MadDog's Niners Draft Grade and Analysis for 2012 NFL Draft | Page 45

MadDog49er · 2012-04-29T11:16:56-07:00

Well, another draft comes and goes and time will tell who are the big winners and losers from this weekend. The Niners tried an unconventional approach this year, which may end working out well, or flopping. Once again, a few years down the road, a clear picture of the strength of this draft will emerge. There are many ways to approach my analysis. At first glance, I thought an incomplete grade is warranted. The addition of a third round pick next year, via trade, does add some merit to this draft class. The later rounds won't have the same impact in the grade, but any additional pick is an additional pick. However, going the incomplete route is a cop-out, since this is all fun and games. So, here it is: Round One- AJ Jenkins- A bit surprised with the pick. However, in the last days before the draft, the Rams were all over him, and I almost put him at 33 on my big board. I thought they wanted J. Jenkins more and had AJ after him. Jenkins was the 7th WR on my board, and the 4th taken overall. I think he is a good player, not a great player. To me, he is a solid number two WR in the NFL, but this is not going to happen until year 3. Expect very little impact in 2012. Smooth, quick, runs good routes, and productive, despite a lack of quality QB play. Saw a lot of him since I live in Big Ten country. Grade: F. The reason for the grade is more than the player (because to me, Jenkins at 30 is a C+ grade). It is the opportunity to utilize the pick for the best value. And the best value at 30, was to not stay at 30. Great opportunities jump in front of you rarely in the draft, and the Niners passed on a golden one. Due to the nature of needs-based picks, from 6-21, we saw a complete run on defensive players. Only Tannehill at 8, Floyd at 13, and K. Wright at 20 were selected on the offensive side of the ball. At 21, the Bengals traded down so NE could draft Chandler Jones. The next handful of teams on the clock had OL needs, and to me, this was the time to make a move. The Browns, at 22, from all reports, lost out on K. Wright at 20, and could have been a trade partner. The Lions, at 23, needed OL help. The Steelers, at 24, for sure. The Texans, at 26, as well. So, with the top graded interior lineman in possibly a decade sitting on the board at 22, in David DeCastro, the Niners could have picked up one of the best players in the draft, and at great value. It would have cost a third rounder according to the value of trades around the same pick and according to trade value chart. The Niners missed on DeCastro, which would have anchored the right side of the OL for a decade. Round 2- LaMichael James- Quick, shifty RB who can make players miss, and has potential to make big plays on offense. Rotational, third down back, who will probably play 10 snaps per game. And, therein lies the problem. The team is stocked at RB, with Gore, who is a three down back, Hunter, who is a similar back to James, and Brandon Jacobs. James may get his hands on the ball 3-4 times a game, and I just don't think this is good value for a second round selection. The team could have found a similar type player with even more explosiveness in Chris Rainey, about 4 rounds later. Grade: D. Round 3 Traded- Good negotiation by Baalke. The Colts drafted TY Hilton, who is more explosive than James, but they gave up a lot in moving up. A fifth rounder next year and the pick five picks later. Grade- A Round 4- Another great value trade dropping six slots and picking up a 6th this year and 6th next year. The Dolphins saw Lamar Miller on the board. Grade- A Round 4- A third trade in the matter of ten picks. Team gives up pick for a 3rd rounder in 2013. Panthers desperately wanted Frank Alexander, and I don't know why. Great value trade. Grade- A Round 4- Joe Looney- A pretty good pick under the circumstances. I think the team got burnt in the Dolphins trade when the Ravens grabbed Gino Gradkowski, who I think the team was all over. The best of the interior OL are long gone by now, and the team needs a guy who can come in and compete right now for a starting position. Looney has a ton of experience, is savvy, smart, and is technically sound. He will compete for the starting RG spot right away. That is the upside. The downside, Looney doesn't have much upside, and I'm not sure he will ever reach the level of Adam Snyder. A decent value pick because the team desperately needed a body. I had a list of guys graded higher, but I think pick is alright. Grade- B- Round 5- Darius Fleming- Good football player that is athletic, quick, and productive. Not sure how he fits on our team. I speculate the team will shift him inside to ILB, and he will compete for the primary backup role under Bowman. He provides some insurance in case Bowman does not re-sign with the team in the future. The team had greater needs, and there were better players on the board, so this is a head scratcher to me. Grade: D Round 6- Trent Robinson, Michigan State, FS- Home Run. The Niners get a steal in the 6th with a guy I had a late 3rd round grade. One of the best FS prospects in this draft, Robinson can run with WR's, and is not afraid to tackle. Productive, experienced, and solid instincts. Really outstanding pick.Grade: A Round 6- Jason Slowey- Another terrific pick from small school Western Oregon. Slowey adds a lot of versatility in this draft, as we will be able to play all three interior line positions, and in an emergency, play tackle. Athletic, tough, and raw. Has much more upside than Looney, and Slowey was on a list of six small school guys I predicted the team would select. Brilliant play for a sixth rounder. Grade: A Round 7- Cam Johnson- Edge OLB rusher, Virginia. Johnson is an enigma. Great athletic ability, played in a 3-4 system, has tremendous upside, and is a terrible underachiever. Lacks passion for the game, should be more productive and dominant. Guy with character flaws. However, you are getting second-third round talent in the 7th round, and if he can get his head on straight, becomes a terrific value pick. Could be starting material on another 3-4 team. Grade: A So, as you can see, this is a complicated grade, with the variable of additional productive players next year. In most drafts, the greatest focus of the grade is the first two or three picks, and this was the down part of this draft class. Just not enough bang for your buck, and the loss of a potential Pro-Bowl type player in DeCastro because the team did not make the move up. Late rounders and future picks helped the final score below. Final Draft Grade: C As for my draft board, based on my best player available board, in a straight up, no trade draft, I had: Round One- Peter Konz, C/G Round Two- Mohamed Sanu, WR Round Three- Brandon Thompson, NT Round Four- Malik Jackson, DE Round Five- Vick Ballard, RB Round Six- Antonio Allen, SS Round Seven- Derrius Brooks, CB It has been a fun run. I will gladly take all questions, and time permitting as I shift from this board to real life, I will hopefully get a chance to respond to all. Cheers.

Jul 15, 2018 at 4:45 PM

#661

9ers4eva
Veteran
Posts: 22,435

Originally posted by Wu-5Rings:
Compare trent baalke's draft classes. So making a draft class disappear and picking the all acl crew is not a difference maker??? Huh

Take a look at the disappearence of their 2013 draft class.

Jul 15, 2018 at 4:51 PM

#662

Wu-5Rings
Member
Posts: 12,083

"But Sunday's game was about Baalke's roster, Baalke's plan, Baalke's young defensive players buckling vs. Seattle's offense, and Baalke's inability or unwillingness to acquire offensive playmakers."

"Once again, Seattle exposes all of the 49ers' flaws and puts GM Trent Baalke on the extreme hot seat"
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mercurynews.com/2016/09/25/once-again-seattle-exposes-all-of-the-49ers-flaws-and-puts-gm-trent-baalke-on-the-extreme-hot-seat/amp/

Sooo what does that say for our teflon gm??? That he was a great guy because the other guy we were competing with wasn't to the standards are fans would have liked, yet beat us year in and year out? Pattern much?

[ Edited by Wu-5Rings on Jul 15, 2018 at 4:55 PM ]

Jul 15, 2018 at 4:56 PM

#663

9ers4eva
Veteran
Posts: 22,435

So instead of admitting your wrong about Seattle reloading you go find a link that isn't relevant to the talent level of the years in question.

I've never seen a bigger straw man built in my life. No one is defending Baalke. He is gone.

Simple question, do the 9ers with the roster from 2017 win more games with Jim Harbaugh at the helm?

Jul 15, 2018 at 4:57 PM

#664

Wu-5Rings
Member
Posts: 12,083

Originally posted by 9ers4eva:
So instead of admitting your wrong about Seattle reloading you go find a link that isn't relevant to the talent level of the years in question.

I've never seen a bigger straw man built in my life. No one is defending Baalke. He is gone.

Simple question, do the 9ers with the roster from 2017 win more games with Jim Harbaugh at the helm?

Yet we are comparing rosters.

You are not good at switching narratives. Fyi, those jed tactics don't work with me.

[ Edited by Wu-5Rings on Jul 15, 2018 at 5:00 PM ]

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:01 PM

#665

9ers4eva
Veteran
Posts: 22,435

We weren't comparing rosters. You contended Seattle reloaded and the 9ers didn't. Patently untrue. Seattle had two great drafts and have ridden them for five seasons. They never reloaded. It's why right now their roster on both sides is bereft of playmakers and they are hoping a first round RB will save them.

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:02 PM

#666

Wu-5Rings
Member
Posts: 12,083

Originally posted by 9ers4eva:
We weren't comparing rosters. You contended Seattle reloaded and the 9ers didn't. Patently untrue. Seattle had two great drafts and have ridden them for five seasons. They never reloaded. It's why right now their roster on both sides is bereft of playmakers and they are hoping a first round RB will save them.

Dude their GM was better than ours. Get over it. It's ok, no one will think you are a trader. It's ok to give credit where it's due.

Only around here it's frowned upon by some narrative pushers.

[ Edited by Wu-5Rings on Jul 15, 2018 at 5:05 PM ]

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:09 PM

#667

9ers4eva
Veteran
Posts: 22,435

Originally posted by Wu-5Rings:
Dude their GM was better than ours. Get over it. It's ok, no one will think you are a trader. It's ok to give credit where it's due.

I never suggested he wasn't. But you have a different standard for Baalke then Schneider. That's your bias. Look at their 2013. Everyone but what Spencer Ware is out the league too. They never reloaded and that's why they are in the place they are in currently.

It's also ok to admit their GM has sucked the last 5 years and has been carried by 2 drafts and their coaching has been better than ours from 2010 to 2017. Michigan won't fire you from their PR department.

Still waiting for you to answer the Harbaugh 2017 team question. Would we have been better off?

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:15 PM

#668

Wu-5Rings
Member
Posts: 12,083

Yet they had a rotation on that defensive line, we had Tank Carradine, maybe just maybe if our gm wasn't so fixated with drafting Acl patients Harbaugh or any coach for that matter could have worked out.

They drafted healthy players.. Sadly that was enough to trump baalke All Acl Crew. What does that say for our gm..

He couldn't even draft healthy players. I still stand by my words.

Drafting was the difference. One gm drafted healthy players the other gambled all on injured players.

It helped no one.

[ Edited by Wu-5Rings on Jul 15, 2018 at 5:16 PM ]

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:18 PM

#669

Wu-5Rings
Member
Posts: 12,083

Originally posted by 9ers4eva:
I don't want to see Jim Harbaugh fail. I just know his offense is schematically mediocre and that will make it difficult for him to ever succeed on the highest level. Defense will have to carry Michigan to a title ala Alabama.

The best way for him to win at Michigan would to be get an innovative offensive mind and give them full control like he does on D. Then they'd have a real chance.

No, if you have paid attention Spieght got hurt and a sophomore Brandon Jacobs took the realm...

You cannot open the playbook for a sophomore. He wasn't ready..

The way to beating the other school and Alabama is with Shea Patterson... He can make all the throws and Tariq Black broke his foot early. It was a tough season but lost alot of talent to the nfl the year before.

Shea Patterson is the key and now Harbaugh has drafted a couple of Qb's ready to take the realm when Shea leaves for the draft. Shea is the truth.

He is the key along with that offensive line. He has his own playbook.

[ Edited by Wu-5Rings on Jul 15, 2018 at 5:27 PM ]

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:20 PM

#670

genus49
Moderator
Posts: 28,014

Originally posted by Wu-5Rings:
Originally posted by genus49:
Your Michigan bias is off the charts dude.

Harbaugh got a stacked roster and did very little to show us if it wasn't for Baalke that we'd be rolling in talent. Pretty sure he was the same guy who didn't like Richard Sherman or Doug Baldwin after coaching them but thought Jonathan Martin was someone to help this team.

He's perfect for college. If he ever gets back in the NFL coaching he better change things up and actually innovate on offense. Kyle doesn't have the talented roster, he doesn't have the veteran D.C. and he had the team looking like they're going in the right direction.

Baalke proved to be a s**t GM but Harbaugh wasn't a saint either and he was stubborn and unwilling to change things around. In college he can recruit based on his "success" in the NFL but fact is with tha talent we had on that 2012 team we never should've lost to the Ravens and the fact that we came out looking so damn flat in the first half vs a team coached by his brother is really sad.

Why because it didn't go the way the haters wanted and Harbaugh still has a job? Why because most said here wait a couple of years to see where we are and where's Harbaugh?

The reality of the situation is some despise him so much that it blinds them from seeing the facts.

There's pre Harbaugh and post Harbaugh, accept it. The Harbaugh haters gotta deal with that. The rest of the country knows what monkey games went on here.

Where was my bias when he was in San Diego st? Standford? Because there is no bias. He wins. The other guy made draft classes disappear, yet you think I'm suppose to buy the fake narrative that we were better off? Lol yea sure

Now conveniently four years later it's my Michigan bias. Lol, I know everything but give him credit.

Why because I give credit where it's due? Some should try that around here and stop faking like he wasn't the best coach we had in 10+ years but from the posts here the hate won't let you give credit.

It's transparent how much posters want to see him fail.. Don't be mad he is a winner, be mad at the fact the owner chose to stick with the loser. Some just cannot give him credit, they will do everything but give him credit for turning us around,

Baalke lived off of Scott's drafts and we continue to coddle him and create a million and one excuses for the guy.

You want to know what's really sad was 9 years of nothing.. Then 3 straight title games... The post Harbaugh more s**t. Nobody gives him credit. Just posters whine and cry about losing a super bowl, maybe if draft classes didn't disappear we could have kept up with Seattle.

We should do a where are they now on the 2013 draft class. Hint.. most if not all are not in the nfl. How many coaches can work with 0??? NOW THATS SAD

For the record I wasn't saying we were better off with Baalke. Just not certain we were headed for greatness with Harbaugh calling all the shots. He didn't show the willingness to adapt in the NFL, which is why I think he's a much better college coach.

I love what he did here for us though and wish him well. My main issue with him was his stubbornness. I'm bummed it took so long to properly replace him but hopefully we did just that with Kyle.

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:22 PM

#671

Wu-5Rings
Member
Posts: 12,083

Originally posted by genus49:
For the record I wasn't saying we were better off with Baalke. Just not certain we were headed for greatness with Harbaugh calling all the shots. He didn't show the willingness to adapt in the NFL, which is why I think he's a much better college coach.

I love what he did here for us though and wish him well. My main issue with him was his stubbornness. I'm bummed it took so long to properly replace him but hopefully we did just that with Kyle.

How when we didn't even give him a chance to finish his contract? I'm surprised we won 8 games.. I posted here that our oline was weak ass f**k! Articles were posted and then our Qb Keapernick was one ofthe highest sacked qb's in the league along with getting him hurt..

There was no replenishing just living off of Scott.

Negligence..

[ Edited by Wu-5Rings on Jul 15, 2018 at 5:27 PM ]

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:32 PM

#672

Wu-5Rings
Member
Posts: 12,083

"A three-year stretch of bad drafts is really hurting the 49ers
Posted on November 2, 2015 by Marcus Thompson"
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/thompson/2015/11/02/a-three-year-stretch-of-bad-drafts-is-really-hurting-the-49ers/?doing_wp_cron=1528933855.1859989166259765625000

"The real problem is an offensive line that, according to NFL stats guru Pro Football Focus, ranks dead last in run blocking and 18th in pass protection.

The real problem is the 49ers don't have any depth, nowhere else to turn if the starters aren't performing.

The real problem is the roster general manager Trent Baalke put together."

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:32 PM

#673

9ers4eva
Veteran
Posts: 22,435

Still waiting for the answer to my simple question from post 689

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:34 PM

#674

genus49
Moderator
Posts: 28,014

Originally posted by Wu-5Rings:
Originally posted by genus49:
For the record I wasn't saying we were better off with Baalke. Just not certain we were headed for greatness with Harbaugh calling all the shots. He didn't show the willingness to adapt in the NFL, which is why I think he's a much better college coach.

I love what he did here for us though and wish him well. My main issue with him was his stubbornness. I'm bummed it took so long to properly replace him but hopefully we did just that with Kyle.

How when we didn't even give him a chance to finish his contract? I'm surprised we won 8 games.. I posted here that our oline was weak ass f**k! Articles were posted and then our Qb Keapernick was one ofthe highest sacked qb's in the league along with getting him hurt..

There was no replenishing just living off of Scott.

Negligence..

What are you arguing? What gives you the idea that Jim would make sound personnel decisions?

Sherman and Baldwin played for him....he allowed both to go to who ended up being our biggest rival. Pretty sure both positions were needed.

Or are you going to pretend his first year with us he had 0 pull on who we were drafting?

Jul 15, 2018 at 5:36 PM

#675

Wu-5Rings
Member
Posts: 12,083

Originally posted by Wu-5Rings:
"A three-year stretch of bad drafts is really hurting the 49ers
Posted on November 2, 2015 by Marcus Thompson"
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/thompson/2015/11/02/a-three-year-stretch-of-bad-drafts-is-really-hurting-the-49ers/?doing_wp_cron=1528933855.1859989166259765625000

"The real problem is an offensive line that, according to NFL stats guru Pro Football Focus, ranks dead last in run blocking and 18th in pass protection.

The real problem is the 49ers don't have any depth, nowhere else to turn if the starters aren't performing.

The real problem is the roster general manager Trent Baalke put together."

Bump

Along with some, I was one of the few screaming for that oline help. You cannot tell me drafting wasn't the difference maker when3 straight drafts were blown. What have i been consistently saying has been the problem? Everything but giving the man his credit.

Sad but I'm the bias, homer, straw man everything except seeing things for what they are and giving him his respect. The hate doesn't let you see the facts. Smfh

The baalke excuses continue but I'm all the above, give me a f**king break dudes and get over that hate.

Baalke screwed over Keapernick by not addressing that line and traded away Alex without replacing him. Who does that? Trent does

God forbid I call us sheep for not standing up for our rights, I get suspended.. Some gotta be jed pr department. They love to press report. Just remember, I never do even in my 6th suspension. It's not in my dna.

[ Edited by Wu-5Rings on Jul 15, 2018 at 5:55 PM ]