Best pick/worst pick?

For some reason I keep wishing we had drafted Aaron Hernandez. Yes we have Davis already, but this team uses a lot of two TE sets and he would've been a massive upgrade over webzone favorite D. Walker. He'd provide so many matchup problems for other teams and has great hands....somethign that is definitely a problem for the Niners and would be especially helpful on critical 3rd downs.

I don't get the Bowman pick either, he's a talented player, just not in our defense. I just don't see him as a TED. Would've rather seen us trade out of the 3rd completely (outside of Gore we have yet to pick anyone worth two s**ts in the 3rd) and pick up a 4th and a 5th, draft Hernandez and trade up into the bottom of the 4th and pick A-O-A (can't spell that guys name) at CB or Ricky Sapp to develop at OLB to replace Manny.

We still need a CB to develop to replace Clements and provide insurance against a Spencer injury, an OLB to replace Lawson who is likely gone next year and a NT to develop once Franklin leaves. We better hope Smith has what it takes because we still have a lot of issues and I don't think free agency is going to be able to help us fill those needs. We may be fine this year, but next year and beyond we could have major problems.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Davis- "A-" grade. Best available OT in the draft when the team was on the board. Has the highest upside of any OT in the draft. I think he's a huge upgrade, and will easily start from Day One. Completely engulfs rushers, and looks smooth in the process. The only downgrade for me was losing the 4th rounder in the trade up, but I can understand the paranoia the team had about being leapfrogged.

Iupati- "A" grade. One of the best OG prospects in the last decade. He should easily bench Baas at LG. Just like Davis, completely engulfs defenders. Still learning the game, and will only get a ton better. Think about how good he is already, with Idaho coaching, weight room facilities, strength coaches, etc.

Mays- "D" grade. Good value spot for a team looking for a safety who is not going to cover anyone. That is not us.

Think about his athleticism, speed, jumping ability. Off the charts. Why was he bypassed by all of these teams in the first round, and more than half of the second round? And, nobody lower than 49 wanted to move up to secure his services. He is simply not a coverage safety. Mays was exposed badly in Senior Bowl practices as someone who is incredibly stiff and cannot change directions. Many scouts believed, and stated, that he will need to transition to OLB in the NFL. The team needed a centerfielder who can cover a lot of ground, and put Goldson into the SS role. Now, we have two guys with coverage limitations. Not a smart move. Many other better coverage safeties on the board at the time. I could not have blamed the team if they sacrificed both the second and third rounder to jump up and grab Nate Allen, some who clearly has the ability to patrol the back end of the secondary, cover speedy receivers in a big play league, and make plays.

Bowman- "D-" grade- I have no idea what the Niners are thinking here. I'm not sure they do as well. Bowman is strictly a 4-3 defender in the NFL. He cannot rush the passer effectively, and is not the best at taking on blockers. To blow a third rounder (which is a common issue with the team the past few years) on a backup to Willis is not a good investment. In the first presser, Singletary did not seem to know where they would play him as well. Welcome to the "We Don't Know where they are going to Play" club of Balmer, R. Smith, and others.

Ginn- "A" grade in trade. Ginn has to be included in the draft, since this is the value we receive for our fifth rounder. Ginn's best football is in front of him. He instantly eliminates our second most glaring need this offseason, and becomes our first deep threat at WR in a LONG time. I believe he assumes the number three WR role, and could even push Morgan (depending on Morgan's development).

Dixon- "A-" grade- The Niners did not appear to have any confidence in Coffee last year, so they better pick up someone they can hand the rock to when Gore is on the bench, or injured. Dixon was second in the SEC in rushing (behind Ingram), with a brutal OL in front of him. Wes Bunting said this about Dixon, "Becomes a starter in his rookie season...Becomes a solid NFL player with no real weakness". Now, I'm not going to go as far as Bunting, but this is a guy really liked in NFL scouting circles.

Byham- "B-" grade- I know this is a head scratcher for many fans, but this team did not execute well on third and short last year. Byham is a stud blocker, better than Bajema and better than Bear. So, while he is not going to catch more than 5 balls this season, he will probably make this team with ease, and have a chance to play on Sunday in situational roles.

Kyle Williams- "A-" grade- The team needs an insurance policy for Ginn, who has had some health problems in the past. So, why not select another lightning rod who can run like the wind. Williams has a terrific shot at making the team as the team's fifth receiver, and a guy who can play in the slot in 4 WR sets. He needs to work on route running (few rookies don't have issues). A guy to stretch the field.

Philip Adams- "D" grade- Better CB's were on the board, including McClain (the Niners plucked Patrick Stoudamire off the priority free agent market), but the team could use a developmental CB on the practice squad, so I understand the positional selection. Might have to move Adams to FS down the road, but I honestly don't give the kid much of a chance to make the team.

A more interesting option would have been to select one of the small school 3-4 DE's on the board (Lissemore or Howard), a big school 3-4 DE who I think is going to make an NFL roster in Doug Worthington, or go complete off the chart and select Jameson Konz, a freak athlete the Seahawks selected later, who might be able to play at numerous positions on the field.

That is the short answer to the best and worst picks. I give the Niners a final grade of 82.5% in the B/B- range.

I agree with you on most things, except I don't think you've valuing Mays and Bowman high enough. Specifically with Bowman, McShay for example rated Bowman as his 5th best standout picks of the 2nd day, and the guy is only 1.5" shorter than Takeo and the same size. He will be the future at TED ILB, according to various sources, Maiocco among them.

As per Mays, I think the guy has unrivaled potential, but wasn't asked to do anything except deliver knockout hits. He is a bit of a project definitely, but he is going to be an enforcer in our secondary, and certainly doesn't deserve a D grade considering his potential and value.

First, I'm still not sure why people have this idea so firmly stuck in their heads that the Ted has to be some huge dude who only takes on blocks. If you watch the games, you realize Willis takes on almost as many blocks as Spikes, and both of them need to be able to come off those blocks at times to tackle the ball carrier. Spikes had a ton of tackles for a guy who's supposed to just "take on blockers" as the Ted. If the team thinks he can play a role as a 3-4 ILB, then it's not a bad pick. He can start a year from now or when TKO gets hurt. Now whether the team is right about Bowman is a different story, but it's not like they're putting a square peg in a round hole.

Mays, on the other hand, I can see the complaints about his stiffness and inability to cover. I'm not so concerned about his stiffness, as I think he needs to lose some weight and some of that fluidity will come, much like Vernon Davis. The ball skills too can be learned with time, I just think his instincts are pretty lame, and that's what scares me the most.

Best would have to be Iupati!

IMO Mays and Bowman are the two picks that are going to determine whether this was a decent or great draft.

Worst case, Mays = Mike Lewis and Bowman is Willis' backup at mike.

Best case, Mays turns into something like Polamalu and Bowman takes over for Spikes at ted.

Big fan of the Dixon/Williams pick late, very good depth acquisitions.

It seems to me we covered most of our needs, although I don't see a fullback which does surprise me. I suspect we have work to do next year in the defensive backfield.

I would put Davis as the best pick. To cover a screaming need we pick up the last of the first tier of tackles (IMO). It cost us our 4th to make sure no one vaulted over us to snatch him, which will seem like a small price to pay.

Favourite pick would be Iupati. I am still somewhat in shock that they took two OL in the first. A fabulous pick. Hopefully, this is the O line sorted.

Worst pick? Unlike some I don't have a problem with the 2nd or 3rd rounders. Mays looks like a worthwhile gamble in the second. To b***h about 6tg and 7th rounders seems daft, they are likely training camp fodder or ST at best. That being said I see the point of taking a blocking tight end - and this one, reportedly, can catch, and Dixon seems an interesting pick.

So no worst pick.

Originally posted by YourHuckleberry:
Best pick: Mike Iupati - They could've easily said, "Well, we got one OL with our first pick, let's get something different here then draft a guard later." I'm glad they realized that we need to rebuild our OL with elite players, and they went and got the best guard in the draft.

Worst pick: Navorro Bowman - Not too excited about this pick. First off, he probably won't be starting for a year or two. Secondly, where does he fit? OLB? ILB? And lastly, I felt like there were still a lot of good CBs on the board that we could've grabbed.

You obviously have never seen Navorro Bowman play. He's a heck of a football player. If you watch Big Ten Football he was one of the best guys. He flys all around the field and is constantly making plays. He has outstanding instincts and real good athleticism. He's a gamer. Probably a steal in the 3rd round. He's better than that.

best pick(s): round one

worst pick(s) round two throught 7


kind of like par for the course for us though

Originally posted by krizay:
best pick(s): round one

worst pick(s) round two throught 7


kind of like par for the course for us though

Is Taylor Mays gonna be your new Vernon Davis?

I think my issue with the draft is the team was progressing as a spread offense team late in the season, and this suits alex;'s strengh. Now the team is trying to become a once again pound the rock team. We will see how it goes. This is coach sings team and he wants to pound the rock.

Round 7 I would have taken Syquod Thompson CB Cal, as a local favorite and a much higher rated cb. Then

Best Pick- Taylor Mays, the niners would have taken him last year at slot 10, so getting him this year on a 2nd round contract is a steal. Anyone playing with a chip on their shoulder will do welll. Predicting Taylor Mays will be defensive rookie of the year and offensive player of the year will be Dez Bryant.

Players who feel slided hopefully will take their anger out on the field of play.

Best pick: Mike Iupati - As close to a sure thing as you can ask for.

Worst pick: The guy chosen in the last round - that is why he was chosen with the last pick.

I like the Bowman pick. He is from Linebacker U, so you know you are getting a polished tough guy. He was projected late 1st early 2nd, before his negative off the field issues, so you know he is good value. Further, the Niners need someone who can back up the TED and MIKE positions, and obviously Mckillop didn't impress last year, so they are spending a higher pick on that need this year. I don't see Spikes returning after next season, so hopefully this will fulfill that need.

Originally posted by Kalen49ers:

Originally posted by krizay:
best pick(s): round one

worst pick(s) round two throught 7


kind of like par for the course for us though

Is Taylor Mays gonna be your new Vernon Davis?

As dumb as the pick was I've learned my lesson in putting too much strength into a single argument. Taylor Mays wasn't good enough for us (atleast half the webzone) with the 17th pick because __________ (insert erason ) just cause he was drafted in the 2nd round doesn't mean he can finally do the things he couldn't do before. You can look at "value" all you want. But if you didn't like him as a starter before you still shouldn't like him as a starter now. He's the same player. There were still safeties on the board that alot of people would have rathered have.

Screw that "value" BS! It's like buying a brand name item on sale just because it's brand name and on sale. Not because it's better than the "generic" brand you can get at the same price and has the ability to do more.

Originally posted by Niners23:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Davis- "A-" grade. Best available OT in the draft when the team was on the board. Has the highest upside of any OT in the draft. I think he's a huge upgrade, and will easily start from Day One. Completely engulfs rushers, and looks smooth in the process. The only downgrade for me was losing the 4th rounder in the trade up, but I can understand the paranoia the team had about being leapfrogged.

Iupati- "A" grade. One of the best OG prospects in the last decade. He should easily bench Baas at LG. Just like Davis, completely engulfs defenders. Still learning the game, and will only get a ton better. Think about how good he is already, with Idaho coaching, weight room facilities, strength coaches, etc.

Mays- "D" grade. Good value spot for a team looking for a safety who is not going to cover anyone. That is not us.

Think about his athleticism, speed, jumping ability. Off the charts. Why was he bypassed by all of these teams in the first round, and more than half of the second round? And, nobody lower than 49 wanted to move up to secure his services. He is simply not a coverage safety. Mays was exposed badly in Senior Bowl practices as someone who is incredibly stiff and cannot change directions. Many scouts believed, and stated, that he will need to transition to OLB in the NFL. The team needed a centerfielder who can cover a lot of ground, and put Goldson into the SS role. Now, we have two guys with coverage limitations. Not a smart move. Many other better coverage safeties on the board at the time. I could not have blamed the team if they sacrificed both the second and third rounder to jump up and grab Nate Allen, some who clearly has the ability to patrol the back end of the secondary, cover speedy receivers in a big play league, and make plays.

Bowman- "D-" grade- I have no idea what the Niners are thinking here. I'm not sure they do as well. Bowman is strictly a 4-3 defender in the NFL. He cannot rush the passer effectively, and is not the best at taking on blockers. To blow a third rounder (which is a common issue with the team the past few years) on a backup to Willis is not a good investment. In the first presser, Singletary did not seem to know where they would play him as well. Welcome to the "We Don't Know where they are going to Play" club of Balmer, R. Smith, and others.

Ginn- "A" grade in trade. Ginn has to be included in the draft, since this is the value we receive for our fifth rounder. Ginn's best football is in front of him. He instantly eliminates our second most glaring need this offseason, and becomes our first deep threat at WR in a LONG time. I believe he assumes the number three WR role, and could even push Morgan (depending on Morgan's development).

Dixon- "A-" grade- The Niners did not appear to have any confidence in Coffee last year, so they better pick up someone they can hand the rock to when Gore is on the bench, or injured. Dixon was second in the SEC in rushing (behind Ingram), with a brutal OL in front of him. Wes Bunting said this about Dixon, "Becomes a starter in his rookie season...Becomes a solid NFL player with no real weakness". Now, I'm not going to go as far as Bunting, but this is a guy really liked in NFL scouting circles.

Byham- "B-" grade- I know this is a head scratcher for many fans, but this team did not execute well on third and short last year. Byham is a stud blocker, better than Bajema and better than Bear. So, while he is not going to catch more than 5 balls this season, he will probably make this team with ease, and have a chance to play on Sunday in situational roles.

Kyle Williams- "A-" grade- The team needs an insurance policy for Ginn, who has had some health problems in the past. So, why not select another lightning rod who can run like the wind. Williams has a terrific shot at making the team as the team's fifth receiver, and a guy who can play in the slot in 4 WR sets. He needs to work on route running (few rookies don't have issues). A guy to stretch the field.

Philip Adams- "D" grade- Better CB's were on the board, including McClain (the Niners plucked Patrick Stoudamire off the priority free agent market), but the team could use a developmental CB on the practice squad, so I understand the positional selection. Might have to move Adams to FS down the road, but I honestly don't give the kid much of a chance to make the team.

A more interesting option would have been to select one of the small school 3-4 DE's on the board (Lissemore or Howard), a big school 3-4 DE who I think is going to make an NFL roster in Doug Worthington, or go complete off the chart and select Jameson Konz, a freak athlete the Seahawks selected later, who might be able to play at numerous positions on the field.

That is the short answer to the best and worst picks. I give the Niners a final grade of 82.5% in the B/B- range.

I agree with you on most things, except I don't think you've valuing Mays and Bowman high enough. Specifically with Bowman, McShay for example rated Bowman as his 5th best standout picks of the 2nd day, and the guy is only 1.5" shorter than Takeo and the same size. He will be the future at TED ILB, according to various sources, Maiocco among them.

As per Mays, I think the guy has unrivaled potential, but wasn't asked to do anything except deliver knockout hits. He is a bit of a project definitely, but he is going to be an enforcer in our secondary, and certainly doesn't deserve a D grade considering his potential and value.

Same Here...

I remember when Willis came out. Quite a few of the posters here...cough cough Maddog....argued against Willis being strictly a 4-3 LB. How has that worked out? Bowman is an absolute stud. He has 1st Round ability, and it showed every Saturday when he played (I have seen a lot of this kid). Bowman has the size to play TED or MIKE...so to rate him this low is retarded! He will learn the ropes under Willis and TKO, as well as Singletary. When Spikes retires, Bowman will step in and continue the great play. I give this pick an A.

With Mays, I would have been pissed here had we went with hom in the 1st. But we got him in the middle of the 2nd. You ask that why other teams pass on him? Maybe other teams had other holes to fill, which is always the casen (Clausen is a perfect example). Sure Mays is limited in coverage, because he wasnt asked to do to much of it at USC. BUT he aint gonna play FS with us...he is perfect for SS. Goldson has alot more playmaking and coverage skills than you think, and with 1 year under his belt, I am sure he can make a strong push this year to rep us in the pro bowl. Back to Mays, he will team with Dashon to form a terrifying backfield in a year...with proper coaching, the sky is the limit with him. A reporter asked him how does it feel to go against Carrol two times a year....he responded with "I am more excited to play for Singletary 16 games a year, than playing against Carrol twice a year." Fantastic response. I cant wait to see him in the red and gold!

Best Pick : Anthony Davis.

A right tackle who may be able to fill in on the blind side if needed and a bookend for the line.

Worst pick : Taylor Mays.

We left a better overall prospect on the board IMHO and he ended up with our division rival, and we also left a good pass rusher sitting there. A move up for Kindle would have been the best way to go.

Originally posted by krizay:

Originally posted by Kalen49ers:

Originally posted by krizay:
best pick(s): round one

worst pick(s) round two throught 7


kind of like par for the course for us though

Is Taylor Mays gonna be your new Vernon Davis?

As dumb as the pick was I've learned my lesson in putting too much strength into a single argument. Taylor Mays wasn't good enough for us (atleast half the webzone) with the 17th pick because __________ (insert erason ) just cause he was drafted in the 2nd round doesn't mean he can finally do the things he couldn't do before. You can look at "value" all you want. But if you didn't like him as a starter before you still shouldn't like him as a starter now. He's the same player. There were still safeties on the board that alot of people would have rathered have.

Screw that "value" BS! It's like buying a brand name item on sale just because it's brand name and on sale. Not because it's better than the "generic" brand you can get at the same price and has the ability to do more.

Looks like it's going to be Krizay v Webzone again.

I thought it was a fine pick. Higher risk than the first rounders but very high upside if it works out. A gamble worth taking. Guy has a huge chip on his shoulder which will help.