Why 49ers picked 25-year old Romello Height in 3rd round of 2026 NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Romello Height is one of the oldest players in the 2026 NFL Draft.

He's already 25 years old, but that didn't stop the San Francisco 49ers from making him the No. 70 overall pick on Friday night midway through the third round.

Height is a talented edge rusher from Texas Tech, and now he's heading to the Bay Area.

Height was at Auburn for 2020 and 2021, then USC for 2022 and 2023, then at Georgia Tech in 2024, then at Texas Tech in 2025.

He had the COVID season in 2020 and an injury -lost year in 2022.

Height plays at "a thousand miles per hour," ESPN's Louis Riddick said on the ESPN draft broadcast.

He also had his best college season in 2025, putting up a career-best 10.0 sacks for Texas Tech.

He's kept getting better, and being healthy helped him prove his ability.