I like Baalke, but Baalke feels that he knows who is good and doesn't give a rat's ass what the consensus is. However if you can get a guy in rd 6-7 (eg. Pinion), why draft him in rd 5? Most of these six "reaches" likely would have been available a little later and he could have waited a little to draft them
My Hope = Baalke is so good that he KNOWS who is going to be good and didn't want to risk losing them by trading back.
My Fear = Baalke is arrogant and falls in "love" with his favorite "sons" and blindly "reaches" for them higher than they deserved to go
This draft will be a litmus test. It will be interesting to see how it works out. If Baalke is right and these "reaches" turn out to be really good players, we can rest easy knowing he's a darn good drafter. If they don't turn out great, we know Baalke isn't very good because he is arrogant and drafts players higher than needed and doesn't get good value for his picks.
"Reaches" and round projected to be picked: (per popular mock draft projections)
Rd 1. Armstead: many slotted him to the 49ers, but others (like Bill Polian) thought he was a reach. (so borderline reach)
Rd 2. Tartt: was projected in rd 3-4
Rd 4. Bell: projected in rd 5
Rd 4. Smelter: projected rd 5-7
Rd 5. Pinion: projected UDFA
Rd 6. Silberman: projected UDFA
"Steals": Rd 3. Eli Harold: projected rd 2
[ Edited by Vito_Corleone on May 8, 2015 at 11:33 PM ]