Grade the 49ers 2012 Draft Class

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
This post gets a C-. It would have been lower but there was good recognition of the obvious and was a very concise message. While it doesn't fit a need, I feel it was probably written to fill the need for depth and will help in that regard. Definately makes the thread but will not likely be a starter. Excellent use of puncuation at the end but could have used a comma.



JK!

It's no fun to grade drafts 2 years from now anyways. People might end up agreeing.

Igive it an A for the following reasons:
-We added 2 very explosive offensive weapons with our first two picks which now gives us our deepest offensive team in years.

-We traded for some pretty good picks next year, from some pretty bad teams, to put us in position to move up next year if need be.

-We got depth at all positions we needed. Looks like our new rg is already on the roster in either Kilgore or Boone.

-my final reason is because the draft was run by the reigning executive of the year.

I.

C+

Good: Filled needs at WR, OG, C, OLB and S though some of them won't be starters very soon (imo).
Both OLB-additions could/should be enough, for now.
Looney, OG, is ok.
Robinson is questionable, imo, but at least another FS (on the paper). He is only 5-10, imo too small for an (Free)S...Could be another Culliver.
Slowey, C, fills a need, theoretically.


Bad: I would have drafted Stephen Hill over AJ Jenkins b/c he seems to have the same speed and would have been a nice red-zone threat. But I don't have an inside view...
Got nothing against the James-pick (as for the player himself) but jumping up a little bit and getting Konz would have been superior. Goodwin is not that good, good Centers are not easy to find and Konz could start as a Guard, too.

Baalke and Harbaugh proved that they know what they are doing but that doesn't mean that they do always the right thing...

Thought they could have moved down for Jenkins but I guess the rams liked him a few picks later. James talent wise is one of the best in the draft but small and might not hold up in the NFL. Having too many running backs is ok because Gore could go down for a long period of time at any time during next season. He is a warrior but his career is coming to an end. Picking up those extra picks next year was smart. If you don't like players at your pick then might as well add picks to the next draft where you might really like a guy and want to trade up for him. A couple corners fell and I thought we could have taken one in the 6th or 7th. This draft Im not expecting huge results as none of the guys will start unless major injuries happen.

Seems like "B" is the predominant grade.

Question: What would it take for you guys to grade the draft an "A"?

The Niners addressed every position of need; in the order of priority to land the best value. Used their early picks to address a critical deficiency: Offensive explosiveness and speed, with the best players available.

Given where they picked and the number of picks they had, how could they have done better? Unless you think that you have the resources to scout the talent better than the Niner organization. It HAS to be an "A" irrespective of how it all plays out down the road. They worked the draft perfectly.

Sidenote: Fleenerites, please ignore this post. We all realize that you guys know better than the Niner FO.

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
This post gets a C-. It would have been lower but there was good recognition of the obvious and was a very concise message. While it doesn't fit a need, I feel it was probably written to fill the need for depth and will help in that regard. Definately makes the thread but will not likely be a starter. Excellent use of puncuation at the end but could have used a comma.



JK!

lol

Originally posted by Gore_21:
Agreed, they are a better team.
added some explosion/speed... offensive weapons in Jenkins and James
added some RG competition with Looney
added OLB depth with Fleming and Cam Johnson
added S depth with Trent Robinson
added competition at center in Slowey

On top of it added extra ammo to move up if they want next year. They can move up from late in rounds to mid/early with an extra 3rd, 5th, 6, and then 7 from Mays.

Even though I gave the team a "B-" for the players they chose in this draft (and admittedly, that is just upon first glance), I'm thinking that overall, they deserve a "B+" or an
"A-" when those extra picks next year are factored into the equation. They really set themselves up beautifully next year to clean up.

Cheers!

Originally posted by communist:
C+

Good: Filled needs at WR, OG, C, OLB and S though some of them won't be starters very soon (imo).
Both OLB-additions could/should be enough, for now.
Looney, OG, is ok.
Robinson is questionable, imo, but at least another FS (on the paper). He is only 5-10, imo too small for an (Free)S...Could be another Culliver.
Slowey, C, fills a need, theoretically.


Bad: I would have drafted Stephen Hill over AJ Jenkins b/c he seems to have the same speed and would have been a nice red-zone threat. But I don't have an inside view...
Got nothing against the James-pick (as for the player himself) but jumping up a little bit and getting Konz would have been superior. Goodwin is not that good, good Centers are not easy to find and Konz could start as a Guard, too.

Baalke and Harbaugh proved that they know what they are doing but that doesn't mean that they do always the right thing...

Commie... I have a lot of respect for your opinions in general but here are my two cents...

First, although I think Hill is an incredible athlete, he is not, right now, a great football player. Good blocker yes but an unrefined game in general and has not shown particularly good hands... Now, with good coaching, he could develop a couple of years down the road into something special......or not. There are countless examples of superior athletes flaming out in the NFL...
Jenkins, in contrast, is the son of a very good NFL receiver (Alfred Jenkins of Atlanta for those of you who can remember that far back) has a very refined game already. In fact, that is one of the reasons the Niners liked him so much. Other than a thin frame, he doesn't seem to have any real weaknesses. He runs great routes, has terrific hands, is a great athlete in his own right (38+" vertical and a 4.37 40 yd. at the Combine for example), can stretch the field, has improved every year, and loves the game. The more I learn about this guy, the more I can see why the Niners chose him rather than some of the higher profile picks (most of whom are bigger but not necessarily better)... In other words, he can contribute immediately...and I think he will.

With regard to Trent Robinson, I'll just say this.....both Donte Whitner of the Niners and Earl Thomas of the Seahawks are 5'10" tall and both made the Pro Bowl this year....and deservedly so. Both are studs.
Now, I'm not saying that Robinson will be but when you watch film on the guy, he doesn't "play short". He is very aggressive and hits people. Undoubtedly, he has things he has to work on....he could stand to gain 5-10 lbs. of muscle and improve his tackling technique for example....but the Niners liked his game and thought he would be a good fit for their scheme.....good enough for me. BTW, Culliver is over 6' tall....so the comparison with him doesn't work...

Finally, I like Konz' game a lot too but he dropped a lot farther than most thought and I think he might have some strength issues. He didn't perform particularly well at the Combine in that respect. Plus, if the Niners passed on him and some of the more highly rated OGs, one has to assume that they feel that the guys they have can do the job, BTW, they really like Looney (they were willing to draft him at pick 92 but thought they could get him later, hence all of the trade-downs)

I give it a 'C' with the potential to reach as high as an 'A' or low as an 'F' depending on how the players pan out.

Originally posted by AmpLee:
I give it a 'C' with the potential to reach as high as an 'A' or low as an 'F' depending on how the players pan out.

Hmm...a lot to think about here! While I think a C is too low, an A may be too high and an F is definately too low...but if all the draftees decide to join a cult in Zanzibar...I guess...

Originally posted by nw9erfan:
Commie... I have a lot of respect for your opinions in general but here are my two cents...

First, although I think Hill is an incredible athlete, he is not, right now, a great football player. Good blocker yes but an unrefined game in general and has not shown particularly good hands... Now, with good coaching, he could develop a couple of years down the road into something special......or not. There are countless examples of superior athletes flaming out in the NFL...
Jenkins, in contrast, is the son of a very good NFL receiver (Alfred Jenkins of Atlanta for those of you who can remember that far back) has a very refined game already. In fact, that is one of the reasons the Niners liked him so much. Other than a thin frame, he doesn't seem to have any real weaknesses. He runs great routes, has terrific hands, is a great athlete in his own right (38+" vertical and a 4.37 40 yd. at the Combine for example), can stretch the field, has improved every year, and loves the game. The more I learn about this guy, the more I can see why the Niners chose him rather than some of the higher profile picks (most of whom are bigger but not necessarily better)... In other words, he can contribute immediately...and I think he will.

Hope, you will be right about that.

With regard to Trent Robinson, I'll just say this.....both Donte Whitner of the Niners and Earl Thomas of the Seahawks are 5'10" tall and both made the Pro Bowl this year....and deservedly so. Both are studs.
Now, I'm not saying that Robinson will be but when you watch film on the guy, he doesn't "play short". He is very aggressive and hits people. Undoubtedly, he has things he has to work on....he could stand to gain 5-10 lbs. of muscle and improve his tackling technique for example....but the Niners liked his game and thought he would be a good fit for their scheme.....good enough for me. BTW, Culliver is over 6' tall....so the comparison with him doesn't work...

Culliver was a Safety for the most time of his College Football carrer, like I know. I like to have relatively big Safeties b/c sometimes you have to play against taller WRs...Thus I think that a 6-x tall Safety is a big plus. Of course, there will always be guys like Ed Reed or Earl Thomas, who are small FS by my definition and still play good.

Finally, I like Konz' game a lot too but he dropped a lot farther than most thought and I think he might have some strength issues. He didn't perform particularly well at the Combine in that respect. Plus, if the Niners passed on him and some of the more highly rated OGs, one has to assume that they feel that the guys they have can do the job, BTW, they really like Looney (they were willing to draft him at pick 92 but thought they could get him later, hence all of the trade-downs)

Bad combine performances can be shocking but they don't erase a whole college career. Think that jumping up about 7 picks in the middle-end of the 2nd-round would have cost about a 5th-round pick, if at all.

Originally posted by NCommand:
Grades are hard to give esp. this year b/c of WHERE we drafted and you need to take that into consideration when handing these out.

At first, "I" wanted Fleener b/c I felt like he not only could start from day 1 but add a true threat coupled with Vernon to create a million mismatches and be a legit threat in the RZ. We had a hole at RG and given the average-at-best OL we had last year, we needed an upgrade badly. I also felt that Hunter WAS our Sproles already. I (really) felt we needed a RB who can run inside, outside, was tough, had home-run speed, could pass protect AND by dynamic in the passing game.

But at the end of the day, we added a future starting WR to replace Crabtree as the #2 who is threat right off the LOS and deep and isn't afraid to take a hit over the middle. We got one of the better RG in the draft and added even more depth and all of these guys (Kilgore, Looney, Slowley & Netter) are NASTY!!! Add that nastiness to Anthony Davis and look out Suh!

We added tremendous depth (finally) behind Brooks/Aldon. Some great developmental backups at FS/S. We added competition all across the board and many of the skill positions not only are versatile but can provide return abilities as well. We picked up key picks for 2013 as well.

Overall, you have to give this FO another B to A grade here even if it didn't go the direction you wanted. You know this FO does its due diligence and it's nice to finally be in position as a fan to "trust" the FO. We have come a long ways and I'm looking forward to this season!

We needed speed badly and we got it. The whole board was pissed at us for not drafting DeSean Jackson a few years ago who is 5 9 180, but now we get a guy who is just as fast, isn't a headcase, an academic all american and is 6 0 195, and people are upset because he's not big enough.

Jenkins can play all of the WR spots, is faster than most of the receivers in the draft, can run all of the routes and can push the starters.

Guard is not a position that you usually take in the 1st round. (Iupati and DeCastro are exceptions).......I am all for building a strong line, but the niners have Kilgore, Person and Boone to fight for the position already, and they take Looney (who is much faster than DeCastro 5.0 vs 5.4) had 228 knockdown blocks in college and started all three years in the 4th round, and you get a potential steal in Slowey in the 6th round.

Let's compare Slowey to Amini Silatolu who a lot of the guys were saying we should take.

Both div 2 schools
Both left tackles

Slowey 40 5.02 at pro day Silatolu 5.4
Slowey 38 reps Silatolu 28

Slowey 6 3 303 Silatolu 6 4 311

The niners like guards that pull and I had a feeling DeCastro and Silatolu weren't high on the list because of their slow 40 times. 40 are overrated anyway, but Silatolu is slow (check his tape.).

So the major argument is that we should have traded up for DeCastro. Don't you think Harbaugh knows this guy already that he would have traded up to get him if he was going to be this Hall of fame player.

And if we did that, we would have lost out on 3rd, 5th, 6th for next year.

If we didn't get Looney and Slowey that I think you can make that case, but I think they covered themselves and it's a cheaper price.

Plus having every lineman a 1st round pick (by drafting decastro) is not good balance for your team. You can get guards in the later rounds and 4th round is not a late round. The niners think this guy will be a starter and he will push Kilgore for sure.

Now let's talk about James vs Kendall Hunter.

James is much faster than Kendall Hunter. I would say Kendall is quicker than fast.

James was unofficially clocked at 4.37, than it was later modified to 4.45 which is still fast but I think they screwed that up.

Even Mayock said that James had the best acceleration in the draft and it shows. The thing that I also like about James is that he's not afraid to run the ball between the tackles and plays much bigger than his listed size. And James can be a punt returner and kick returner in the future and he will push Ted Ginn.

You could have gone with a bigger back like Turbin or Lamar Miller, but the niners needed speed and James compliments our team better.

So again, it's a masterful draft by Baalke.......best move by Jed York yet and he was "ROASTED" by the local media for making him the GM.

I think we deepened our positions in this draft and will go for homerun hitters next draft. I don't think Jenkins was what we needed considering the Manningham acquisition and I don't think LMJ was what we needed considering what Hunter showed as a rookie.

I'm not going to grade based off of how much I like the players we drafted since I'm not a scout. Rather I'm going to grade based off of whether we came into the draft with a plan and how much we stuck to that plan, and whether we seemed to achieve our objectives.

It seems to me that the Niners look for certain physical attributes as well as a certain attitude in the players they pick. They don't just draft based off of raw skills in a bubble, they draft based on whether the skills a player has fits within their schemes. It seems to be the belief that players need to have certain skills and attitudes and the rest can be corrected by coaching and giving them a role that best highlights their skills and hides their limitations. That's a very Patriots way to operate and has proven to be pretty successful.

That's how players like Deion Branch and Tully Banta-Cain can play like crap on other teams and come back to the Patriots and be productive. It's how undersized cast-offs like Danny Woodhead can play so well, that's how Mark Washington and Andre Carter can have their best seasons in years. That's how we can take career mediocre players like Carlos Rogers and make them pro-bowlers, and lose 5 starters on D yet end up with an even better defense by promoting from within and signing free agents left over after the big rush was over. It's knowing which players have skills that are replaceable and which players have rare and essential skills and locking them up long term. Small sample size, but the 49ers appear to get this.

The 49ers apply this to the draft and value players accordingly which might not match up with conventional wisdom. The 49ers achieved their objectives in the draft and drafted players they think can play well within their scheme. Therefore, for the time being I can't reasonably give them anything less than an A. This grade is subject to change as time goes on, but given all that I know now I can't come to any other conclusion than this.

A

My grade is based on the fact that it looks like we took the best player available for most of the picks. I love the Jenkins pick as well. I had no idea who he was but once I familiarized myself I really like him a lot.