Former Rice tight end Vance McDonald is a serious receiving threat in the slot and on the outside, as well as an excellent blocker out in space.  When the San Francisco 49ers allowed Delanie Walker, their do-it-all tight end/H-back, to exit via free agency, it was clearly evident they’d target a similar talent in April’s draft.   McDonald fits the bill to a point, but still has some holes in his game to address.  The big questions here is what sort of impact McDonald will have on the 49ers offense this year and how that will impact fantasy owners in the short and long term. 

At Rice, McDonald was used primarily in the slot, which obviously isn’t typical of a tight end. He will need to work on lining up next to the tackle and blocking from the traditional tight end position.  The good thing is, Vernon Davis is fully entrenched at that position, which will enable McDonald to line up in the slot, the backfield and occasionally outside.  Another big plus for him is the fact that Michael Crabtree will likely miss most (and maybe all) of the season due to a ruptured achilles tendon.  After Anquan Boldin, the rest of the receiver spots on the 49ers’ depth chart are completely up for grabs.  McDonald will face a lot of competition in A.J. Jenkins, Mario Manningham and Quinton Patton, but his unique ability to line up as a receiver and his superb downfield blocking skills will likely get him a decent chunk of playing time throughout the season. 

In standard re-draft leagues, you should probably take a pass on McDonald this season.  There’s too many weapons on offense expecting targets from Colin Kaepernick for McDonald to get enough on a consistent basis to even warrant a spot on your bench.  But as far as dynasty leagues are concerned, definitely grab McDonald in the later rounds and stash him on your bench or taxi squad.  While he won’t have a huge impact in 2013, he’s going to be a big weapon in the future for the 49ers’ potent offense. 

2013 Stat Projections: 18 receptions, 224 yards and one touchdown.