Drafting a TE This Year: Why it Would Possibly Be a GREAT Move

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by SF69ers:
I'm all for drafting another tight end, although I think that Byham might surprise some people. I just don't want to spend a 1st or 2nd on one. There are a lot of big, athletic tight ends that can be had in the 3rd or 4th that we should take a look at.

Michael Egnew - 6'6'', 245 lbs
Ladarius Green - 6'6'', 240 lbs (on the skinny side)
George Bryan - 6'5'', 265 lbs

This is just goofy......all of the guys you listed have issues and would require additional development, the whole logic behind drafting Fleener is that he's ready to go TOMORROW. Egnew is way slow off the line, I've seen him get jammed by midget CB's, he is slow getting into his routes and the 49ers already have enough guys who can make catches 5 yards deep on 3rd and 9.

Green has decent potential and is a good receiver but fairly lousy blocker. If you put him in the game, it really makes the defense think more pass than anything else.

Bryan I liked the best of all 3 but he's not really spectacular whatsoever. He blocks well, he receives fairly well, runs sloppy routes at times, but all-around he's better than the other 2.


However, why take a risk on any of these guys if someone like Fleener, who could start right off the bat, who runs better routes and potentially has better hands than anyone else currently on the 49ers, not to mention has the physical size, the experience in Harbaugh's offense and while he could improve as a blocker, is still fairly decent in that regards.


If you've got a talent like Fleener available, you take him instead of throwing darts and hoping to look clever after the smoke settles.

Ok, don't let your bias opinion on Fleener blind you from what I actually wrote. Of course all the guys I listed have their issues. That's why I said 3rd or 4th round!! Just because they have those issues now, doesn't mean they can't progress in the pros with proper NFL coaching. I'm a big Fleener fan. Been watching him for two years and I know what he's all about. IMO, he'll need a lot of work on his blocking. He won't get away with blocking as high as he does in the NFL. Let's not forget that he also dropped a fair share of balls last season.

What I'm saying is that although Fleener is an intriguing talent at the TE spot, I wouldn't use a 1st round pick on him. We can possibly get a receiver like Sanu, or an interior lineman like Konz, and still have the possibility to draft a talented TE like Egnew or Green. Sure, they'll need more time to develop, but they have the potential to be gamechangers as well. Jimmy Graham wasn't considered NFL ready when he was selected by the Saints in the 3rd round two years ago, but he developed into a dangerous, well rounded weapon for Brees. Just one example.

A possible late round steal at TE is Nick Provo out of Syracuse. If there was anyone else on the team that could catch to take the double coverage off of him this year, he would be a first round pick.

Guy can block, but he is also one of the best receiving TE's in the draft. He can straight up dominate games.

BTW Provo goes 6'-4" and 250 lbs. Despite being used almost exclusively for special teams for his first season, and missing most of his second season with an injury, Provo ended up being third all time in receptions for TE's at Syracuse. One of the two ahead of him was John Mackey.

Originally posted by SF69ers:
Ok, don't let your bias opinion on Fleener blind you from what I actually wrote. Of course all the guys I listed have their issues. That's why I said 3rd or 4th round!! Just because they have those issues now, doesn't mean they can't progress in the pros with proper NFL coaching. I'm a big Fleener fan. Been watching him for two years and I know what he's all about. IMO, he'll need a lot of work on his blocking. He won't get away with blocking as high as he does in the NFL. Let's not forget that he also dropped a fair share of balls last season.

What I'm saying is that although Fleener is an intriguing talent at the TE spot, I wouldn't use a 1st round pick on him. We can possibly get a receiver like Sanu, or an interior lineman like Konz, and still have the possibility to draft a talented TE like Egnew or Green. Sure, they'll need more time to develop, but they have the potential to be gamechangers as well. Jimmy Graham wasn't considered NFL ready when he was selected by the Saints in the 3rd round two years ago, but he developed into a dangerous, well rounded weapon for Brees. Just one example.

If Fleener ends up being another Gronkowski, would you be all too upset at using a 1st round pick on him?


Konz won't be available, Sanu is another possession receiver in the mold of Crabtree, a single CB could shut the guy down, so where's the mismatch?

This team's biggest issues were with red-zone scoring and third-down conversion, picking at 30, I don't see how you can do any better than Fleener in terms of alleviating those issues. It puts the most pressure on the defense to have to defend two big physical and quick tight-ends in the end-zone, making life easier on Alex. If you have a shot at a guy who is ready to go "out of the box", a guy that pretty much knows the system and has played in it for a few years now, I don't see why you pass that up and then take another TE later and "hope" the guy develops.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by SF69ers:
Ok, don't let your bias opinion on Fleener blind you from what I actually wrote. Of course all the guys I listed have their issues. That's why I said 3rd or 4th round!! Just because they have those issues now, doesn't mean they can't progress in the pros with proper NFL coaching. I'm a big Fleener fan. Been watching him for two years and I know what he's all about. IMO, he'll need a lot of work on his blocking. He won't get away with blocking as high as he does in the NFL. Let's not forget that he also dropped a fair share of balls last season.

What I'm saying is that although Fleener is an intriguing talent at the TE spot, I wouldn't use a 1st round pick on him. We can possibly get a receiver like Sanu, or an interior lineman like Konz, and still have the possibility to draft a talented TE like Egnew or Green. Sure, they'll need more time to develop, but they have the potential to be gamechangers as well. Jimmy Graham wasn't considered NFL ready when he was selected by the Saints in the 3rd round two years ago, but he developed into a dangerous, well rounded weapon for Brees. Just one example.

If Fleener ends up being another Gronkowski, would you be all too upset at using a 1st round pick on him?


Konz won't be available, Sanu is another possession receiver in the mold of Crabtree, a single CB could shut the guy down, so where's the mismatch?

This team's biggest issues were with red-zone scoring and third-down conversion, picking at 30, I don't see how you can do any better than Fleener in terms of alleviating those issues. It puts the most pressure on the defense to have to defend two big physical and quick tight-ends in the end-zone, making life easier on Alex. If you have a shot at a guy who is ready to go "out of the box", a guy that pretty much knows the system and has played in it for a few years now, I don't see why you pass that up and then take another TE later and "hope" the guy develops.

Of course I wouldn't be upset if he turned out to be just as productive as Gronk, but the draft is a crapshoot. It's filled with what ifs and guesses. Fleener is talented, I just feel we could go elsewhere with our first pick. Some may even argue that Fleener isn't the #1 TE in this draft with Dwayne Allen and Orson Charles climbing up draft boards with their eye popping athleticism.

And I'd like to argue with you that Sanu is different from Crabtree. Sanu may have better straight line speed and is a lot more physical than Crabs. He's also just as good of a blocker. Having that on the other side is a good thing. And even if he was in the Crabtree mold, why is that a bad thing? Crabs progressed a lot this season.

BTW, I don't even think Tight End is a position of need. We still have Walker and Nate Byham had been doing well before his injury. Our coaching staff earned our trust that they can develop a player correctly. Like I said, Fleener would be nice, but I would trust our staff coaching up someone like Green/Egnew.

Originally posted by SF69ers:
Of course I wouldn't be upset if he turned out to be just as productive as Gronk, but the draft is a crapshoot. It's filled with what ifs and guesses. Fleener is talented, I just feel we could go elsewhere with our first pick. Some may even argue that Fleener isn't the #1 TE in this draft with Dwayne Allen and Orson Charles climbing up draft boards with their eye popping athleticism Fleener isn't the #1 guy, Allen is, but Fleener fits this team and this system a lot better, he's the top TE available as far as overall route-running and hands, plus, as mentioned he's already quite familiar with the system. Allen should be the first tight-end of the board. Charles doesn't impress me nearly as much, he's athletic but he stands anywhere between 6'2" and 6'3", not great size really.

And I'd like to argue with you that Sanu is different from Crabtree. Sanu may have better straight line speed and is a lot more physical than Crabs. He's also just as good of a blocker. Having that on the other side is a good thing. And even if he was in the Crabtree mold, why is that a bad thing? Crabs progressed a lot this season. Meh, Sanu isn't as fast as you think, he's another guy who will struggle to get separation IMO. 49ers need a deep threat, a flat-out burner, or take a shot on a potential #1 guy such as Streeter or Hill, Sanu seems to be a complementary guy at best and 49ers already have a couple of those guys.

BTW, I don't even think Tight End is a position of need. We still have Walker and Nate Byham had been doing well before his injury. Our coaching staff earned our trust that they can develop a player correctly. Like I said, Fleener would be nice, but I would trust our staff coaching up someone like Green/Egnew. Walker is 6'0" tall and Byham is coming off a major injury and was already considered an h-back, blocking tight-end before he went down. Defensive coordinators know they can lock down Walker using a safety, however, take a 6'6" tight end who runs crisp routes and has better hands that Walker in Fleener, and now how do you cover him with Vernon Davis, Crabtree and Morgan on the field at the same time? Football is all about matchups, a decent CB can shutdown a receiver, even a good one such as Sanu, having two very good tight-ends makes life very uncomfortable for most defenses in football. 2 TE attacks are really the future, stubbornly clinging on to the out-dated idea that you MUST have "x and x" receivers is goofy if there's a better alternate available at TE, which Fleener is.

Bottomline, Fleener has experience in the system, he's got better physical size than any WR the 49ers could hope to draft at 30, he presents a bigger matchup problem defensively than any receiver the 49ers could hope to draft at 30, he runs extremely crisp routes, has good hands, the ability to make catches well above his head, even one-handed, he's got decent speed for a guy his size.....there's way too many advantages to take a possession receiver over him.

I don't think highly of most of the receivers that are going to be available at 30, I think a guy like Sanu can make some nice plays but when it comes down to a big-time game, teams will be able to lock him down with solid CB play and he won't represent a major advantage over say Josh Morgan. Fleener on the other hand, teams would absolutely have to account for, along with Vernon Davis and that will create a great deal of mismatches that the 49ers can exploit.

Look at the teams the 49ers have to compete against. The Saints have struggled for years to shut down good tight-ends. The Giants and Packers are also vulnerable, do you simply accept that you have a slight matchup advantage......or slam it down their throat and force them to react or get crushed?

Most teams tend to struggle when defending one very good tight-end, defending two very-good tight-ends is hell at this point. Eventually the league will adjust and compensate for that, but for right now, its a big advantage to be utilized, so why not exploit it? Take a WR in the 2nd round or 3rd round, get a project that has a shot to be a #1 receiver one day, a guy like Streeter or Hill, even someone like McNutt.


The difference between the TE's available at the end of the 1st and the TE's in the rest of the draft is a lot bigger than the WR's available at the end of the 1st round and the rest of the draft. There's Blackmon and there's a bunch of guys with varying strengths and weakness who are total hit and miss prospects. I see Fleener as a lot more of a sure thing than most of the WR's out there.

A TE will be drafted in the first three rounds.......

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by SF69ers:
Of course I wouldn't be upset if he turned out to be just as productive as Gronk, but the draft is a crapshoot. It's filled with what ifs and guesses. Fleener is talented, I just feel we could go elsewhere with our first pick. Some may even argue that Fleener isn't the #1 TE in this draft with Dwayne Allen and Orson Charles climbing up draft boards with their eye popping athleticism Fleener isn't the #1 guy, Allen is, but Fleener fits this team and this system a lot better, he's the top TE available as far as overall route-running and hands, plus, as mentioned he's already quite familiar with the system. Allen should be the first tight-end of the board. Charles doesn't impress me nearly as much, he's athletic but he stands anywhere between 6'2" and 6'3", not great size really.

And I'd like to argue with you that Sanu is different from Crabtree. Sanu may have better straight line speed and is a lot more physical than Crabs. He's also just as good of a blocker. Having that on the other side is a good thing. And even if he was in the Crabtree mold, why is that a bad thing? Crabs progressed a lot this season. Meh, Sanu isn't as fast as you think, he's another guy who will struggle to get separation IMO. 49ers need a deep threat, a flat-out burner, or take a shot on a potential #1 guy such as Streeter or Hill, Sanu seems to be a complementary guy at best and 49ers already have a couple of those guys.

BTW, I don't even think Tight End is a position of need. We still have Walker and Nate Byham had been doing well before his injury. Our coaching staff earned our trust that they can develop a player correctly. Like I said, Fleener would be nice, but I would trust our staff coaching up someone like Green/Egnew. Walker is 6'0" tall and Byham is coming off a major injury and was already considered an h-back, blocking tight-end before he went down. Defensive coordinators know they can lock down Walker using a safety, however, take a 6'6" tight end who runs crisp routes and has better hands that Walker in Fleener, and now how do you cover him with Vernon Davis, Crabtree and Morgan on the field at the same time? Football is all about matchups, a decent CB can shutdown a receiver, even a good one such as Sanu, having two very good tight-ends makes life very uncomfortable for most defenses in football. 2 TE attacks are really the future, stubbornly clinging on to the out-dated idea that you MUST have "x and x" receivers is goofy if there's a better alternate available at TE, which Fleener is.

Bottomline, Fleener has experience in the system, he's got better physical size than any WR the 49ers could hope to draft at 30, he presents a bigger matchup problem defensively than any receiver the 49ers could hope to draft at 30, he runs extremely crisp routes, has good hands, the ability to make catches well above his head, even one-handed, he's got decent speed for a guy his size.....there's way too many advantages to take a possession receiver over him.

I don't think highly of most of the receivers that are going to be available at 30, I think a guy like Sanu can make some nice plays but when it comes down to a big-time game, teams will be able to lock him down with solid CB play and he won't represent a major advantage over say Josh Morgan. Fleener on the other hand, teams would absolutely have to account for, along with Vernon Davis and that will create a great deal of mismatches that the 49ers can exploit.

Look at the teams the 49ers have to compete against. The Saints have struggled for years to shut down good tight-ends. The Giants and Packers are also vulnerable, do you simply accept that you have a slight matchup advantage......or slam it down their throat and force them to react or get crushed?

Most teams tend to struggle when defending one very good tight-end, defending two very-good tight-ends is hell at this point. Eventually the league will adjust and compensate for that, but for right now, its a big advantage to be utilized, so why not exploit it? Take a WR in the 2nd round or 3rd round, get a project that has a shot to be a #1 receiver one day, a guy like Streeter or Hill, even someone like McNutt.


The difference between the TE's available at the end of the 1st and the TE's in the rest of the draft is a lot bigger than the WR's available at the end of the 1st round and the rest of the draft. There's Blackmon and there's a bunch of guys with varying strengths and weakness who are total hit and miss prospects. I see Fleener as a lot more of a sure thing than most of the WR's out there.

I respect your opinion, and like I said in my previous posts, Fleener is very talented, no doubting that, but I'd still prefer that we wait to select a TE rather than using our first. Would I be hopping mad if we took him in the 1st? Probably not, but I'd much rather go the route of a receiver like Sanu (who I feel will climb draft boards and surprise a lot of people) or even go with NT. I feel like Alameda Ta'amu, while not a sexy pick, will rise up boards especially with how well he played in the Senior Bowl.

TEs present a lot of mismatches, you're right, and that's why I wouldn't be mad if we took Fleener, but guys like Ladarius Green, who has tons of potential, will get the right coaching with our staff and could possibly be as crisp as Fleener.

You sold me, I'm on the drafting for Fleener bandwagon.

Another interesting possibility to add to the TE list:


Former Syracuse University Basketball player Paul Harris will be entering the combine this year.

This guy is a freak of nature. One of the most naturally athletic people I have ever seen compete on any level. Big body at 6'4, he regularly outrebounded, blocked, and dunked on guys that were 6'8" to 7"0"

Great speed, ability to cut on a dime.


All that remains to be seen is if he can run routes and catch passes. He is a much better athlete than Jimmy Graham.

I really like the idea of drafting a "freak" at TE after the 2nd round. Groom for a year under Davis and Delanie.

Originally posted by SF69ers:
I respect your opinion, and like I said in my previous posts, Fleener is very talented, no doubting that, but I'd still prefer that we wait to select a TE rather than using our first. Would I be hopping mad if we took him in the 1st? Probably not, but I'd much rather go the route of a receiver like Sanu (who I feel will climb draft boards and surprise a lot of people) or even go with NT. I feel like Alameda Ta'amu, while not a sexy pick, will rise up boards especially with how well he played in the Senior Bowl.

TEs present a lot of mismatches, you're right, and that's why I wouldn't be mad if we took Fleener, but guys like Ladarius Green, who has tons of potential, will get the right coaching with our staff and could possibly be as crisp as Fleener.

Bingo! That's been my stance from the beginning. If we look at the Super Bowl last night it was obvious what position caused the most damage. If I were a betting man (and I'm not) I'd bet good money that NE go WR in the 1st. Their WR really didn't show, but their TE's did. But the Giants ran the ball well and their WR played good all game, catching one clutch catch after another. And their WR's are big, physical and fast - just the type we need to draft in the firs. NE's TE mismatches meant nothing against NY's wide-outs. Hakeem Nicks (6-1, 208, Mario Manningham (6-0, 185, the lightest), and Victor Cruz (6-0, 204) were the real match-up problems in the game with their combination of size, physicality, catching, and ability to stretch the field. When NE clamped down on Cruz, Nicks and Manningham were in 1-on-1 and NE got burned because of it. Bottom line, we need to get better at the WR position - not TE. And last night's Super Bowl, aside from our obvious lack-luster WR performance this season, should be a shinning reason why. With this draft being rich in big physical WR's we need to come away with at least two of them, one in the first and another in a later round. In a league that shamelessly favors the QB's and WR's, mismatches at the WR position poses a much bigger danger to opposing secondaries than TE mismatches. Now picture the damage JH and company can do with two TE's and three legit WR's for defenses to deal with. Our 5-wide package could look like this:

- Sanu/Jeffery/or Floyd if he drops (doubt it though)
- Morgan
- Crabs/draft pick like Toon (if he drops)/Streeter
- V. Davis
- D. Walker/K. Williams

That is a scary match-up nightmare mecca for any defense. And with this year's draft we have a golden opportunity to really position our offense for greatness in 2012. However, I agree that Crabs has progressed, but no were near worthy of #1 WR on the depth chart. And in my mind he isn't as reliable as Morgan to be considered #2 on the depth chart and wht his QB lost confidence in him [see his playoff performance]. I say let him compete for the number 3 spot. And if in that competition he proves he should be higher then so be it. But for me, Crabs played his way below Morgan. But in any event, WR, not TE, is the bigger need.

Originally posted by 9ersLiferInChicago:

Bingo! That's been my stance from the beginning. If we look at the Super Bowl last night it was obvious what position caused the most damage. If I were a betting man (and I'm not) I'd bet good money that NE go WR in the 1st. Their WR really didn't show, but their TE's did. But the Giants ran the ball well and their WR played good all game, catching one clutch catch after another. And their WR's are big, physical and fast - just the type we need to draft in the firs. NE's TE mismatches meant nothing against NY's wide-outs. Hakeem Nicks (6-1, 208, Mario Manningham (6-0, 185, the lightest), and Victor Cruz (6-0, 204) were the real match-up problems in the game with their combination of size, physicality, catching, and ability to stretch the field. When NE clamped down on Cruz, Nicks and Manningham were in 1-on-1 and NE got burned because of it. Bottom line, we need to get better at the WR position - not TE. And last night's Super Bowl, aside from our obvious lack-luster WR performance this season, should be a shinning reason why. With this draft being rich in big physical WR's we need to come away with at least two of them, one in the first and another in a later round. In a league that shamelessly favors the QB's and WR's, mismatches at the WR position poses a much bigger danger to opposing secondaries than TE mismatches. Now picture the damage JH and company can do with two TE's and three legit WR's for defenses to deal with. Our 5-wide package could look like this:

- Sanu/Jeffery/or Floyd if he drops (doubt it though)
- Morgan
- Crabs/draft pick like Toon (if he drops)/Streeter
- V. Davis
- D. Walker/K. Williams

That is a scary match-up nightmare mecca for any defense. And with this year's draft we have a golden opportunity to really position our offense for greatness in 2012. However, I agree that Crabs has progressed, but no were near worthy of #1 WR on the depth chart. And in my mind he isn't as reliable as Morgan to be considered #2 on the depth chart and wht his QB lost confidence in him [see his playoff performance]. I say let him compete for the number 3 spot. And if in that competition he proves he should be higher then so be it. But for me, Crabs played his way below Morgan. But in any event, WR, not TE, is the bigger need.

Were we watching the same game? Did you somehow miss Hernandez repeatedly gashing the Giants, over and over again, for a touchdown and 1st down after 1st down, or a gimpy Gronkowski making a huge catch over the middle of the field. If anything that game showed the value of having explosive tight-ends. The Giants receivers looked great against a shoddy Patriots secondary, but realistically there's not many receivers who didn't this year. Manningham made his big catch against Julian F'n Edelman for crying out loud......that really isn't saying much.


The Giants could have used a big tight-end when their receivers were locked down on several 3 and out's. The Patriots didn't have as much trouble moving the ball down the field as they did have big whiffs from both their receivers and tight-ends. Brady was placing the ball pretty well and guys simply didn't step up to make plays, that happens, but the Giants seemed to flail around helplessly when the Patriots were moving the ball and Boley looked absolutely HELPLESS to stop Hernandez.



To me, that game reiterated what a great advantage it is to have two very good tight-ends, as well as a top-notch defense. An explosive, big-tight end does more for this team than a slow, fat-f**k receiver like Jeffery or a guy who catches the ball using his body the way Floyd does. The 49ers have two serviceable possession receivers in Morgan and Crabtree, they don't need anymore.

They need one guy who is an absolute burner and can stretch the field like crazy, that's not Floyd, Sanu and especially not Jeffery. If they could somehow get Kendall Wright, that would be a huge addition, but mostly they need a big playmaker in the middle of the field and call me crazy but I can't think of a top contender in the NFC that can shut down two top tight-ends, on the other hand, the Giants among other teams have shown they can shut down two top receivers and did so convincingly against the Packers.




Playmaker is this team's BIGGEST need and I see a play-making tight-end that is far more ready to contribute right off the bat than any receiver available late in the 1st round. Points on the board are what count, put 2 top tight-ends on the field together makes life miserable for defenses and makes putting points on the board a hell of a lot easier. Especially considering Delanie Walker is essentially a guy without a position. At 6'0" he'd be the smallest starting tight-end in football. 6'0" guy going across the middle of the field....or 6'6" guy with better hands going across the middle of the field, its obvious which makes a quarterback's life easier.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by 9ersLiferInChicago:

Bingo! That's been my stance from the beginning. If we look at the Super Bowl last night it was obvious what position caused the most damage. If I were a betting man (and I'm not) I'd bet good money that NE go WR in the 1st. Their WR really didn't show, but their TE's did. But the Giants ran the ball well and their WR played good all game, catching one clutch catch after another. And their WR's are big, physical and fast - just the type we need to draft in the firs. NE's TE mismatches meant nothing against NY's wide-outs. Hakeem Nicks (6-1, 208, Mario Manningham (6-0, 185, the lightest), and Victor Cruz (6-0, 204) were the real match-up problems in the game with their combination of size, physicality, catching, and ability to stretch the field. When NE clamped down on Cruz, Nicks and Manningham were in 1-on-1 and NE got burned because of it. Bottom line, we need to get better at the WR position - not TE. And last night's Super Bowl, aside from our obvious lack-luster WR performance this season, should be a shinning reason why. With this draft being rich in big physical WR's we need to come away with at least two of them, one in the first and another in a later round. In a league that shamelessly favors the QB's and WR's, mismatches at the WR position poses a much bigger danger to opposing secondaries than TE mismatches. Now picture the damage JH and company can do with two TE's and three legit WR's for defenses to deal with. Our 5-wide package could look like this:

- Sanu/Jeffery/or Floyd if he drops (doubt it though)
- Morgan
- Crabs/draft pick like Toon (if he drops)/Streeter
- V. Davis
- D. Walker/K. Williams

That is a scary match-up nightmare mecca for any defense. And with this year's draft we have a golden opportunity to really position our offense for greatness in 2012. However, I agree that Crabs has progressed, but no were near worthy of #1 WR on the depth chart. And in my mind he isn't as reliable as Morgan to be considered #2 on the depth chart and wht his QB lost confidence in him [see his playoff performance]. I say let him compete for the number 3 spot. And if in that competition he proves he should be higher then so be it. But for me, Crabs played his way below Morgan. But in any event, WR, not TE, is the bigger need.

Were we watching the same game? Did you somehow miss Hernandez repeatedly gashing the Giants, over and over again, for a touchdown and 1st down after 1st down, or a gimpy Gronkowski making a huge catch over the middle of the field. If anything that game showed the value of having explosive tight-ends. The Giants receivers looked great against a shoddy Patriots secondary, but realistically there's not many receivers who didn't this year. Manningham made his big catch against Julian F'n Edelman for crying out loud......that really isn't saying much.


The Giants could have used a big tight-end when their receivers were locked down on several 3 and out's. The Patriots didn't have as much trouble moving the ball down the field as they did have big whiffs from both their receivers and tight-ends. Brady was placing the ball pretty well and guys simply didn't step up to make plays, that happens, but the Giants seemed to flail around helplessly when the Patriots were moving the ball and Boley looked absolutely HELPLESS to stop Hernandez.



To me, that game reiterated what a great advantage it is to have two very good tight-ends, as well as a top-notch defense. An explosive, big-tight end does more for this team than a slow, fat-f**k receiver like Jeffery or a guy who catches the ball using his body the way Floyd does. The 49ers have two serviceable possession receivers in Morgan and Crabtree, they don't need anymore.

They need one guy who is an absolute burner and can stretch the field like crazy, that's not Floyd, Sanu and especially not Jeffery. If they could somehow get Kendall Wright, that would be a huge addition, but mostly they need a big playmaker in the middle of the field and call me crazy but I can't think of a top contender in the NFC that can shut down two top tight-ends, on the other hand, the Giants among other teams have shown they can shut down two top receivers and did so convincingly against the Packers.




Playmaker is this team's BIGGEST need and I see a play-making tight-end that is far more ready to contribute right off the bat than any receiver available late in the 1st round. Points on the board are what count, put 2 top tight-ends on the field together makes life miserable for defenses and makes putting points on the board a hell of a lot easier. Especially considering Delanie Walker is essentially a guy without a position. At 6'0" he'd be the smallest starting tight-end in football. 6'0" guy going across the middle of the field....or 6'6" guy with better hands going across the middle of the field, its obvious which makes a quarterback's life easier.

I don't agree with all of this, but here's what I'll say:

1. I would have no qualms trading up for Kendall Wright. If he runs a 4.3, it may be difficult to though, because he could go as high at 7th overall if he does. 4.4 though, and he could make it to the early 20s. Wright would provide an AMAZING boost to this club's passing game by providing a monster slot/starting-caliber wideout. Crabtree-Morgan-Wright with DAVIS playing TE or split out wide looks beautiful.

2. I am starting to think, more and more, that Fleener would be at least one of the top 5 best options at #30.

3. I am not a fan of Toon or Sanu (for this team, I mean). Both are good players, but provide zero complementary element to our team. Toon is like Morgan, Sanu is very similar to Crabtree. He is an explosive college player, and he has good hands, but he'll be a possession WR, and I also worry he may get hurt a lot in the NFL.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
I don't agree with all of this, but here's what I'll say:

1. I would have no qualms trading up for Kendall Wright. If he runs a 4.3, it may be difficult to though, because he could go as high at 7th overall if he does. 4.4 though, and he could make it to the early 20s. Wright would provide an AMAZING boost to this club's passing game by providing a monster slot/starting-caliber wideout. Crabtree-Morgan-Wright with DAVIS playing TE or split out wide looks beautiful.

2. I am starting to think, more and more, that Fleener would be at least one of the top 5 best options at #30.

3. I am not a fan of Toon or Sanu (for this team, I mean). Both are good players, but provide zero complementary element to our team. Toon is like Morgan, Sanu is very similar to Crabtree. He is an explosive college player, and he has good hands, but he'll be a possession WR, and I also worry he may get hurt a lot in the NFL.

THANK YOU!


People are suggesting that the 49ers draft players which basically resemble what the 49ers already have. To me that's dumb. Crabtree is a serviceable possession receiver, if you're going to bring in another WR, make sure its someone who is distinctly different, who is lightning quick, a true down field threat but a lot of the guys available are basically like Crabtree clones. Sanu, Floyd...etc. Fleener represents something that the 49ers DO NOT have, as well as Wright and some of the smaller faster receivers, but those are all guys who will be available in rounds 2, 3 and further.

The other possibility is a big, speedy WR with #1 potential. Streeter fits that definition, he's raw but at least he has a high ceiling. With a guy like Sanu you're basically adding another #2 receiver to a team that already has its fair share.