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Next up on our list of draft leftovers from the lower-round picks, fullback Shaun Chapas. Dallas picked up Chapas in the 7th-round and it looks like he'll battle Chris Gronkowski for the FB roster spot. Even though we weren't concentrating on fullback as a position of need before the draft, certainly adding competition to the position is a good idea, and Chapas comes with pretty good recommendations.
The 6-foot-2, 247-pound Chapas is considered one of the top fullbacks in the draft. ESPN lists him as the second best.
Chapas, who turns 23 on May 2, recorded 22 career starts for the Bulldogs. "I've had interviews with 20 teams and am excited about this opportunity," Chapas said. "I've gotten a lot of positive feedback. Anywhere I go, I'll be all for it."
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The Cowboys like their fullbacks to lead block and to catch the ball out of the backfield. Chaps didn't catch a lot of passes in Georgia, but he's still said to have good hands for a fullback.
Fullback Shaun Chapas may or may not be picked, but he can stick on a roster.
"He can catch the ball and lead block," [Wes] Bunting said. "He just needs to stay healthy. His medical history could prevent him from being drafted, and not many fullbacks get drafted to begin with."
He got drafted, but let's hope the medical history isn't an issue.
NFL writer Mike Sando describes the West Coast offense as a great spot for Chapas because of his pass-catching ability
Georgia's Shaun Chapas is another fullback to consider for the 49ers in the late rounds. He's had some injury issues and probably wouldn't offer much as a runner -- most fullbacks do not, anyway -- but the scouting report I've got from Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki says Chapas has soft hands, good intelligence and the ability to start in a West Coast system.
This link is a short video highlight package for Chapas.
We'll see if Garrett starts leaning toward using a regular fullback more often as a true part of the offense, or whether he sticks with the TE-hybrids like John Phillips for most of that action. How Chapas performs could go a long way to answering that question.