******* 49ers Draft Grade so far (Vote) *******

B is the best I can give this draft.

I love the first day. If not the exact picks I would have made (like I know more than NFL scouts), we firmly addressed our biggest need and did so with great players that seem to fit our system.

However, we basically gave away a 4th rounder for no reason, and we could desperately use that pick right now. Guys like Cam Thomas and Ricky Sapp are still on the board and we sure could use them after our head scratching picks in the second and third.

Taylor Mays makes no sense whatsoever. Yes, he's a great "value" and a fantastic athlete, but the last thing our secondary needs is another DB who can't cover. Great, he can hit and run fast and jump high. Doesn't mean jack when teams can throw over the top on us all day long.

Similarly Bowman is a great pick in terms of value and being an athlete. And if we ran a 4-3 and the best player on our team wasn't an ILB, then MAYBE it makes some sense. But the last position in the world we need to focus on is a backup TED. Spikes is fine for now, McKillop isn't bad, and that position could be filled via FA or later rounds.

CB, a S who can actually cover, NT, pass rusher, these are all MUCH greater needs, or even an explosive player on offense to take some of the pressure off Gore. We passed over plenty of great talent across the board to take gambles on players with issues who don't fit our needs or our system.

Don't get it. Not at all. And now we don't pick again until the 6th round. Even though I like the Ginn trade, the combo of it and losing that 4th rounder means we are missing out on some great values now and have very little chance of getting back into the game.

The inexperience at GM really shows. I love that we finally addressed our Oline, but other than that, we have really made some head scratching moves.

Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati, Taylor Mays, Navarro Bowman and Ted Ginn

I'd have to say an A...as I advocated for, we went "whole hog" OL in the 1st, and got two of the best in the country...job well done. In Mays, with the proper coaching and alignment (i.e. playing much closer to LOS), he could be a real force...a bigger, younger, stronger, faster ML. Bowman's an excellent LB...can play sideline-to-sideline, but may become the TED. Wherever he plays, he adds speed, strength, agility and toughness, all the things you're looking for...and he played at LB U, Penn St.

Originally posted by communist:

Originally posted by kunged:

1a) Singletary won't stand for laziness, you can say what you want about him as a game manager etc, if there is one thing Singletary will ensure it is players will leave their heart on the field. I think Davis will be a top RT, maybe not right away but throughout the season he will be a good pickup for us. i "LOVE" MS, i like guys who can say what they think in hard but a fair way...and the players respect that. and i already said that davis wont afford to be lazy but in terms of trading up for davis and some issues he had, i have to give a B+...at the 13th it would be an A-

1b) I agree.

2) Taylor Mays I was 50/50 on this pick, if the 49ers passed I was ok, if not then they must see something they like in him. In the grand scheme of things we knew Lewis could not really cover when we signed him, and we have a bigger faster version of him. He can step in and replace Lewis pretty quickly, if he can learn to cover well he will be a top S in this league. Bearing in mind the 49ers see him playing close to the line instead of 20 yards off. walterfootball sometimes said that it wouldnt be unrealistic that we draft mays with the 17th ovr because MS fell in love with him. if we wanna win this division we have to have coverage-guys from the start...mays can play wherever he wants, this is a pass-first league and we have to defend the passing plays at best. i dont see mays do that effectively.

3) We were 3rd in the league in sacks and have just signed a pass rusher. IMO Brooks will be even better next season, bearing in mind he was initially a ILB, he is learning the system! I agree slightly with the CBs, but it seems the 49ers like what they have in some of the younger CBs on the team, remember they replaced Clements during the Colts game. We need to get a replacement for Spikes who can learn their role, I would have preferred Brandon Spikes, but I have faith in the 49ers pick here. i dont care about how much sacks we collected against loser teams...yes, sometimes there is a lot of pressure on the opssoing qbs but sometimes isnt enough. either we build up a very good pass defense or a constang good pass rush...after the 3 rounds i dont see neither the one nor the another

yeah I would agree with you about trading the 4th, I was a bit annoyed too. But we don't know who wanted to trade up, I think 49ers had inside info, or at least know a lot more than we do.

I may be wrong but didn't we sack Manning 3 times, one more than he had been sacked that season. We did get pressure on good teams, and anyway all the good teams rack up sacks against crap teams.

A key reason we got passed on so much was that at times we just could not run the ball and run the clock down (see Vikings). The way to beat an elite passing team is to keep them off the field, now we should be able to run the ball effectively.

Still not that high on Anthony Davis.

B

Originally posted by mike86:
1st Round: OT Anthony Davis Rutgers 6'5" 323
On talent and potential alone Davis is probably the best OT to come out in 2010. The kid is huge and incredibly light on his feet, but immaturity and inconsistency plagued him over his career. From what I've seen his "laziness" is more a sign of youth rather than a lack of "passion" because during all his interviews the guy seems well spoken, extremely motivated and excited to get on the field (now I know this could be different when the pads come on, but that is just the first impression I got).

The Niners will plug him in at RT and go to work on him. I think he may already be the 49ers best pass blocker, but where he will need work will be in the running game. As far as value, I think the Niners could have waited at 13 to get him, so that's why they don't get an A for this pick.
Grade: B+

1st Round: OG Mike Iupati Idaho 6'5" 331
Leading up to the draft I was completely against the 49ers using a 1st Rounder on Iupati if they planned to convert him to RT, however based on what they tried to accomplish and how they intend to use Iupati, I love this pick. Iupati is a gentle giant who pretty much destroys people on the field, and what they Niners may have gotten is the best OG since Steve Hutchinson. Iupati is big, mean, physical, plays with an edge and mauls people in the running game, exactly what the 49ers are looking for out of the OGs. He will compete with Baas at LG and I expect him to be starting Week 1.
Grade: A-

2nd Round: S Taylor Mays USC 6'3" 230
Now if this was a pick in the 1st Round, I would be disappointed, but whenever you get an athlete like this in the 2nd, then you have to be excited. I think a lot of the criticism levied on Mays can largely be attributed to the scheme he played where he was asked to be Eric Berry and patrol the backend and cover WR on fly routes while simultaneously being asked to decapitate anyone coming across the middle. Thats a lot to ask of a guy who isn't necessarily a natural cover guy. No one will ever mistake Mays for CB, but if you line up closer to the box and ask him to cover TEs and RBs, play the run AND take out anyone over the middle I think you are going to get a HELL OF A SS.

Mays has a ways to go in terms of coverage technique and ball skills, but luckily those can be improved with coaching. His hips are fluid enough (based on scouting reports) to be more than adequate in coverage and no one in this years draft brings the lumber like he does. Overall I am very excited about this pick.
Grade: A-

3rd Round: LB Navorro Bowman Penn St 6'0' 242
This is my favorite pick of the draft. I completely expected Bowman to be gone in Round 2, so to see him on the board in the late 3rd was a huge surprise. Now, Bowman played outside at PSU but I think he can become a fantastic ILB for the 49ers. People claim he is too small, but is already PWillies size and I think he can easily add on 5-8 more pounds to consistently take on blockers. Bowman has a nose for the ball, extremely long arms, violent hands and is a tenacious competitor - all characteristics that make him a very good fit at the TED. I am a big big fan of his and I think he can develop very nicely to form a fantastic duo with Willis, and, at worst, be a terror on special teams in his first few years in the league.
Grade: A

Overall
Overall I am extremely impressed by what the 49ers have done. They haven't reached once, and in the 2nd day got potential 1st round talents at S and LB, two areas of need. I would have loved to see this team snag a CB or true ball hawking S like a Joe Haden or Earl Thomas, but clearly the 49ers had the idea of once and for all solving their OL troubles and I can't fault them for that. If Davis lives up to an ounce of his potential, then at worst the 49ers have a very serviceable RT that is an upgrade over Snyder. If Iupati continues to dominate like he did in college and the Senior Bowl then the 49ers have found themselves a dominant All Pro LG for the next 10 years. Overall not too shabby for a 1st Round.

Mays has his detractors, but no one can argue that his physical tools are rare. Put into the right scheme and with the right coaching he could become the steal of this draft, and will replace Michael Lewis as the 49ers SS. Bowman, plays with the type of fire and tenacity that Singletary must love and is a natural at the position. His hands, long arms and nose for the ball make him a viable candidate to replace Spikes (who by the way measured in at 6'2" 240 when he came into the league) at the TED. Overall very very pleased with the job they have done.

Now going into the final day, I would look at a potential NT, add 1-2 CBs, an pass rushing OLB and another kick returner to the mix.

Overall Grade: A-[b]

I couldnt have said it better myself. The Mays and Bowman picks were amazing! This D is gonna be sick!!!!!!!! Especially in 2 years.

I understand alot of concerns with Mays. And I would have been pissed had we used a 1st on him. But we didnt. We stole him in the 2nd. AND, he is not gonna play FS. He is perfect to play SS learn behind MLewis for a year, and get coached up for better coverage technique, something he was not asked to do at USC. Imagine Mays coming in on a blitz , Im glad he is a NINER!!!

With Bowman, yes he made some mistakes, who hasnt when we were his age....that being said, he is a father now, and he graduated from Penn St in 3 years. That says alot about him right there. He is now grounded, and will have Willis and Spikes to teach him the ropes, under the eye of Singletary. Im gonna trust Singletary on this one, as I have watched alot of PennSt games. We are lucky to not have a drop off in production once TKO retires. He 20 times the upgrade over McKillop and Ulbrich.

I think Im more excited with our last 2 picks than I am about Day 1....and Im happy we used both picks on our anemic OL.

Ginn is icing on the cake here.

A- because only Iupati will be the one to start right away.

I give them an F for "fysical." The 9ers made it abundantly clear what kind of team they intend to be. Every guy they took is a big, powerful, hard hitting, physical style player. They say a team reflects their head coach. Well this draft reflects what the head coach wants his team to be, that's for damn sure. "We go out, we hit people in the mouth." Singletary's building a team to maul the competition.

Originally posted by BHulman:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
This draft is an A. If you would have told me before the draft we get this I would have been thrilled.

1A) Anthony Davis
1B) Mike Iupati
2) Taylor Mays
3) Navarro Bowman


5th Rounder) Ted Ginn Jr.

This is a great draft. The 2 O linemen can start from day one. Mays is underrated on this board IMO and can still turn out great. Bowman is a stud. We get a real good guy for our KR/PR game and a from time to time deep threat.

If we get nothing else this draft is phenomenal.

Who needs Scot M?....

Great draft. Have to give Scot some credit: the deal for Carolina's pick allowed the Niners to get Iupati. That worked out really well.

The trade for Carolina's pick also cost us Phil Loadholt, who started for the Vikings and made a big improvement on their O-Line. That also caused us to continue having a problem at RT, which forced us to use a 1st on a tackle anyway.

Had we just drafted Loadholt last year, we would have had a starter at RT last year, and would have improved us LAST YEAR. He would also have a year of starting experience going into this year. We would have gotten him cheaper than we did Anthony Davis too, and still could have used our 1st rounder this year on Iupati.

So no...I don't give Scott credit for anything.

Originally posted by jrg:
A

Anthony Davis was a good pick and hopefully will be a great OL, but losing a 4th for him wasn't necessary.

Mike Iupati was an even better pick..great to see us making our weakness now a strength with two HUGE OL.

Taylor Mays may be my favorite pick..he was a guy I was expecting to grab at #17 overall..just a huge physical safety.

Navarro Bowman just reminds me of Patrick Willis..all over the field..tons of intensity..leaves his heart on the field.

A draft so far..potentially the best in the NFL so far.

finally someone that speaks some sense... I love this draft so far. Taylor needs so more time on coverage, but he is straight up a freakish athlete. he is linebacker weight with running back speed.. just sick.... I say we draft him based on upside alone, because this guy has the tools to be a hall of famer.

people like this usually go high in the first and we got him with a second.. I would probably question if we grabbed him at 17, but we got him for a SECOND round pick... that is a steal for a guy who has a 4.3s 40 and weights 230! disgusting

I know the vast majority of people give the Niners an A for this draft and let me go on record as saying its been good. However, I think it falls short of an A grade. I still do not believe the Niners needed to give up a VALUABLE 4th rd pick in a deep draft to move up. There were 2 outstanding OT's waiting for them.

This draft was possible for the Niners and WOULD have been an A+ draft:

1A Earl Thomas
1B Anthony Davis or Bulaga
2 Vlad Ducasse
3 Navarro Bowman
4 Akwasi Osuwa-Ansah

Originally posted by Ninerman49:

Originally posted by jrg:
A

Anthony Davis was a good pick and hopefully will be a great OL, but losing a 4th for him wasn't necessary.

Mike Iupati was an even better pick..great to see us making our weakness now a strength with two HUGE OL.

Taylor Mays may be my favorite pick..he was a guy I was expecting to grab at #17 overall..just a huge physical safety.

Navarro Bowman just reminds me of Patrick Willis..all over the field..tons of intensity..leaves his heart on the field.

A draft so far..potentially the best in the NFL so far.

finally someone that speaks some sense... I love this draft so far. Taylor needs so more time on coverage, but he is straight up a freakish athlete. he is linebacker weight with running back speed.. just sick.... I say we draft him based on upside alone, because this guy has the tools to be a hall of famer.

people like this usually go high in the first and we got him with a second.. I would probably question if we grabbed him at 17, but we got him for a SECOND round pick... that is a steal for a guy who has a 4.3s 40 and weights 230! disgusting

Yeah. I dont understand how you cant love this draft.

Originally posted by Ninerman49:

Originally posted by jrg:
A

Anthony Davis was a good pick and hopefully will be a great OL, but losing a 4th for him wasn't necessary.

Mike Iupati was an even better pick..great to see us making our weakness now a strength with two HUGE OL.

Taylor Mays may be my favorite pick..he was a guy I was expecting to grab at #17 overall..just a huge physical safety.

Navarro Bowman just reminds me of Patrick Willis..all over the field..tons of intensity..leaves his heart on the field.

A draft so far..potentially the best in the NFL so far.

finally someone that speaks some sense... I love this draft so far. Taylor needs so more time on coverage, but he is straight up a freakish athlete. he is linebacker weight with running back speed.. just sick.... I say we draft him based on upside alone, because this guy has the tools to be a hall of famer.

people like this usually go high in the first and we got him with a second.. I would probably question if we grabbed him at 17, but we got him for a SECOND round pick... that is a steal for a guy who has a 4.3s 40 and weights 230! disgusting

Having had a day to reflect on the Mays pick, I admit I have come to believe it is a very good one. I didn't like it yesterday, but here is why I like it now.

1. Concussions tend to lead to more concussions. The brain doesn't get stronger from repeated blows, it gets more susceptible. Lewis has had multiple concussions and the next one could put him on the shelf for weeks, perhaps even end his career, a la Steve Young.

2. The 49ers have had a dire need for speed on both sides of the ball. Ginn adds it on the offensive side, and now Mays brings it to the defense. I can't remember, or don't want to, to be more specific, how many times the 49ers got beat on edge runs last season. I still have nightmares over the Titan game, and others like it when Wills got blocked or even just delayed, and there was no one else with the speed to get to the corner. Mays solves that problem.

3. This is a passing league and a safety that can cover is a necessity, not just something nice. However, if the 49ers have drafted a cover safety, which is what I wanted initially, that would have left Goldson as the SS, a role for which he is just too light to handle the pounding. Mays can now be that SS that can pound the box while still using his speed to cover TEs, thus allowing Goldson to focus on developing his cover skills. Let's remember, Goldson only has had one full season of PT. If my premise is correct, Mays is now a much faster, healthier, bigger and younger version of Michael Lewis, and Goldson can tune his cover skills to be an acceptable cover safety.

So accuse me of wishful thinking if you disagree with me but I believe this scenario is realistic.

I've been fine with the picks through Dixon. However, we have a TE on our practice squad that is a blocker, and not sure about Williams. To me we could have picked up some CB help with at least one of those picks.

The 1st and 2nd round picks I am fine with. Not sure how Bowman fits in for us, as I don't see him as a 3-4 OLB, and he's really not big enough for a TED. I do realize that he is a good player. Dixon I like because it gives a short yardage thumper to go along with the O-line.

Also, do not think we are as deep as some think with WRs. Yes, we have a # 1 receiver, but behind that I'm not convinced.

I think the top 3 CBs on the roster are okay, but it would have been nice to add depth without bringing back the showboat, Dre Bly.

lets not forget, Goldson was a spectacular CB at UW. He was made a FS here, and his playmaking ability showed before he became a starter. He is now gonna remain a playmaking FS and concentrating more on that now that we have Mays who is the future at SS, who is more suited to a SS than Goldson is.

Originally posted by NinersFo6:

Originally posted by 49ersalldaway126:

Originally posted by NinersFo6:
I gave it a B because we got Mays or I would have given them a C

lol so ur not happy with our first round? That is the best part of our draft

With 2 first rd picks, I would have expected them to get at least 1 playmaker. Dez Bryant was sitting there waiting to be picked and we decided to get a guard. Don't get me wrong, Iupati is going to be a good football player, but he is not going to change the way defenses will defend us. You pair Bryant up with Crabtree and you got the best WR duo in the NFC west. No more can defenses bring 8 in the box with fear that those two guys will beat you. I like Josh Morgan, but he is not a threating #2 receiver and if I think it, the rest of the NFL does to. The reason why our OL struggled was because of our predictable play calling and the lack of depth at the WR position. You do the math, 5 cannot block 8 on a consitent basis. My feeling is that we just drafted 2 new OL in the first round and have put them in a gun fight carrying rocks. Until we add one more playmaker on offense we are doomed in the OL. That is just my opion and I hope I am wrong!

i don't care if you have jerry rice, TO, john taylor, and randy moss. if the defense can consistently come up the mddle untouched the ball will never get to them. every team will stack the box if they know you can't block.

with the 2 linemen morgan, davis, crabtree, and whoever else will now have that extra half second to get open, and the QB will have his throwing window and be able to plant his front foot to get a good throw off.