR/TE players a little closer moving forward.

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