OTC's First Mock of 2012 | Page 5

OnTheClock · 2012-01-09T22:59:17-08:00

Draft grades are slowly starting to become clearer and clearer, although we still have All-Star games and the combine to come. There are some new names I expect to pop up at that time. Right now, I think most of us can agree the 49ers have pressing needs at OL, DB, OLB, and WR. It remains to be seen what we'll do in free agency, and I've seen everyone speculate that we'll sign a CB or WR in free agency, but there's no guarantee we decide to spend big. In any case, regardless of FA, competition brings out the best in players, and I wouldn't be surprised to see us go into the pre-season stacked at a couple positions. Anyways, here we go. 49ers to bring back: QB Alex Smith - Goes without saying, really. WR Morgan - Bring back one of the more trusted options by our QB. WR Ginn - Valuable ST player. Don't overpay, but try to get him back. CB Rogers - Best starting corner we have, currently. Lock him up for the near future. FS Goldson - Franchise him if need be. We have no developing safeties and this year's FA and Draft crop are both weak. Next year's is quite good. FS Spillman - Very valuable ST player and solid backup. ILB Costanzo - Another valuable ST player. OLB Brooks - he may not have all-star numbers, but he has very solid production and does a lot on the field that goes beyond the stats. He's very important to this team's defensive success. 49ers 2012 NFL Draft 1. Peter Konz-C-Wisconsin, 6-5 315 5.16 Konz is a guy that would immediately start on this team at RG, even if Snyder were to re-sign. I think the 49ers would have a hard time passing on a guy that could immediately upgrade one of the weakest areas of the team -- the interior of the line. How many times have we seen strong pass-rushing teams go right after the middle of our OL and blow up the center and RG for instantaneous sacks? Konz, bigger and stronger than Snyder, would stonewall such attacks. We are no longer a rebuilding team. Konz is the best center in this class and comes from a program that spits out some of the most well-coached and NFL ready linemen in the nation. He is a big reason that NFL prospects QB Russell Wilson and RB Montee Ball are able to have the success they have. 2. Andre Branch-OLB-Clemson, 6-4 260 4.77 Branch I believe would be a strong target for the 49ers as he is somewhat similar to Aldon Smith in that he brings the versatility of playing down on the ground and standing up, and he plays with great length and leverage which helps him push back opposing linemen. At Clemson he has lined up both at DE and OLB, so unlike Aldon, he already has a fair amount of experience dropping into coverage. If we lose Brooks, we'll need another starter, and Branch is someone who would be able to contribute early. Even if Brooks stays, we still only have 3 OLB. Branch brings both run-stuffing and pass-rush ability. With our team in need of more pass-rushers (Haralson is mainly used on running downs), Branch would make sense for us. This year, he finished his stellar year with 17 TFL and 10.5 sacks with 1 FF. 3. Stephen Hill-WR-Georgia Tech, 6-4 206 4.57 What do pretty much all our WRs have in common? They can block like madmen. But what are they missing? Downfield playmaking ability and the size to outmatch and outleap corners or safeties. Hill is a strong blocker coming from a run-heavy triple-option Georgia Tech system and he will come to the NFL raw with a limited route tree, but like Demaryius Thomas, he has playmaking ability and the physical stature of an NFL receiver. Knowing our tendency to look at potential, it wouldn't surprise me if we looked to grab Hill because of him being a fit already for what we want to do in the run game. I could see us thinking he could bring us what Edwards wasn't able to in the passing game. Despite being in an extremely run heavy system with a QB that is nothing to write home about, Hill put up 820 yards and 5 TDs on 29 catches, for an eye-popping nearly 30 yard average per catch. 4. Ryan Steed-CB-Furman, 5-11 190 4.52 Okay, so I'm guessing not many have heard his name, but don't be shocked if he starts getting talked about much more in the near future. Steed has been a straight-up playmaker his entire career at Furman with back-to-back-to-back years with four interceptions and 14 for his career, 3 of which he returned for touchdowns. He also had 4 forced fumbles over the past three seasons. Steed has already garnered enough attention to warrant participation in the Senior Bowl, where he will get his chance to shine among the best Senior prospects this year. The 49ers have no qualms looking into small school talent (Kilgore, Person) so I would not be shocked to see them select Steed. At this point, other small-schooler Trumaine Johnson will likely no longer be available, as his 6-2 200+ size and speed combo and production at Montana has recently shot him up into 2nd round consideration. Steed may not have that size, but he has good speed and compares very closely to another top CB in this class -- Vanderbilt's Casey Hayward. Steed has been a consensus AP All American selection in back to back years. 5. Jaye Howard-DE-Florida, 6-3 303 5.02 Think Ray McDonald. SEC defensive players are always argued as the best in the nation, and Howard helps support that reputation. Explosive and versatile, Howard would help provide a strong rotation on our DL. Howard's play this year will be rewarded as he will get a chance to raise his stock in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. He finished this season with 10 TFL, 5.5 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries (1 for a TD). If Howard is no longer available here, I would think Nevada DE Brett Roy should get STRONG consideration. Roy was a monster for Nevada (17.5 TFL, 10 sacks, 6 passes batted down) and could be considered a poor man's Justin Smith. 6. Robert Golden-FS-Arizona, 5-11 200 4.54 When you watch this kid play, you see a lot of WOW moments. Some are good "wow" .. some are bad "wow" .. His aggressive style can often pay those kinds of dividends. Golden is often considered overly aggressive which can lead to blown assignments. With proper teaching, he could become a really good player though, considering his violent hitting ability and sensational closing speed on the football. Golden would replace the versatility of Reggie Smith while at the same time being a tremendous upgrade in speed and tackling ability. He has starting experience at every position in the secondary, playing full seasons at free safety, corner, and strong safety at Arizona. Like Culliver, the 49ers could ultimately decide he should play CB instead of safety, but many scouts believe Golden's skill set suits him best where he can see the field in front of him. If you'd like to see some of the potential of Golden, you can view a video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ1DwLpfiuk 7. Micah Pellerin-CB-Hampton, 6-0 195 4.49 Another small school corner who has been a lights out player at his level. He's a D-I transfer (from Southern Miss), and put up 4 interceptions this year to go along with 15 PBU's, which marked back to back years of 14+ pass break-ups. This year he stepped up his game in run support, chipping in 4.5 tackles for loss as well. Pellerin's clear potential and skill set are unlikely to go unnoticed, especially when coupled with the fact that he has NFL size and speed at 6-0 195 and expectations of clocking in the 4.4's. His outstanding career has bought him a trip to the East-West Shrine All-Star game coming up here soon and Pellerin could go much, much higher than this if he performs well there. ------------------------------------------------------ Depth Chart Quick-look: WR - Crabtree, Morgan, Hill*, Williams, Ginn OG - Iupati, Konz, Kilgore, Person C - Goodwin, Konz DE - McDonald, J.Smith, Dobbs, Howard* OLB - Brooks, Aldon, Haralson, Branch* CB - Rogers, Culliver, Brown, Steed*, Pellerin* FS - Goldson, Spillman, Golden* SS - Whitner, Colin Jones

Jan 12, 2012 at 2:38 PM

#61

OnTheClock
Hall of Fame
Posts: 38,624

Originally posted by 49ersalldaway126:
Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Excellent work, as always. As I have spoken with you about before, Peter Konz is a top level talent, and if he is there, it is a no brainer. This guy has All-Pro potential written all over him. I grade him as a top ten player in this draft right now.

lol i thought u were banned?

anyway i dont know he may be all pro but if we resigned snyder id rather just pick up a CB or WR

Snyder is a versatile back-up swing player. He's not All-Pro caliber and doesn't figure to ever become anything close to that. He's essentially just a Tony Wragge type of player. If you ask anyone to point out the weakest link on our OL, they will most likely point to RG or C, a position that Konz would fill for years to come.

It just depends on A) is he available? and B) is he the BPA if he is at our spot.

Jan 12, 2012 at 2:39 PM

#62

AB81Rules
Hall of Fame
Posts: 34,148

very good mock, I love Konz. Worth is a strong look. Well done as always,

Jan 12, 2012 at 3:09 PM

#63

LumpiaJeff
Veteran
Posts: 51,513

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Excellent work, as always. As I have spoken with you about before, Peter Konz is a top level talent, and if he is there, it is a no brainer. This guy has All-Pro potential written all over him. I grade him as a top ten player in this draft right now.

Welcome back, MD

Jan 12, 2012 at 3:31 PM

#64

MadDog49er
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19,400

Originally posted by SF69ers:
Welcome back, MD

Thanks.

To some of the previous posts, the Niners, if they are going to take a consistent leap forward, are going to have to upgrade the interior of the OL. Although it may seem ghastly to spend another high draftee, center and right guard are two spots that really need addressing, at the worst by 2013. The team has been very lucky to see so few injuries on the OL, and a guy like Snyder is better as an emergency player than a starter. We all saw what happened when he went down for a short time.

The Niners have some huge free agent choices to make. I am not sure the focus will be on the interior line in free agency when you have some of the key defensive personnel to re-sign (Goldson, Rogers, Brooks).

Jan 12, 2012 at 3:43 PM

#65

NineFourNiner
Hall of Fame
Posts: 78,700

Originally posted by SF69ers:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Excellent work, as always. As I have spoken with you about before, Peter Konz is a top level talent, and if he is there, it is a no brainer. This guy has All-Pro potential written all over him. I grade him as a top ten player in this draft right now.

Welcome back, MD

This.

Jan 12, 2012 at 3:51 PM

#66

MadDog49er
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19,400

Originally posted by NineFourNiner:
This.

Thanks, Good to be back.

Jan 12, 2012 at 3:54 PM

#67

communist
Veteran
Posts: 12,475

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Thanks.

To some of the previous posts, the Niners, if they are going to take a consistent leap forward, are going to have to upgrade the interior of the OL. Although it may seem ghastly to spend another high draftee, center and right guard are two spots that really need addressing, at the worst by 2013. The team has been very lucky to see so few injuries on the OL, and a guy like Snyder is better as an emergency player than a starter. We all saw what happened when he went down for a short time.

The Niners have some huge free agent choices to make. I am not sure the focus will be on the interior line in free agency when you have some of the key defensive personnel to re-sign (Goldson, Rogers, Brooks).

We played better?

Jan 12, 2012 at 4:12 PM

#68

OnTheClock
Hall of Fame
Posts: 38,624

Originally posted by communist:
Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Thanks.

To some of the previous posts, the Niners, if they are going to take a consistent leap forward, are going to have to upgrade the interior of the OL. Although it may seem ghastly to spend another high draftee, center and right guard are two spots that really need addressing, at the worst by 2013. The team has been very lucky to see so few injuries on the OL, and a guy like Snyder is better as an emergency player than a starter. We all saw what happened when he went down for a short time.

The Niners have some huge free agent choices to make. I am not sure the focus will be on the interior line in free agency when you have some of the key defensive personnel to re-sign (Goldson, Rogers, Brooks).
We played better?

Rachal.

...

Jan 12, 2012 at 7:22 PM

#69

RollinWith21n52
Veteran
Posts: 2,948

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by communist:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Thanks.

To some of the previous posts, the Niners, if they are going to take a consistent leap forward, are going to have to upgrade the interior of the OL. Although it may seem ghastly to spend another high draftee, center and right guard are two spots that really need addressing, at the worst by 2013. The team has been very lucky to see so few injuries on the OL, and a guy like Snyder is better as an emergency player than a starter. We all saw what happened when he went down for a short time.

The Niners have some huge free agent choices to make. I am not sure the focus will be on the interior line in free agency when you have some of the key defensive personnel to re-sign (Goldson, Rogers, Brooks).
We played better?

Rachal. ...

The one spot that's a wild card for me is RT. What's the deal with Davis? Is he doing to mature into an elite player that his physical skill set suggests, or is he going to remain inconsistent at T? The other consideration is moving him to guard at some point if he's not working out at T. It has worked in the past. I like Konz, but really worry for our ability to draft top lineman, because that's not something we've succeeded with in previous years.

Jan 13, 2012 at 12:35 AM

#70

mayo49
Veteran
Posts: 65,216

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by NineFourNiner:
This.

Thanks, Good to be back.

I missed you, Mad.

[ Edited by mayo49 on Jan 13, 2012 at 1:19 AM ]

Jan 13, 2012 at 12:53 AM

#71

hofer36
Veteran
Posts: 8,257

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by SF69ers:
Welcome back, MD

Thanks.

To some of the previous posts, the Niners, if they are going to take a consistent leap forward, are going to have to upgrade the interior of the OL. Although it may seem ghastly to spend another high draftee, center and right guard are two spots that really need addressing, at the worst by 2013. The team has been very lucky to see so few injuries on the OL, and a guy like Snyder is better as an emergency player than a starter. We all saw what happened when he went down for a short time.

The Niners have some huge free agent choices to make. I am not sure the focus will be on the interior line in free agency when you have some of the key defensive personnel to re-sign (Goldson, Rogers, Brooks).

what about kilgore? they traded up for him last year, so that must feel he can play...he looked good in preseason...he is a guard who has been projected to center as well..all he seems to lack is experience--i could see him competing for starting spot in 2012

Jan 13, 2012 at 7:45 PM

#72

dj43
Moderator
Posts: 38,465

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by SF69ers:
Welcome back, MD

Thanks.

To some of the previous posts, the Niners, if they are going to take a consistent leap forward, are going to have to upgrade the interior of the OL. Although it may seem ghastly to spend another high draftee, center and right guard are two spots that really need addressing, at the worst by 2013. The team has been very lucky to see so few injuries on the OL, and a guy like Snyder is better as an emergency player than a starter. We all saw what happened when he went down for a short time.

The Niners have some huge free agent choices to make. I am not sure the focus will be on the interior line in free agency when you have some of the key defensive personnel to re-sign (Goldson, Rogers, Brooks).

Glad to see you back. Keep your nose clean. I enjoy your insight. Nothing here worth getting so excited about as to be forced out.

I agree the interior line is an important piece of the puzzle. Over the last half of the season I have watched the Saints play several times and focused on the work of Nicks and Evans, their All Pro guards. IMO, a big part of Brees' success is that they keep the front of the pocket so clean that even this short little QB has a clear line of sigh to his receivers. Further, with them playing at such a high level, Brian de la Puente, a 49er reject, has come in to play center and not embarrassed himself at all. My point is that the 49ers MUST fix the problem at RG with someone of higher quality than Adam Snyder. I like him as a sub but that is all. Kilgore may be a nice replacement sub if Snyder leaves but it would be a major surprise if someone drafted so far down the list would turn out to be a quality starter. If Konz is there, grab him.

Jan 14, 2012 at 11:42 AM

#73

LieutKaffee
Veteran
Posts: 1,988

Nice work. I actually love the idea of bolstering the interior line with the first pick. That would seem the best way to make instant improvements to our offense.

Jan 14, 2012 at 10:39 PM

#74

OnTheClock
Hall of Fame
Posts: 38,624

After watching this game, I think we are this close to being a downright powerhouse offense in the NFL -- this is what we need:

1) Another top-notch interior OLman.

Fortify the interior more. We saw what happened when Goodwin went down for a quarter, Snyder slid over to C, and he and Rachal at RG commenced to getting manhandled in the middle.

2) One physically dominant receiver to make plays and draw coverage (This could mean speed-wise, size-wize, or both).

Vernon and Crabtree are great. Getting Morgan and Walker back will help. But Ginn isn't a reliable receiver and is a FA. Williams has battled injuries in his career so far and is still unproven. Shows potential, but we still need insurance. After that, we've got nobody. Swain is purely an ST guy. I would fully support adding two receiving weapons in the draft.

Jan 15, 2012 at 7:08 AM

#75

tohara3
Veteran
Posts: 30,968

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
After watching this game, I think we are this close to being a downright powerhouse offense in the NFL -- this is what we need:

1) Another top-notch interior OLman.

Fortify the interior more. We saw what happened when Goodwin went down for a quarter, Snyder slid over to C, and he and Rachal at RG commenced to getting manhandled in the middle.

2) One physically dominant receiver to make plays and draw coverage (This could mean speed-wise, size-wize, or both).

Vernon and Crabtree are great. Getting Morgan and Walker back will help. But Ginn isn't a reliable receiver and is a FA. Williams has battled injuries in his career so far and is still unproven. Shows potential, but we still need insurance. After that, we've got nobody. Swain is purely an ST guy. I would fully support adding two receiving weapons in the draft.

Agree. Great post OTC. We really need another receiver on the other side of Crabtree, whether it be size or speed like you said.