Post-FA Draft Needs and Mock

Draft Needs -

#1: Wide Receiver with Special Teams skills
- Age (Boldin), Contract (Crabtree), and Unproven Depth (Patton, Baldwin) are key drivers for this need.

#2: Cornerback
- Health (Culliver), Departures (Brown, Rogers), and Unproven Depth (Morris, Cook) are the reasons we find more competition for the #2 CB spot.

#3: Defensive Line
- Age (Smith), Contract (Dorsey), and Health (Carradine, Dial, and McDonald) are the drivers.

#4: Inside Linebacker
- Injury (Bowman), Health (Willis), and Unproven Depth (Moody) are the reasons that we should consider this position a higher priority than the below items. Before you dismiss this need, remember that after this guy's rookie deal expires, Willis will be 33 years old.

#5: Safety
- Contracts (Spillman, Ventrone, Dahl) are the reason. Upgrade Dahl.

#6: Interior Offensive Line
- Inexperience (Kilgore, Looney), Contract (Iupati), and Cost (Snyder). A OG/C type would displace Snyder on the roster - most likely in 2015.

Mock Draft -

Trade: 49ers trade 1st and 3rd for Packers 1st round pick. Packers need a TE, and can trade back and still select a blue chip player.

R1: Odell Beckham Jr - WR/KR - LSU (via Packers)
*Great athlete, strong route runner, good speed, and comes from a proven program. Immediate contributor.

R2: Jaylen Watkins - CB - Florida (via Chiefs)
*Experienced in press and off-man coverages, Watkins projects nicely as a #3 CB and special teams contributor in his first year. 4.4 speed, nearly 6 feet tall, and impressive strength for a slim frame. Physical tackler. Replaces Brown nicely.

R2: Dri Archer - WR/RB/KR - Kent State
*We have never had a player of Archer's speed and versatility in the Jim Harbaugh era of 49er football. You can create a lot of mismatches and havoc by putting Archer on the field with Davis, Crabtree, Beckham, and Boldin.

R3: Kelcy Quarles - NT/DE - South Carolina (via Titans)
*3-4 DL that can play the 5 technique or plug him at the NT spot. 6-4, improving strength, but impressive speed at 320+ LBs. He could replace Dorsey in 2015. (via Titans)

R4: Victor Hampton - CB/S - South Carolina
*Another Gamecock selected here, Hampton provides secondary flexibility as primary backup to SS and FS, and can also play some CB. He'd be an immediate contributor to ST units, and an upgrade to Craig Dahl.

R4: Jordan Tripp - ILB - Montana (comp)
*Small school prospect, but possesses the skills we look for as a ILB - good recognition, plays sideline to sideline, blue collar lunch pail defender, and strives for perfection. Tripp will also contribute on special teams.

R5: Corey Linsley - C/OG - Ohio State
*With the addition of Martin, grooming of Looney, and extension of Kilgore, I think we find a younger and cheaper OL backup to Adam Snyder. Linsley is a strong mauler that has position flexibility.

R7: Colton Underwood - DE/OLB - Illinois State (via Colts)
*Another small school prospect, Underwood will most likely be a PS candidate but a developmental prospect for the 2015 season.

R7: Trey Millard - FB/RB/TE - Oklahoma (via Saints)
*NFI prospect that may potentially replace Bruce Miller in 2015.

R7: Tracy Moore - WR - Oklahoma State
*PS player that competes with Baldwin for a roster spot.

Depth Chart:

QB: Kaepnerick/Gabbert
RB: Gore/Hunter/James/Lattimore
FB: Miller
TE: Davis/McDonald/Celek

WR: Crabtree/Patton
WR: Boldin/Baldwin
WR: Beckham*/Archer*

LT: Staley/Martin
LG: Iupati/Looney
C: Kilgore/Linsley*
RG: Boone
RT: Davis/Marquardt

LE: Smith/Carradine
NT: Dorsey/Quarles*/Williams
RE: McDonald/Jerrod-Eddie

OLB: Smith/Skuta
ILB: Willis/Moody
ILB: Wilhoite/Tripp*
OLB: Brooks/Lemonier

CB: Brock/Cook/Wright
CB: Culliver/Watkins*/Morris
FS: Reid/Spillman
SS: Bethea/Hampton*/Ventrone

ST: Dawson, Lee, McDermott

Injured - Bowman, Millard

Practice Squad - Okoye (DL), Bykowski (OL), Seymour (OL), Hampton (RB), Underwood (LB), Moore (WR), Campbell (DB), Swanson (DB)

Stopped reading at 2nd Round - Dri Archer

Dri Archer in the 2nd round? Seems like a bit of a reach. Should be available in the 5th round or the 4th at the earliest.

people are going nuts about Archers 40 and highlight package against inferior competition. i dont know where you grade DeAnthony Thomas, but is Archer 3 rounds better?

Exactly. Tavon Austin had some nice speed. I know it wasn't sub 4.3, but he still didn't do a whole lot last season, and he played against tougher competition in college. I wouldn't take him before our 3rd round comp pick. If we miss out on him, just take De'Anthony Thomas in the 6th.

Wow, great post and I love how you broke down the positions of need! Well done. Hard to disagree with any of the needs.

Before you dismiss the Archer pick, note that Dexter Mccluster was an early 2nd round draft pick. I have Archer going in the late 2nd. Also note that Devin Hester was a 2nd round pick, too.

That's my justification, and its valid.

Why draft Archer and waste a roster spot when you drafted ODB in the 1st and he can return punts/kicks and so can LMJ?

I have a hard time seeing Snyder, Dial, and Dahl (who just took a pay cut) getting cut.

The Future is important, but if your close to a Super Bowl, all bets are off, or trade up and draft a guy you think has a greater chance at being bonafide superstars, than 4 maybe's/projects.

With 11 picks and trade up and trade the some for the future.

Hits all the needs but I agree with some of the other posters about the rounds where you select them (Archer and Tripp). Still, strong draft all the way through.

I know some posters really don't get Baalke's desire to draft longer-armed players, including CB's, but it's real, believe it or not. Case(s) in point:

Beckham. Good player, but I think Harbaalke have bigger "fish" in mind. They love Evans, although he'd be very expensive. Instead, I'd take Fuller or another good, longer-armed CB at #30.

Watkins is a short-armed CB. Instead, trade up in the 2nd rd to get Moncrief. With him, you satisfy not only a speed deficit, but you also gain size and athleticism, in short, you get substantially more with Moncrief than with Beckham.

Archer's not 2nd rd material, IMHO. He's got speed, that's about it. Good spot to take a DL or S.

I like the Quarles pick, but don't like Hampton there. Some other CB options would include potentially McGill, Desir, both of whom who have 33" arms and are very athletic.

Don't know anything about the kid from Montana, but agree taking an ILB would be a good move.

No need to draft another interior OL...not with the likes of Looney, Seymour, Snyder and now Martin available.

Keeping it real among a lot of other mocks I've seen, this one doesn't do it for me. You also didn't include a QB. Even with Gabbert, odds are Baalke will draft one for competition/depth.

Originally posted by MC9BEAT:
Dri Archer in the 2nd round? Seems like a bit of a reach. Should be available in the 5th round or the 4th at the earliest.

he's a 5th-7th rounder in my book

Originally posted by matt49er:

he's a 5th-7th rounder in my book

Wow. Thta'd be pretty nice. I think someone's gonna take Archer in the 3rd. And he's a must-have for the Niners IMO.

Originally posted by VPofCarnage:

Originally posted by matt49er:
he's a 5th-7th rounder in my book

Wow. Thta'd be pretty nice. I think someone's gonna take Archer in the 3rd. And he's a must-have for the Niners IMO.

This. With a little luck he may last till the end of the 4th. But 5th - 7th would be too nice i think

Originally posted by MC9BEAT:

Dri Archer in the 2nd round? Seems like a bit of a reach. Should be available in the 5th round or the 4th at the earliest.

I can see him in the 2nd. Our 2nd is almost an early 3rd anyway

Finally someone else who mocked Jordy Tripp to us. He's a really good high motor guy. Plays outside but also can play inside. Really a hard worker.