MadDog49er's FInal Draft Review and Niners' Draft Grade

Originally posted by AmpLee:
Those guys were the top three on a lot of people's boards (especially Hyde and Martin). Baalke and this FO have proven to be the best in the business over the last few years (despite all the naysayers 3 years ago). This draft is just another example.

The front office guys have done pretty well, at least on paper. As we all know, the full draft grade takes a few years to solidify, but 2011 was outstanding to this point. 2012 was the lone disaster, if you believe 2013 and 2014 were good drafts, as I do. In the end, we will see the impact of these four drafts in the next few years.

Well done man I agree with most of your points

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
Baalke interviewed the guy more than once and Harbaugh's good friend and Lynch's coach vouched for the kid. I have to believe that the team had way more information than anyone on this board about Lynch.

My thoughts on Lynch are that while he's a bit of a headcase and kind of an a*****e, he doesn't have a rap sheet, he hasn't gotten into trouble with the law, he hasn't been charged with a DUI, it seems like he had some family issues going on and he seems rather immature although for a guy that only just turned 21, it necessarily isn't all that unusual. If he gets all his issues worked out, nobody is questioning his talent or ability to make plays. Taggart's endorsement of Lynch to Harbaugh is a very good sign since they have such a close relationship, I don't think Taggart would feel pressured to sugar-coat anything necessarily.

With a 5th round pick, its worth the risk, if he plays up the level he is capable of, the 49ers would have a pretty ridiculous steal on their hands. I think the upside on Lynch is so high that you can't help but take a shot at him, for better or worse.


Barrows wrote an article about Lynch, including this video which was Lynch at his best pretty much. It shows what he is fully capable of doing out on the football field.








Personally I think Lynch should work as a 3rd down pass rusher and slowly transition to a DE, taking time over the span of a year or two to add quality mass and work up to 275...280ish.....

Looks to me the way he plays off blocks, through (holds the point) a around blocks while still getting upfield and with his pass rush ability and that he'd be playing at 260, he's an ideal Ahmad Brooks in two years at the SAM.

As an 18 year old, Lynch looked like a future superstar. I don't know his whole story, but understand that he lost some significant weight after he transferred, which may have contributed to his ineffectiveness last year. Bottom line is he's 21 with a ton of talent. I trust our coaches and our veterans. If the kid has any desire to be great and commits to the program we have ourselves a gem.

Originally posted by NinerPrideinNJ:
Phenomenal recap analysis. Great work, MadDog; keep it up.

Thanks. It was a lot of fun.

Originally posted by buck:
Clearly, something that all of us could learn from.

Every one of us, for sure.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by AmpLee:
Those guys were the top three on a lot of people's boards (especially Hyde and Martin). Baalke and this FO have proven to be the best in the business over the last few years (despite all the naysayers 3 years ago). This draft is just another example.

The front office guys have done pretty well, at least on paper. As we all know, the full draft grade takes a few years to solidify, but 2011 was outstanding to this point. 2012 was the lone disaster, if you believe 2013 and 2014 were good drafts, as I do. In the end, we will see the impact of these four drafts in the next few years.

On paper I believe you are right, and so does the majority of football experts and pundits. What I think people should consider here is that the 49ers do have a loaded roster so it is highly likely they don't get as many "starters" as some of the lesser runs, but I believe this team will get 1-2 key starters and possibly a 1-2 complimentary/rotation guys. That's a win for me.

Path's I see:

Starter this season: Ward
Depth contributors: Borland, Hyde, Martin, Ellington
If someone gets injured: D. Johnson
Practise squad: Lynch, Reaser, Acker, Ramsey
Signs elsewhere: Trey Millard

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
This. Lynch is 21 years old, he may be immature, he may be a prick to people but this coach was a douchebag for what he did. Showed an even more immature mentality. If you have a problem with a prospect, let teams know during the draft process, after that you're just being a jerk for no reason other than trying to 'poison the well' for the player.

If the head coach vouched for Lynch, then this coach had nothing to say about it.

At the same time, what would piss off a coach so much to say something so stupid? Immaturity all around, no doubt, but Lynch obviously did not leave a positive vibe with this coach, which has been a trend through his year at ND, at USF and at the combine.

Originally posted by buck:
One interesting note on the quality of character and how we choose to judge it.

Von Miller, linebacker from Denver, is facing a minimum mandatory suspension of one year for violating the rules.

Somehow, few if any posters have included him among the young and dumb, much less insinuated that he has demonstrated a clearly flawed sense of right and wrong.

Pretty soon that entire first round from 2011 will be suspended. Dareus looks to be in trouble as well.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by oldninerdude:

Not sure how soon we'll see. No way he's anything but a practice squad guy this year, like Boone was his first year. He'll have plenty of opportunities to screw up if, in fact, he's as bad a character as the USF assistant coach apparently believes.

BTW, were there media reports about his problems at ND and the reasons he transferred? What did they say? No criminal cases against him, but "football related" problems. Do you know what they were? Stealing from his teammates, or just being an arrogant jerk?

Read that he was not well liked at Notre Dame, was perceived as a me-first guy, and was not popular with the other players on the team. Wish I had a source for you to view.

So, maybe he comes off as an arrogant, self-centered jerk, but he's not a drug addict or a thief.

Adderol is used to treat ADHD, aka attention deficit disorder. So he's got some problems, but also some potential, and has tried to address his problems.

He's got a long road ahead of him, I believe, and we'll see if he lives up to his potential.

I see him as a project, not a candidate for the 53 man roster this year.

Not everyone can be a Jimmy Ward, who looks and sounds like a "starter" at the nickel CB, and looks and sounds like a great kid as well. I can't wait to see him in action this year, and to see how the Niners utilize his talents. How much will he get to play at the safety position? Will they take advantage of his versatility and disguise the coverage schemes they use? Exciting possibilities.

Originally posted by Wodwo:
Obviously you don't understand my point. Apologies, poor communication on my part.

First, let's be clear about something.... You aren't being skeptical, you're being cynical. Having doubts is fine, but you must understand that skepticism includes acknowledging the existence of multiple possibilities. Your opinions are formed from cynicism because of your beliefs about humanity. You are jaded, so you don't bother with hope. Instead, you come to the conclusion that past behavior determines future behavior and even if the behavior in the future appears improved, it is all lies to hide the guilty truth.

This has nothing to do with production on the field. I said that Cam Newton seems to be doing just fine because he's not in jail and he's still the starting QB for the Panthers. It appears that he is succeeding at life.

Your assumptions that Lynch has "bad character" are based on reports from third parties. Your cynicism forces you to believe the negative reports are true and the positive reports from Harbaugh are lies. Not only are you judging a kid you've never met, you are giving him a life sentence.

You are doing all of that while remaining willfully ignorant regarding the developmental process of the human brain. This is not some untenable psycho-babble. This is neuroscience. Kids can change. You should accept the possibility and realize that your "grade" given should reflect that.

I believe in trends. Lynch burns bridges. If it was one source in one place that had a beef, you may be right. However, he left ND on bad terms, looked bad at the NFL combine (characterized as a liar by at least one team during the interview), and now has a guy at USF blasting away. At some point, the chance that this kid is really a "good guy" has to be minimal. Few teams are running around defending the character of a draftee at this point. That is not a good sign.

Originally posted by oldninerdude:
So, maybe he comes off as an arrogant, self-centered jerk, but he's not a drug addict or a thief.

Adderol is used to treat ADHD, aka attention deficit disorder. So he's got some problems, but also some potential, and has tried to address his problems.

He's got a long road ahead of him, I believe, and we'll see if he lives up to his potential.

I see him as a project, not a candidate for the 53 man roster this year.

Not everyone can be a Jimmy Ward, who looks and sounds like a "starter" at the nickel CB, and looks and sounds like a great kid as well. I can't wait to see him in action this year, and to see how the Niners utilize his talents. How much will he get to play at the safety position? Will they take advantage of his versatility and disguise the coverage schemes they use? Exciting possibilities.

I don't think anyone is classifying him as a criminal, since there is no reason. But, as you know, locker room chemistry is vital, and I don't think (based on the way he has rubbed people wrong no matter where he goes) this was a wise selection. As stated earlier, I could be totally wrong. He may end up a solid kid, a great contributor, etc. At the same time, I would rather not deal with this issue. There are plenty other talented players with less baggage.

Originally posted by bzborow1:
On paper I believe you are right, and so does the majority of football experts and pundits. What I think people should consider here is that the 49ers do have a loaded roster so it is highly likely they don't get as many "starters" as some of the lesser runs, but I believe this team will get 1-2 key starters and possibly a 1-2 complimentary/rotation guys. That's a win for me.

Path's I see:

Starter this season: Ward
Depth contributors: Borland, Hyde, Martin, Ellington
If someone gets injured: D. Johnson
Practise squad: Lynch, Reaser, Acker, Ramsey
Signs elsewhere: Trey Millard

Thank God, a break from Lynch talk. Yuck!!!

I believe Borland will end up starting for Bowman right away. However, once Bowman comes back, Borland will be only be on the field for special teams.
The Niners play a lot in the nickle, so Ward should be on the field a lot. Martin could start right away. Should be good competition at the position. Hyde is going to play, and play a lot. I wouldn't put Gore on any fantasy teams. His touches are going to be cut back a lot. Yards per carry should increase, however.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by bzborow1:

On paper I believe you are right, and so does the majority of football experts and pundits. What I think people should consider here is that the 49ers do have a loaded roster so it is highly likely they don't get as many "starters" as some of the lesser runs, but I believe this team will get 1-2 key starters and possibly a 1-2 complimentary/rotation guys. That's a win for me.

Path's I see:

Starter this season: Ward
Depth contributors: Borland, Hyde, Martin, Ellington
If someone gets injured: D. Johnson
Practise squad: Lynch, Reaser, Acker, Ramsey
Signs elsewhere: Trey Millard

Thank God, a break from Lynch talk. Yuck!!!

I believe Borland will end up starting for Bowman right away. However, once Bowman comes back, Borland will be only be on the field for special teams.
The Niners play a lot in the nickle, so Ward should be on the field a lot. Martin could start right away. Should be good competition at the position. Hyde is going to play, and play a lot. I wouldn't put Gore on any fantasy teams. His touches are going to be cut back a lot. Yards per carry should increase, however.

I'm really interested in seeing if Martin can win the starting center position. He appears to have all the physical tools, but needs to learn the system and terminology. He and Ward and Hyde look like the best additions to an already deep roster. IMHO.

VIVA LA NOLAN

Originally posted by NOLANONESENSE:


VIVA LA NOLAN

Really.