OnTheClock&#39;s 4/11/2010 Mock

All right, folks... it's finally here. This is the final mock draft of the year from me, and what a year it has been. I'm looking forward to the draft (and hopefully a fantastic draft it will be for us), as well as looking forward to getting some rest for a change after it's done, as I prepare to start all over for next year's crop. From now on, I can just sit back and relax until draft day comes. I will continue to do small tweaks on my 49er board spreadsheet for you guys, so if you can wait another week, I'll post a final, updated 49er board.

I do have one disclaimer before we get going here.

Note: Keep in mind and remember that this is a projection of how I think the chips will fall, and the direction we intend to go. This is not a wish-list, but it is what a mock is supposed to be, an informed stab at how I believe things may pan out.

All that said, enjoy!

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NFL Draft 2010

1. Rams - QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma*
2. Lions - DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
3. Buccaneers - DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma*
4. Redskins - OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma St.
5. Chiefs - OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
6. Seahawks - OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa*
7. Browns - S Eric Berry, Tennessee*
8. Raiders - DE/OLB Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida*
9. Bills - QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame*
10. Jaguars - CB Joe Haden, Florida*
11. Broncos - ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama*
12. Dolphins - DT Dan Williams, Tennessee

13. C.J. Spiller-RB-Clemson, 5-11 195 4.37
I have no doubts that we would not flinch in taking Spiller, if available, to address a serious lack of speed and game-breaking ability on offense. It's not that we don't have talent, it's that our only "speed" is with Vernon. When he's blanketed, most of the time the only other receiver who can consistently get open is Crabtree. Spiller is not just a dynamic runner, he's an outstanding receiver as well, and if you've watched him at all this season you've seen how much Clemson loves to split out Spiller wide and let him streak down the field. Spiller has DeSean Jackson-like speed but unlike Jackson, Spiller actually has a little bit of power to go along with it. Many of his kick return scores were made after breaking through initial contact. I'm sure the team loves Coffee, and he's a decent third down back for the time being, but just as the Saints used Bell, Bush, and Thomas, we can benefit from adding another back who could probably be a better feature back than Coffee if Gore were to go down. The team has mentioned they've wanted to use more two-back sets -- Adding Spiller absolutely helps here. Consider the possibilities with Spiller split wide with Gore in the backfield. Personally, I like the thoughts that come to mind, and I imagine our coaches would be having the same thoughts if Spiller were available here.

14. Seahawks - DE Everson Griffen, USC*
15. Giants - DT Brian Price, UCLA*
16. Titans - DE/OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan

17. Charles Brown-OT-USC, 6-5 303 5.20
Plain and simple, we need a top-tier pass-protect who has the ability to shift and play on both sides of the line. We need a guy like Brown, who I seriously doubt we'd shy away from despite him weighing in only just above 300 pounds. With us shifting to more of spread passing attack and zone-blocking scheme, this pick makes even more sense, especially with the addition of Solari. Brown's immense talent and great athleticism could make him a top 20 pick come draft-time, and I'd be happy to have him here.

18. Steelers - CB Kyle Wilson, Boise St.
19. Falcons - DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech*
20. Texans - DB Earl Thomas, Texas*
21. Bengals - OG Mike Iupati, Idaho
22. Patriots - NT Terrance Cody, Alabama
23. Packers - OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers*
24. Eagles - OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
25. Ravens - OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland*
26. Cardinals - WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma St.*
27. Cowboys - WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame*
28. Chargers - RB Ryan Matthews, Fresno State*
29. Jets - WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois*
30. Vikings - OC/G Maurkice Pouncey, Florida*
31. Colts - DT Jared Odrick, Penn St.
32. Saints - DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida*

Round 2

33. Rams - OT Rodger Saffold, Indiana
34. Lions - S Taylor Mays, USC
35. Buccaneers - ILB Daryl Washington, TCU
36. Chiefs - FS Nate Allen, South Florida
37. Eagles - CB Patrick Robinson, Florida St.
38. Browns - QB Colt McCoy, Texas
39. Raiders - QB Tim Tebow, Florida
40. Chargers - DE/OLB Jerry Hughes, TCU
41. Bills - WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech*
42. Buccaneers - RB Jahvid Best, California*
43. Dolphins - WR Brandon LaFell, LSU
44. Patriots - OG/T Vladimir Ducasse, Massachusetts
45. Broncos - QB Tony Pike, Cincinnati
46. Giants - OG Jon Asamoah, Illinois
47. Patriots - CB Devin McCourty, Rutgers
48. Panthers - DE/OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas

49. Reshad Jones-SS-Georgia, 6-2 212 4.50*
Jones reminds me of a somewhat stouter, stronger Sean Smith (drafted R2 by Miami), in that he has excellent hands to make the interception. However, unlike Smith, he can lay the hammer on people when he needs to. In addition, Jones is an outstanding "form tackler" and he wraps up and drives through his player just like you are coached to do. I love the way this kid plays. Jones has loads and loads of talent, but he needs to be coached not to gamble as much, as you will see him bite on fakes from time to time. Thankfully for us, disciplined play is Singletary's strong suit. Tack on the fact that Jones is not just a heavy hitter, but also a ball-hawk (9 interceptions over the last two seasons, 4 this year and 5 the year prior), you've got yourself a heck of a player who could be ready to start in his first year. With Lewis sustaining 3 concussions in one season, the chances that he makes it all the way through next year without an injury are very, very slim. Lewis, even when healthy, does not have the speed to keep up with quicker receivers. Jones does. We must, and likely will address this need early.

Round 3 (Picks will be numbered only by round from here on)

3. Ricky Sapp-OLB-Clemson, 6-4 252 4.65
I fully expect Misi, Gibson, and Cunningham to be gone by here (Sapp edges Cunningham regardless as far as talent grades). Sapp did not post miraculous numbers by any means (5 sacks, 14 TFL are late 2nd-3rd round numbers), but I think some of it has to do with the fact he was still only a year removed from a serious knee injury. I see him sliding here, anticipating that teams may hold concerns about his surgically repaired knee. As for us -- We took Gore, and I can see us taking Sapp if he's here. He needs to work on his "rip" technique to get off the blocks of tackles, but he has the size and speed we covet, and if Sapp can be coached on how to harness all that strength he has to more effectively use leverage, we'll have an all-star player. If you want a comparison, I'd say Sapp's full potential could be that of a Demarcus Ware type. I'll pull the trigger on anyone I think could be a Pro-Bowler in the future.

4. Antonio Brown-WR/KR-Central Michigan, 5-10 186 4.47*
Think about our current receivers, and consider our #3 and #4, Hill and Jones. If you think about it, there's an extremely high chance that one or both are not around next season if they can't do anything this year. Considering that, I think we will smartly look ahead and draft a receiver this year. Brown is a good one. Antonio Brown has quietly been one of the most productive players in the nation for three straight years at CMU. A good, high character kid, Brown over the past three seasons has torn up opposing defenses for 3200 yards and 22 touchdowns. As a freshman, he lit up the playing field from the get-go, finishing his first year with 102 catches for 1003 yards in addition to running back 40 kicks for 1048 yards and a score. Brown is one of those dangerous "slippery" players when he gets in the open field, often breaking free for extra yards. So, whether it's in the receiving game or the return game, Brown would be a tremendous asset to add here. Speed kills, and production talks. Oh, and how does he do in the spotlight? Big games? If you watched him in CMU's bowl game, you know he shows up to play. He tore Troy a new one with 13 catches for 178 yards and 4 rushes for 22 yards and a score, on top of running back 7 kicks for 203 yards and a TD in CMU's bowl victory. Capping off a brilliant career with Central Michigan, Antonio Brown ended his last season on a high note, with statistical totals of 110 catches for 1198 yards and 9 TDs, 341 yards rushing with 3 TDs, and 3 Return TDs (2 on punts, 1 on a kickoff).

5. Al Woods-NT/DE-LSU, 6-3 309 5.08
There have been talks and reports that Woods could go as high as the 2nd or 3rd round, but others see him as low as a 6th rounder due to a lack of production. Woods is a tricky player to grade because while he did not post terrific numbers, his excellence in understanding gap control and leverage make him ahead of the game compared to many players, and for a 3-4 team, his tremendous athleticism for his size make him a very appealing pick. Woods has the build and the skill to excel at either NT or LDE in our system, and that added versatility increases his value. The 49ers tend to use the 5th round as the "get-a-guy-we-like" round, so I would not be surprised to see them pull the trigger on a guy who, at 310 pounds, busted out a 37-inch vertical at the combine this year.

6. Brian Jackson-CB-Oklahoma, 6-0 200 4.60
Jackson flat out shut down Jordan Shipley (who set a UT record with 270+ receiving yards) when Texas played Oklahoma this year, limiting him to just 24 yards receiving. He is the kind of big, physical cover corner we need here in San Francisco, and his sound tackling, excellence in man-to-man and press coverage, and his ability to shut down fast/quick receivers like Shipley is something we're really missing right now, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if Jackson is on the 49ers radar as a guy we're anticipating as a "steal" player later in the draft. Make no mistake, while Jackson does not possess elite straight-line speed, he does have very fluid hips, smooth in his transition, and has tremendous explosion to make his breaks on the ball to make a play. Jackson is one of the best press cover corners in the draft, but less-than-stellar timed speed is likely to push him down here below a majority of other prospects.

6. Thomas Austin-OG/C-Clemson, 6-3 306 5.36
Austin is not a flashy player, but we don't need flashy players; we need strong, solid, as well as heady players along our line. We need more technically sound guys, and with Austin, you get a guy who is just that. While not exactly a mauler, he simply gets the job done, and was probably the best lineman on the Clemson Tigers team. He's durable, he's smart, and he's experienced, having played both guard and center in his career at Clemson. As well, Austin has led the team in knockdown blocks for two straight seasons, paving the way for the electric first-round prospect, C.J. Spiller. I bank on Austin being a late-round steal, as guards generally go later and there are many talented players ahead of him who will almost certainly push him down to the later rounds.

7. Matt Mayberry-ILB-Indiana, 6-1 235 4.57
It's no secret that the team is looking for depth and insurance behind Patrick Willis. Mayberry is an extremely athletic and talented player that was stuck on a terrible team. He'd make a fine developmental player and his great speed make him an attractive choice since he would likely start out on special teams as we continue to develop him. Mayberry, despite being on a bad team, racked up 108 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 11 TFL, and 3 interceptions this year.

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Quick-look Depth Chart:

RB - Gore, Spiller*, Coffee, Robinson
WR - Crabtree, Morgan, Hill, Jones, A.Brown*
OT - Staley, Sims, C.Brown*, Snyder (G/T)
OG - Baas, Rachal, Austin*, Wragge

DE - Sopoaga, Balmer, J.Smith, McDonald
DT - Franklin, A.Woods*
OLB - Haralson, Brooks, Lawson, Sapp*, Briggs
ILB - Willis, Spikes, McKillop, Wilhelm, *Mayberry
CB - Clements, Spencer, Brown, Jackson*, Paymah
S - Goldson, R.Smith, M.Lewis, R.Jones*

[ Edited by OnTheClock on Apr 16, 2010 at 12:27:36 ]

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Originally posted by PTulini:
On the depth chart, what about our Centers?

No change, really. If there's any change, Wallace may not survive the final cuts in this scenario. If they draft Austin, they'll have two players (Wragge and he) with center experience, making Wallace expendable. Depends on how much like they Wallace.

C - Heitmann, Wallace.

Originally posted by teeohh:
Did passing on Davis have to do with his "lazy" issues?

Consistency and versatility -- do we think he can play both sides effectively in the NFL? Does he fit the scheme well? What of his character issues? Put it all together, and the risk is likely too high for them to pull the trigger in the top 20.

There's a chance still, sure, but I think the team has an eye out for Brown, a player far more technically sound, better in space, and with great upside and potential as well.

wrong baas was the nations best center equally good at guard, or visa versa when he got drafted