The Rhetoric: Baalke Can't Draft WR's - Enough Already!

Originally posted by Wisconsin49erfan:
When a storyline is repeated often enough, sometimes it just becomes a stereotype that is accepted as truth, whether it is actually true or not. Personally, I am tired of the oft-repeated assertion that Trent Baalke cannot evaluate and draft wide receivers. This is garbage!

It is true that Baalke has not drafted a starting WR since he became the GM. However, he has only drafted 4 WR's since 2010, and only 1 was over a 4th round draft pick. Let me reiterate that - he only invested 1 premium draft pick on a WR since his promotion to GM. That pick, AJ Jenkins, was a bust, and in a sense there is no excuse for that (other than the fact that it happens to literally every GM in the history of the game...) AJ was a high risk/ high reward of a player. He had a HIGH ceiling. On the flip side of that coin, there was always a SIGNIFICANT risk that he would be a bust. Not every high risk/high reward type player will pan out as hoped. Unfortunately, as every 49er fan is reminded of (either directly or indirectly) every time the discussion of drafting a WR comes up, AJ Jenkins didn't pan out.

Now, because of that 1 high risk draft pick that went bad, the storyline is that Trent Baalke cannot draft WR's. I suppose you could also say that he cannot evaluate and draft RB's either. Or TE's. But that doesn't fit in with the storyline. Never mind that Patton appears to be a very good selection in the 4th round last year.

Stuff happens with high draft picks all the time. Until Baalke misses on two, three, or four premium picks on WR's I am not going to buy into the hyperbole.

Well said... who can be perfect all the time

I am coming from where Sofa is. GB drafts WRs in 2nd and 3rd rd routinely and always has good WRs. Their OL was miserable, and their D was suspect. That's what you get if you beef up on WRs. There is just so much money to go around. YOu have to take your choice of what you want and then the rest just happens. That said, our great OL has had problems of late, blocking fine on runs but poor to bad at pass blocking, especially the blitz...and more than that, right up the gut over Center. That's why we bring in a C in on 3rd pick, after 2 CBs early on. No WR? That's right. They come later on. Besides that, we are fine at receiver this yr with Anquan, patton, vance, Vernon Crabs Baldwin, Osgood, frank, hunter, and LMJ who is about to get gone. That is plenty of talent right there. Now we need to utilize it.

It continues. I wonder how many more stories like this we are going to be hit with before the draft?

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/Jenkins-Casts-Shadow-Over-49ers-Receiver-Evaluations-257168551.html

Given that since 1990, WR's (you only need 2 players) were the second most drafted position in the 1st or 2nd rounds after the OL (of which you need 5 players), WR's have only had a success rate of 20% compared to the OL which is at 33% (highest). Think about that for a second. This is the lowest success rate by far.

http://www.49erswebzone.com/news/goto.php?id=68776

If you are picking in the back end of the draft, that may also make it more challenging as well. The bottom line is, the chance of failure is enormous for the first TWO rounds for all WR's drafted. With that said, I'd cut many GM's a lot of slack here for picking, "busts."

I wonder if this would affect our draft strategy.