Quest4six's annual mock draft V1.0

How's it going fellow zoners!
Quick disclaimer, I used footballoutsiders for all rankings

Before we begin geez was I excited to make this mock draft. Not essentially because of what has happened, but because last time I did one of these we had just announced a circus squad as our coaching staff and I had no idea what to expect.
Now it seems like we have a respectable coaching staff and enough guys to develop whatever talent we draft. I always like to start my mocks off by highlighting what I wanted from last years mock,

I started off talking about, "One thing that I am going to focus on with this mock, and something Baalke has been preaching, is running the football. Our offensive line (despite the loss of Iupati) is built to run the football. We win games winning battles in the trenches, its something I've stated in most of my mocks and is something I firmly believe. That being said, if you clicked on this mock thinking I would take a WR or "offensive playmaker" with the 1st pick this isn't going to be something you like."

DEFENSIVE TEAM STATS
Some quick stats about our team last season- (according to football outsiders) (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats)
(2014)
Run Defense (-13.5%) ranked us 10th overall
Pass Defense (-7.6%) ranked us 4th overall

(2015)
Run Defense (-5.3%) ranked us 23rd overall
Pass Defense (25%) ranked us 30th overall

Combined we totaled with the 27th best defense (5th a year before)

OFFENSIVE TEAM STATS
(2014)
Passing offense (5.8%) 21st overall
Rushing offense (2.5%) 8th overall

(2015)
Passing offense (-9.3%) 30th overall
Rushing offense (-10.4%) 21st overall

Combined we totaled with the 28th best offense (16th a year before)

AREAS OF NEED
Last year I employed that we needed to focus on the trenches. I listed (in order of need)
1. Offensive line
2. Defensive line
3. Passing offense

I can't say that much has changed, I still feel we need our most help on the offensive line. Specifically whatever clusterf*ck is operating on the right side.
This year, I believe that our top 3 areas of needs are
1. Offensive line (graded 32nd allowing the most sacks in the NFL)
2. Secondary (graded 30th in the NFL after being 5th last season)
3. Defensive Line (fixing the defense starts here, ranked 27th)

FREE AGENCY (~54 milllion)

1.) Muhammad Wilkerson- I don't really feel the need to explain why he would fit her, he is a top 3 defensive end and to be honest whatever type of money the man wants I would give it to him. He should be leaving NY (just signed with SGI sports and I'm sure the team wants to get Williams some playing time)Lets be honest, the man does things 3-4 DEs are not supposed to do. Traditionally our ends stop the run, and "attempt" to chase a QB, usually our OLB get those sacks. Wilkerson had 6.5 sacks this season, and lead the NFL in QB hurries for 3-4 DEs. This is a guy you build a defense around, sign him and everyone will instantly get better. http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/free-agency/184182-muhammad-wilkerson/page10/

2.) Travis Benjamin- This guy was a nightmare for opposing defenses, especially on third down. Graded as on of the best 3rd down WRs per PFF Benjamin posted a 69-996-5 stat line with Manziel and McCown throwing him the football. This is a guy who is so elusive in the open field that he would demand safety help from opposing defenses. Could you imagine this guy in Kelly's offense?

3.) Tony Jefferson- Value wise this could end up being our best FA signing. A 23 year old safety from the Cardinals who got there as an UDFA, this guy has been turning heads since Arians moved Buchanon to a LB type role instead of safety. This is what PFF had to say about him

– Jefferson ranks third among safeties in Run Stop Percentage (11.0%) when lined up within 8 yards of the line of scrimmage at the snap and his 20.0 Tackling Efficiency (tackles per miss) in the passing game is fourth.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/01/02/pff-preview-cardinals-panthers-wild-card-round/

4.) Brandon Boykin- Already having played for Kelly, and leaving the Steelers, Boykin would be a great fit here. Under Kelly he graded out on PFF as the top slot CB in the NFL in 2014 and had another stellar season in Pitt. Our slot CB was a hole in our defense that was constantly exploited, Boykin would help put a stop to that. He has proven he has the talent to be a legit player under Kelly, all he needs is a chance.

My 2015 draft class=
1.) Brandon Scherff
2.) Paul Dawson
3.) Henry Anderson
4.) Stefon Diggs
5.) David Cobb
6.) Bobby Richardson
7.) Antwan Goodley

Round 1.) Myles Jack- ILB UCLA 6'1 245lbs

Like last year, this probably isn't the popular pick. Our defense was absolutely gashed this season by tight ends and in the zones where our ILBs would typically cover. Jack is hands down the best coverage linebacker to come out of a draft in recent years, no question. I imagine Baalke, and other members of our coaching staff want to begin fixing this roster by building a defense first. Drafting Jack (who has been compared to Bowman) will allow our defense to blitz more and would solidify our front 7. Probably one of the most athletic players in the draft (also played RB) he would undoubtedly thrive here playing behind Wilkerson and next to Bowman.

Round 1-2.) Michael Thomas- WR Ohio State 6'3 210lbs (trade 2nd, 4th, 5th)

IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG. Our offense can only operate so long without a legit pass catcher. Anquan Boldin has nobly fulfilled that role these past two seasons, but relying on a 35+ year old WR in a passing league is asking a lot. This a guy who can come in and actually be a force in the other teams secondary. Who was the last guy like that we had? Crabtree?
Thomas runs some vicious routes, not to mention his body control in the air is second to none. His size, route running, hands at the POA, and speed make him a legitimate #1 WR on this team.

Round 3.) Artie Burns

Probably the fastest player in this draft, Artie Burns is a stellar CB who will not lose ground while in man coverage. Recently broke a 38 year old american hurdling record for the Miami track team. Burns is a physical nagging shadow for any corner in 1 on 1 coverage. CBS has this to say about him,

IN OUR VIEW: Don't let Burns' track background fool you, he's a legitimate NFL prospect with the upside to warrant early-round consideration. He's at his best in press man coverage where he can use his length, aggression and speed to harass wideouts on the perimeter and has the ball skills to punish quarterbacks who challenge him.

Sound like a great fit on our 3-4^

Round 4.) Tyler Johnstone- OT Oregon 6'6 295lbs

Once regarded as a first round pick, and recruited to the UO by Chip Kelly, Johnstone drew comparisons to our very own Joe Staley. A blown ACL and a nagging knee injury this year has pushed Johnstone down to day 2-3. When Chip first employed a ZBS at Oregon, Johnstone and Fisher were his two tackles. If we are going to run the same type of line as what we have been progressing towards over the past two seasons (and what Chip runs) than we simply cannot pass on Johnstone here. I'm not sure if I would expect him to start right away, especially if AD comes back, but the talent this guy posses with his size make him the perfect fit here.

Round 5.) Kevin Hogan- QB Stanford 6'4 220lbs

If you would have told me I would make a mock with Hogan I would have laughed at you. I wrote this guy off as a horrible QB who benefited from a great coach (Shaw) and a guy who depended on his athletics and strength rather than ability to move the ball through the air. That was last year. Hogan IMO has made the best improvement of any player in the NCAA as compared to his level of play last year. Known for his work ethic and dedication to the sport, I see Hogan as developing into a QB that Chip would use.

Round 5.) Wendell Smallwood RB West Virginia 5'10 210lbs

The more tape I watch on this guy, the more I think about how good of a fit he would be in Chip's offense running behind a ZBS. Very explosive and very quick despite his frame. Whether its catching the ball out of the backfield or cutting through the line of scrimmage bouncing to the outside, this guy is a threat.

Round 5.) Alex Mccalister- Florida 6'6 240lbs (trade 2 6th round picks)

Before this season started, I wanted a OLB out of TCU by the name of Devonte Fields. He decided that he didn't want to be a 49er and chose to go back to school for another season (smart move). I have been searching for a late round pass rushing prospect for months now, and I think I have finally found one. Alex McCalister is as athletic, fluid, and powerful as they come. Dismissed from Florida for an "unspecified violation of team rules", McCalister declared for the NFL draft. The pass rushing skills he posses would be enough to put him as high as a 2-3rd rounder, but his actions pushed him back here. Drafting him and letting him learn behind Brooks/Harold/Lynch would be very beneficial. The sky is the limit for this kid.

I realize I am a pick short here, because I had instances where I trade up I left the final 6th out to make it more realistic.

Final Roster

Going to remake this later, too many issues

Nice mock but I don't like the focus on the secondary because IMO the main reason for our pass defense struggles is the lack of pass rushers and Tartt coverage skils but this could be solved using Ward in the SS spot. I also would prefer to see Armstead and Johnstone starting at RDE and RG.

Originally posted by joaosoarrs99:
Nice mock but I don't like the focus on the secondary because IMO the main reason for our pass defense struggles is the lack of pass rushers and Tartt coverage skils but this could be solved using Ward in the SS spot. I also would prefer to see Armstead and Johnstone starting at RDE and RG.

Lol my biggest FA signing and first round pick were both focused around helping the pass rush
I didn't draft a corner until the 3rd round

Ward isn't a SS in our scheme. Armstead can play wherever, and Johnstone at RG makes absolutely 0 sense to me. He is a certified tackle in a ZBS. If anything Davis should go there.

So no Brown who looked like one of the best right tackle prospects this team has had in years?I know I know it was only a few games but go watch the games he played I did and he may have only missed three blocks out of those games. When he got his hands on the rusher that was it play over for that defender.

Big fan of this mock, but I think we need to bring in one more offensive lineman (either C or guard). I don't trust Kilgore and Thomas starting next to each other. We could also cut Brooks and try to free up cap space to bring on Bruce Irvin or Olivier Vernon if he somehow makes it to free agency.

If Kaepernick wasn't at risk of failing his surgery April 1st, you could always cut him to free up a ton of cap room from 2017 on and save $8.5 million in 2016. We'd also save an additional $4.9 million in 2017 relative to keeping him this year and cutting him next year which adds up $13.4 million in savings (his 2016 base salary + roster bonus + workout bonus). I'd rather spend that $8.5 million in 2016 (and $20 million per year from 2017 on) on a pass rusher and/or offensive lineman than on a QB we aren't sure will beat out Gabbert. Praying for Kaepernick's swift recovery to make this possible.

Originally posted by Izyniner:
So no Brown who looked like one of the best right tackle prospects this team has had in years?I know I know it was only a few games but go watch the games he played I did and he may have only missed three blocks out of those games. When he got his hands on the rusher that was it play over for that defender.

Lol I forgot about him, my mistake.
Regardless I want to keep Johnstone as I think we can move him to LT after Staley leaves

Great work

I don't understand bringing in a safety in fa... We have tartt and Reid Everything else is solid.

Originally posted by fan49:
I don't understand bringing in a safety in fa... We have tartt and Reid Everything else is solid.

Reid is 1 more concussion away from a surprise retirement, and lets be honest we have no depth there.
Ward isn't a strong safety in our defense, he is too small and he specializes in what is required in a role of a FS or a nickel CB.

Onto SS,
If you like Bruce Arians defense (which is very similar to ours) then signing Jefferson should be a no brainer.
Deone Buchanon, who was orignally drafted a SS in their 3-4 scheme now plays the role of a nickel ILB, which is very similar to what Pat played when he was here.
Mangini likes to run a nickel 3-4 scheme which typically looks like a 3-3-5. Tartt would be the hybrid safety/linebacker in that situation which would create a need a SS since Bethea is likely leaving and Ward cannot play there.

"One of the good things about how aggressive and how versatile he is that you can put him at inside linebacker in nickel situations. You lose Patrick Willis who was such a good nickel linebacker, and I think Jaquiski Tartt can do that. He can step down in the box and fill out that 3-4 defense or the 4-3 look that they give in nickel situations and actually be a linebacker who can cover tight ends or running backs from that spot. His versatility is a big selling point for me."
http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/Scouting-Report-on-New-49ers-S-Jaquiski-Tartt/ca10344d-5f9a-421f-8a61-05a90f82b82a

Believe me, there is a starting spot on this team for a player like Jefferson.

Quest, head and shoulders above any mock I've seen so far. I don't see Kelly keeping Bush...just too injury prone at this stage of his career. Instead, I could see him keeping DuJuan Harris, who's under contract for 2016 and could really thrive in Kelly's offense. He's terrific in open space. I'd opt for Damon Harrison, NT of the Jets over Williams. He's a beastly run-stopper, which is something our front 3 really needs. With Armstead and Wilkerson surrounding him, he'd stop those runs that gashed our defense in 2015. I think Patton will have a tough time making the 2016 squad...both Kelly and Baalke favor bigger receivers who can run. You also left out Rogers, who really looks good. I think Brooks could also be on fairly thin ice, particularly with his stout salary against the cap. Again, though, think you did a great job with the draft.

Originally posted by eastcoast49ersfan:
Big fan of this mock, but I think we need to bring in one more offensive lineman (either C or guard). I don't trust Kilgore and Thomas starting next to each other. We could also cut Brooks and try to free up cap space to bring on Bruce Irvin or Olivier Vernon if he somehow makes it to free agency.

If Kaepernick wasn't at risk of failing his surgery April 1st, you could always cut him to free up a ton of cap room from 2017 on and save $8.5 million in 2016. We'd also save an additional $4.9 million in 2017 relative to keeping him this year and cutting him next year which adds up $13.4 million in savings (his 2016 base salary + roster bonus + workout bonus). I'd rather spend that $8.5 million in 2016 (and $20 million per year from 2017 on) on a pass rusher and/or offensive lineman than on a QB we aren't sure will beat out Gabbert. Praying for Kaepernick's swift recovery to make this possible.

Thank you, it took me forever to finish
I agree about the offensive line take. I don't like that either. I hope that maybe Davis comes back and we can move him to RG and start Brown at RT, but I chose experience over wishful thinking.
I was on the fence about Brooks, I wanted to cut him but I decided IMO that its probably best if we keep him.
Vernon has never played in a 3-4 scheme, and I'm not sure if he would want to learn or if he would even do well here. Irvin is already 28 and would want some money similar to Brooks.
I decided to keep Brooks because I want to be able to rotate him out with guys like McCalister and Harold rather signing Irvin. If we were in a reload stage rather than a rebuild, I would be all for it. But because of that I want to keep Brooks for a year and let our rooks learn then cut him next year.

No pass rushers or OL in the first 3 rounds???

Not a good mock IMHO. Not that the players you've selected are bad picks.... just that they don't play positions that you build a team around.

IF Boone is resigned and A. Davis comes back full force, then perhaps we can wait till round 4 to draft an OT with long term potential. Maybe a WR like Michael Thomas that can help our QB get the ball out quicker would be what we need. But an outside pass rusher is what we really need (damn you Aldon Smith!).

Then again, it's kind of a weak draft for 3-4 OLBs.

Originally posted by Izyniner:
So no Brown who looked like one of the best right tackle prospects this team has had in years?I know I know it was only a few games but go watch the games he played I did and he may have only missed three blocks out of those games. When he got his hands on the rusher that was it play over for that defender.

I agree. I was at the rams game and he dominated the whole game. The one sack from long cam when matched against the TE--the rest of the time brown shut him down.

Very good mock quest.

I really like Benjamin in fa however I think Wilkerson will be tagged and so will Vernon from Miami. So we are kinda screwed for a second pass rusher unless we get one in the draft.

We really don't need Jefferson at safety unless he is going to beat out tartt. He may be a better player but not worth the money especially since so little is dedicated to tartt and he most likely will improve.

We don't need Boykin either since ward did very well in the slot last year. I would welcome it but I don't see room for Boykin or Jefferson to start.

I think fa we get a center. Our tackle are solid if a Davis comes back with brown as a swing or brown starting at RT and Davis at a guard position.

Your draft is great. I love Jack. He is my number 1 choice followed by treadwell but the Ohio st wr in the second would do great here as well. It depends on what Baalke and Kelly want. I still don't know where the hell we are going to get a pass rusher from unless we get Irvin who is solid 7 sack a year guy but I feel like he will go to the Falcons.

Who is out there in fa that can improve our pass rush? Assuming Wilkerson and Vernon will be tagged and Irvin goes to atl? At number 7 I don't see any pass rushers that are worth that pick bc to me Buckner is like AA. Not many sacks tackles of ff's but a good d lineman.