Oklahoma TE Brayden Willis Picked by 49ers

The Sooners' team captain showed incredible versatility as a senior last year and posted some impressive grades that San Francisco liked.

Brayden Willis can’t wait to show the NFL what he can do.

He already got started on that last year at Oklahoma.

In his final season at OU, Willis went from role player in Lincoln Riley’s offense to centerpiece in Jeff Lebby’s scheme, and has plied that into a spot in the NFL Draft.

Willis’ football journey continued on Saturday when he was taken 30th in the seventh round — No. 247 overall — by the San Francisco 49ers.

Willis caught 36 passes for 484 yards and six touchdowns in his first four seasons at OU.

But under Lebby in 2022, Willis hauled in 39 receptions for 514 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns grabs.

Willis became a team captain and was one of the Sooners’ most forceful leaders last year.

Willis acknowledged at his Pro Day in March that the NFL pre-draft process was arduous, but said his dream was coming true.

“I’ve said that this whole process,” Willis said. “Going to the Senior Bowl. Going to the combine. Coming here. It’s things that I’ve for years just watched, just dreamt of going. Especially the combine. I’ve been watching that since I was like five years old. So just being able to go out there and compete and finally be there it was special.”

Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley said recently it’s going to be “very hard, very hard” to replace Willis.

He wasn’t just a tight end. He was a split receiver. He was a slot wideout. He was a fullback. And when Dillon Gabriel had to miss the Texas game with a concussion, Willis took snaps as the Sooners’ wildcat quarterback — and made plays doing it.

The 49ers are getting that versatility to their already dynamic offense. That, more than anything, was what Willis wanted to show NFL scouts at the Senior Bowl, the combine, at pro day and in interview and individual workouts.

“That I was versatile,” he said. “That I can do everything. I can run routes. I can separate. I’m quick. I can block. All that good stuff. I just want to show that I'm a versatile piece. I'm a chess piece. I'm a mismatch.”

The 6-3 1/2, 241-pound Willis didn’t display exceptional athletic ability in Indianapolis, and his hamstring was too sore to run a 40 in Norman.

But the 49ers liked what they saw from Willis in interviews, and what they saw from his game last year on video.

According to Pro Football Focus, Willis’ grade on run-blocking plays in 2022 was 80.3 — best on the team and second in the nation among tight ends. On pass blocking, his grade was 81.2. In 2022, those numbers were 84.2 and 79.8.

Willis’ overall PFF grades the last three seasons were 71.9, 72.6 and 71.7.

Willis played a total of 995 snaps in 2022, including kickoff return, punt coverage and placekicks.

On offense, he lined up 13 times at quarterback, 134 times in the backfield, 314 times as a tight end, 318 times in the slot, 24 times as a wide receiver and three times as an offensive lineman.

After his pro day, Willis met individually with several teams and seemed satisfied with the outcome.

“I think I did well,” he said. “I think I came out here, made a little money. Got to show my abilities to all the scouts and everything. Just grateful for the opportunity to come out here and display where I was at.”

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