Editor’s note: In the lead-up to the NFL draft (May 8-10) bookmark this page to keep tabs on which players the 49ers have had reported contact.
In 2007, the 49ers met before the draft with a player who was regarded as a character risk.
Coach Mike Nolan and personnel chief Scot McCloughan, the 49ers' top-ranking football people at the time, came away from their meeting with Tarell Brown feeling good enough about him that the club selected Brown in the fifth round of the draft.
Brown spent seven seasons with the 49ers and there was never any hint of character issues during his time with the team.
Each NFL team is allowed 30 pre-draft visits with prospects. Sometimes those visits are with players with whom they have genuine interest for early-round selections. Sometimes a team, such as the 49ers, will want to create the false impression there is interest.
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But other times it’s because the team simply wants to gain more information about a player with either character or health concerns.
The 49ers had one such visit this week, according to a source. Miami offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson traveled to Santa Clara to meet with the 49ers.
Henderson (6 foot 7, 331 pounds) is a talented tackle prospect who has good feet and agility for a player of his size. However, he was suspended three times during his career for violating team rules. The Sun-Sentinel reported in January that Henderson admitted to NFL teams at the Senior Bowl that marijuana use led to the suspensions.
Pass-rusher Demarcus Lawrence of Boise State, who was also suspended three times in his college career, is scheduled to meet with the 49ers next week, the Sacramento Bee previously reported.
