Positions of need

OT
Pass Rusher (DE or OLB)
OG
CB
FS

1. RT
2. CB
3. RT
4. Return Specialist
5. RT
6. OLB
7. RT
8. OG

Originally posted by 9erred:
OT
KR
Punt Returner
OLB who can rush the qb
FS
CB

Originally posted by YourHuckleberry:

Originally posted by 9erred:

Originally posted by YourHuckleberry:
1. OG
2. OT
3. KR/PR
4. S
5. CB

If you watched the games last year, there is no way in heck that OG is a higher need than RT. You must be an Iupati fan.

We have 2 bad guards, but only 1 bad tackle. Most of our sacks came from guys coming right through the middle of the line, and considering that we run between the tackles most of the time, we were pretty bad at it.

I still say we go OT at #13 (hopefully Trent Williams), and then Iupati at #17 or someone else in the 2nd.

I see that you've nailed the distinction between "need" (which was the question that was asked) and "value" (which is the order in which the players will be drafted).

Well done!

I agree with you: Our guards suck more than our tackles.

Virtually all of our needs can be clustered into one.

1. OL
2. Return Specialist
3. DB
4. LB
T-5. Slot WR
T-5. DL

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Virtually all of our needs can be clustered into one.

1. OL
2. Return Specialist
3. DB
4. LB
T-5. Slot WR
T-5. DL

T Williams
Spiller
J Murphy
M Johnson
Don't Care
L Joseph

That's what I'm wishing for

1. OT (Any questioins )

2. FS - Lewis had 3 concussions last season, not to mention the guy is slow. Our first team back up is Mark Roman. We need to upgrade

3. RB - I almost made this number 2. Gore is great when healthy, but he is the only legit RB on our roster. He's alreay had trouble playing a full 16 game season, what happens if we need him to play 18 or 19? If anything happened to him that could destroy our whole season.

4. Obviously we need a passrusher and legit OG, but with the emergance of Brooks and the new Oline coach, I'm not sure how to rank them.

Interestingly, the Dolphins have several of the same needs we do. It's all laid out here: http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2010/03/miami-dolphins-draft-needs.html, but I'll pull out some excerpts:

1. A reliable and cerebral center fielder to play free safety. Must have enough speed to cover receivers one-on-one, and enough size to faceoff with tight ends.

Feeling A Draft: Tennessee safety Eric Berry will likely be gone before the Dolphins pick in the first round, but Texas’ Earl Thomas will likely be there. So will USC’s Taylor Mays, who has size and speed, but stiff hips. But the fact Bill Parcells has never selected a safety in the first round hints that the Dolphins won’t, and will likely use a pick later in the draft on a player like USF’s Nate Allen, LSU’s Chad Jones, Georgia Tech’s Morgan Burnett, Georgia’s Reshad Jones and Virginia Tech’s Kam Chancellor, who each fit the Trifecta’s size and speed molds.


2. A pass rushing outside linebacker who has the size and strength to set the edge in run support, and enough speed to cover a tight end down field.

Feeling A Draft: Texas’ Sergio Kindle, Georgia Tech’s Derrick Morgan and Michigan’s Brandon Graham are first-round options. TCU’s Jerry Hughes, Utah’s Koa Misi, Clemson’s Ricky Sapp, Virginia Tech’s Jason Worilds and Troy’s Cameron Sheffield are all option in the later rounds.


6. A young, tall and quick cornerback who can immediately contribute on special teams as a gunner, and eventually be groomed to play in one of the sub packages.

Feeling A Draft: Unless the Dolphins believe Florida’s Joe Haden is a prospect they can’t pass on, it’s doubtful the Dolphins will address this need until later in the draft. Players like USF’s Jerome Murphy, Wake Forest’s Brandon Ghee and Alabama’s Kareem Jackson fit their size and speed mold, but a late-round option like Purdue’s David Pender, Indiana’s Akwasi-Owusu-Ansah or Auburn’s Walter McFadden might fit just right.

Kudos to the Sun Sentinel writer, Omar Kelly.

Originally posted by calbear:
Everyone always says you take the bpa over the need, unless its very close, in which case the need becomes a stronger factor.

What do you think are the 5 biggest needs on the niners in order of priority?

My take:

1 OT
2 CB
3 FS
4 WR
5 OLB

How do you see WR as a bigger "need" than OLB, OG, or PR/KR? You could even say that TE, and DT are bigger needs than WR.

Originally posted by jta854:

Originally posted by calbear:
Everyone always says you take the bpa over the need, unless its very close, in which case the need becomes a stronger factor.

What do you think are the 5 biggest needs on the niners in order of priority?

My take:

1 OT
2 CB
3 FS
4 WR
5 OLB

How do you see WR as a bigger "need" than OLB, OG, or PR/KR? You could even say that TE, and DT are bigger needs than WR.

A KR/PR is not hard to find, especially in FA or the draft. We had trouble finding one mid-season, but I dont think its a "position" that warrants a need. We will easily find a return specialist before the season starts.

OG and OLB are needs, in fact OG is the biggest need after OT. But I am assuming that Chester Pitts will sign.

OLB is not a serious need. I dont agree with the pass rush argument, our pass rush is NOT bad. It isnt dominant. Even if we draft say Graham, who is he going to start over? Is he a 3 down OLB, or just a specialist? If he is only a specialist, Id rather have Ahmad Brooks.

I think Jason Hill and Josh Morgan are both good players, but certainly not something an NFL team would have to scheme around. I think another dominant player at WR would give us a threat at every skill position on offense, and create a nightmare for defenses.

A consistent and potent offense is a greater need than an improved defense, and ultimately I think we get there faster with a better OL and and another star WR.

I think DB is a far more crucial need on Defense than any other position. The niners should consider draft a CB and a S, in addition to trying to resign Bly. A player like Javier Arenas could be a great nickel or dime CB with return skills.

Just my 2 cents.

Originally posted by YourHuckleberry:
1. OG
2. OT
3. KR/PR
4. S
5. CB

Our draft picks will be reflective of our staff's perceptions of what we already have.

1. We all believe that a RT is an important pick. This will of course depend upon what Solari/Singletary/Baalke see in Boone. If Boone has potential to be a RT then we could push our RT draft pick back to pick up Valdheer or Fox.

2. If Brooks and Briggs are developing at a satisfactory rate then we would not need to draft Graham in the 1st round but go for Hughes in the second or Misi in the 3rd.

3. I am at a lost as to what to think of T. Brown, or R. Smith, or Taylor. But we clearly need speed in the backfield. If we push RT and OLB back in the draft then we could go Haden and Thomas in the first round and still be pushing for a positive draft in our areas of need.

4. In the OTAs the staff was experimenting with RJF at NT. If that experiment showed some positive resultes we could hold off from D. Williams at NT. If the experiment did not show good results then D. Williams might be a good quality pick for us.

So there are number of variables at play in this draft. It looks like we will get some quality picks in the first round and it will reveal to us a lot of the coaching staff's perceptions of the quality on the team.

Originally posted by Ninefan56:
Our draft picks will be reflective of our staff's perceptions of what we already have.

1. We all believe that a RT is an important pick. This will of course depend upon what Solari/Singletary/Baalke see in Boone. If Boone has potential to be a RT then we could push our RT draft pick back to pick up Valdheer or Fox.

2. If Brooks and Briggs are developing at a satisfactory rate then we would not need to draft Graham in the 1st round but go for Hughes in the second or Misi in the 3rd.

3. I am at a lost as to what to think of T. Brown, or R. Smith, or Taylor. But we clearly need speed in the backfield. If we push RT and OLB back in the draft then we could go Haden and Thomas in the first round and still be pushing for a positive draft in our areas of need.

4. In the OTAs the staff was experimenting with RJF at NT. If that experiment showed some positive resultes we could hold off from D. Williams at NT. If the experiment did not show good results then D. Williams might be a good quality pick for us.

So there are number of variables at play in this draft. It looks like we will get some quality picks in the first round and it will reveal to us a lot of the coaching staff's perceptions of the quality on the team.

1. It is flawed thinking to think you can judge Boone from just OTAs the draft is less than a month away. He was on the practice squad for a reason, now if was part of the 53 man rost and played special teams in actual games, you'd have something to judge him by. can't afford to just and guess, besides Sims is only signed for a year and Bass has yet signed to a contract because they want to see who they can get. If anything, since Sims did a good job at LT, they slide Staley over to LT, but you still need someone to BU and prepare for the future.

2. This one I agree, I think Brooks showed promise, so the need is not as bad for a rush linebacker.

3. I think our CB is adequate, not great. but passable. But the need for speed and the need to move DG to SS to do what he likes to do and find centerfielder and Ballhawk makes E. Thomas something desirable since he can be like Lott in that he can come in and try and corner, if not FS is good.

4. We have Franklin for this year. though we need a backup, RJF is being tried, even if you got someone in the draft-unless it is named Suh or McCoy, don't expect him to be up to par on the same level.

5. special teams is what will affect us picking a DB, WR or RB. I say that punt returns for some reason fair better with players who are WR and DB on avg, running backs for KO returns. I gotta say that PR is more pressing 4yd avg just doesn't cut it. Gotta get it up to at least 11.

so OL, DB, are the most pressing as I see it and they do to proably. Least QB
then TE WR. After OL and DB, LB RB DL-not necessarily in that order.

I do believe the OTA's helped our coaching staf in preparing for the draft. I do think the draft is going to be very telling to what they think of some players.

Interesting. I do believe we will take at least one OL in the first two rounds, but will it be a tackle or a guard? Sims looked good last year, and still has mileage left in him despite only being on a one year contract. Boone? Surely too early to say in the starting role but if he has been looking good, maybe the need for tackle depth diminishes?

I have been hoping for a replacement for Baas for some time. But new coaches can bring out things in players. Change the coach and team and you have Brooks. Change the system a bit and a useless lump of blubber becomes a near ProBowl NT.

I expect to learn a lot from this draft about the way certain starters and backups are viewed by the team. I imagine they will go BPA with one of the firsts, but cover need with the other and with the second.