"We can't draft wide receivers"

Several new posters have stated in various threads that we, or Baalke, can't draft wide receivers. I hate to see such nonsense become accepted wisdom, so it is time to look at the facts. We have, interestingly, taken one receiver a year for the last six years.

In 2013 we took Quinton Patton in the 4th. Whilst it is too early to properly assess him as a player his attitude appears faultless. Not a high pick and appears promising.

In 2012 we took A J Jenkins in the first. The only bust on this list, he doesn't seem that engaged by the sport. Baalke cleverly finessed him into another 1st rounder, Jon Baldwin who may or may not become a starter. Jury is out here but Jenkins was a bust for us.

Ronald Johnson was taken in 2011 in the 6th. He didn't make it and is now out of football. A shame, but 6th round draft picks who make it onto the roster are a pleasant surprise unless your roster is embarrassingly thin.

Kyle Williams was taken by us in 2010 in the 6th. See the above comments. Despite earning the righteous ire of the zone, though, he is a 6th round pick who is still with us.

Michael Crabtree was taken by us in one of the most exciting first rounds I can remember, in 2009. After a difficult start and despite attracting a lot of zone hatred, he has become the player we thought he could be when we drafted him.

In 2008 we took Josh Morgan in the 6th. He went to Washington when they threw money at him and is, I believe, still starting.

So there you have it. Two 1sts, one 4th and three 6ths. Only one of them is out of football although I guess AJ could get cut next summer. But even allowing for him, bearing in mind the low draft currency expended this is actually a remarkable record. I doubt many other teams could match it.

AJ Jenkins was a bust . Get over it. 1st round picks bust. Receivers seem to bust quite regularly. That is what the draft is. A lottery. But it is factually incorrect to say that we can't draft receivers.

not bad English, good points all around. I think everyone is just pissed because after TO we basically had nobody at WR until Crabs came along, now he's hurt (along with Mario) and our WR group looks embarrassing which highlights the Jenkins miss more than it probably should.

Baalkexcuses

Originally posted by matt49er:

not bad English, good points all around. I think everyone is just pissed because after TO we basically had nobody at WR until Crabs came along, now he's hurt (along with Mario) and our WR group looks embarrassing which highlights the Jenkins miss more than it probably should.

Everybody is peeved about AJ. But I wanted to highlight how little we have spent on the position as well. Those 6th rounders are nothing. Not sure I understand the team's thinking on this.

But with only one out of football, we surely can draft them.

This is true.

They need to bring a new person just to evaluate WRs because whoever was doing it before aint gotta clue.

It's pretty simple. We have not invested many high draft choices at WR, instead choosing to invest at other positions. Teams like GB are typically loaded at WR because they continually draft them in the first 3 rounds until they find enough keepers. We build our team differently.

Our WR core is actually pretty good at full health. Most teams would kill to have a trio like Crab-Boldin-Manningham.

Drafting receivers is a crap shoot at best, unless you luck into a guy like Crabtree or Julio Jones. We are not the only team that has had bad luck with them. It is an axiom in the NFL. It is the hardest position to evaluate and a lot of the time it comes down to blind luck.

still not impressed with developing receivers. we drafted crabtree as a potential superstar and he turned into a great receiver for us but of the guys with talent in the later rounds that arent such sure picks we havent made them any better than they were when they were drafted. morgan is the only receiver of note that doesnt suck who wasnt a high pick. kyle blows, johnson is out of football, AJ is AJ. patton looks good but thats because he was good in school too. dude was up for the belitnikoff award. we'll see how he develops but this staff is shaky at best with developing receivers. what about all the guys they brought in and made us believe were outstanding talents and they ended up being nothing? marlon moore was supposedly impressing everyone in the offseason and hes our s**ttiest receiver now. like i said, im not impressed. outside of morgan, this team has only looked good on picks that were consensus great picks like crabs and patton (even tho patton hasnt proven anything he looked promising atleast). hopefully there are some sure bets in this draft, i think the niners should go receiver early and often. we have tons of picks and were only really thin at receiver and a couple DB spots.

Lions couldn't draft a WR for years either... now they have Calvin Johnson.

Originally posted by Milkman:
Lions couldn't draft a WR for years either... now they have Calvin Johnson.

But thats all they have....LoL. They won't win a SB anytime soon.

if you look at all the top WRs in the league..they are early First round picks.and a very few later first rounders.

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:
if you look at all the top WRs in the league..they are early First round picks.and a very few later first rounders.

Not true,

Torrey Smith, DeSean Jackson, Victor Cruz, Demaryius Thomas (Late 1st), Alshon Jeffery, Eric Decker, Dez Bryant(Late 1st), Antonio Brown, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall, Hakeem Nicks, Jordy Nelson, Reggie Wayne(Late 1st), Josh Gordon.

Only top guys in early 1st are guys like Calvin, Andre J, AJ, Fitz, and Julio Jones.

Someone go page Rascal... he's more than ready to take over this thread.

Originally posted by pd24:

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:
if you look at all the top WRs in the league..they are early First round picks.and a very few later first rounders.

Not true,

Torrey Smith, DeSean Jackson, Victor Cruz, Demaryius Thomas (Late 1st), Alshon Jeffery, Eric Decker, Dez Bryant(Late 1st), Antonio Brown, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall, Hakeem Nicks, Jordy Nelson, Reggie Wayne(Late 1st), Josh Gordon.

Only top guys in early 1st are guys like Calvin, Andre J, AJ, Fitz, and Julio Jones.

but who shows up for every game..not the first set of guys you listed....and that same list of guys probably DThomas and Decker are having a good year due to Manning

hire rice to scout WR's.