Tight end sits right near the top of the 49ers’ list of needs in the NFL draft. We can now add Old Dominion University TE Zack Kuntz to the list of players they’ve met with at the position. Kuntz and the 49ers talked virtually per Draft Network’s Justin Melo. Where San Francisco is picking in this year’s draft, there aren’t many more interesting tight end prospects than Kuntz.
He is a giant at 6-7, 255 pounds, and he lit up the combine with big-time testing numbers. Kuntz ripped of a 4.55 40-yard dash with a 1.57 10-yard split. He leapt 40 inches in the vertical and 10-8 in the broad jump, while churning out a 6.87 in the three-cone and 4.12 in the 20-yard shuttle. All of those marks are in the 90th percentile or better at the position according to MockDraftable.
Kuntz began his career at Penn State, but caught just three balls for 26 yards in 14 games over his first two seasons. In 2020 he played in seven games without recording a stat.
In 2021 he transferred to ODU where he immediately had success. He caught 73 passes for 692 yards and five touchdowns during his first year there. His second season was derailed by an undisclosed injury and he played in only five games. In those five games he had 12 receptions for 144 and two touchdowns, including a six-catch, 83-yard, one-touchdown performance against Virginia.
While Kuntz brings a ton of athleticism, he’s not a great route runner and a little bit of an awkward mover. That’s something he’ll have to improve in the NFL. However, he can line up all over the field, and he’s good at using his body to wall off smaller defenders. He’s also not moved off of his route very easily when defenders get hands on him, which helps make up for some of the lack of separation he gets as a route runner.
It’s easy to see where Kuntz could quickly carve out a role in a 49ers offense that doesn’t have a secondary pass-catching threat at tight end. If he can polish his game and harness his size and athleticism, Kuntz could be a late-round steal.
