MadDog's 2013 NFL Draft Review | Page 21

MadDog49er · 2013-04-28T21:03:28-07:00

Another exciting draft weekend has come and gone, and now....a little more than 51 weeks before we do it all over again. Yikes! The Niners had 13 selections, used 11 and stockpiled a third rounder for next year, to no one's surprise. The question is, "How did they do with their 11 selections?" While every person has their own interpretation of a "good" draft, to me, it is a combination of matching the best player with a specific need and at an acceptable slot. When the top need matches the top player at a top value location, it is nirvana...which rarely happens. With all of this in mind, here is my breakdown of the Niners' selections. 1 Eric Reid, 18th overall. The Niners needed to sacrifice a third rounder to jump up 13 slots to select Reid. To me, this was a selection out of desperation more than of true value. Reid was not a "reach" at 18, because some teams following the 18th slot were probably in position to draft him (Bengals more than likely). The issue is that he is not the 18th best player in this draft. In fact, I don't think he is close to the 18th best player in the draft. Now, three picks before Reid was selected, the Saints grabbed Kenny Vacarro, who I believe is FAR superior to Reid. So, this was not a good value pick. Is Reid a bad player? No. Is he worth the 18th overall, a big NO! The NIners gambled with Goldson over the last couple of years, and while they won in the past with his contract, this time the time was up. So, the cheaper route was a draftee. Reid regressed in 2012, and that should concern fans. He was not nearly the same player as the year before. He has all the physical and mental tools to become a great pro, but to me, lack something to be consistently great. Some might label it inconsistent instincts, some might call it stiff hips, I call it a move to strong safety in a couple years. If the team if moving up to 18, get a player than matches the value. The pick should have been Tyler Eifert, who is going to be a stud in the NFL. Maybe the Bengals should send a Thank You card to the Niners for Christmas. The Niners obviously saw need at TE, as they selected McDonald 37 picks later. They should have picked up the best player on the board at that point, Eifert. Grade for Reid: C- grade. Good player, not great, poor value, and lost opportunity and sacrificed third rounder. For the record, I did not advocate moving up. In fact, as I will show later, I held tight across all 13 picks. 2. Tank Carradine, 40th overall. Trent making the Dog a happy camper, as Carradine was the best player on the board at 40. Obviously will assume the role that J. Smith plays down the road. Just a beast all around, with a wide array of moves to get to the QB. Very impressive strength and speed combo, and is extremely determined to get on the field as soon as possible. Can't wait to see him develop as a pro. Will need to stack on about 10-15 pounds to handle the pounding that a 34 base DE takes, but in the meantime can either rush from the outside on passing downs, or inside next to Smith. Dropping down six slot and picking up extra compensation adds extra value. Grade for Carradine: A. 2. Vance McDonald, 55th overall. Extremely athletic TE, with big upside. Outstanding combination of size, speed, strength. Still raw at TE. Reminds me a lot of James Casey. McDonald was the number 4 TE on my board after Eifert, Kelce and Ertz. Hands can be suspicious at times, and he will need to work on concentrating on catching the ball cleaner at the pro level. Should be a concern that, like Reid, he performed better statistically earlier in his career. Only 2 TD's in 2012 compared to 8 in 2010. I like the player, but assign him a slightly lower grade. To me, in a deep draft, he is more an early-mid third round value. The team really needed some CB or NT help by this point, in my opinion, and there were very talented guys on the board that could have been a better value pick in this slot. Since the team felt the need to move up six slots, and sacrifice another pick once again, it should be for a game changer, difference maker. I don't see that in McDonald. Could have picked Kelce at 61, one pick before the Chiefs nabbed him at 62. Grade for McDonald: C+ 3. Corey Lemonier, 88th overall. Lemonier is a long, athletic, 6'4" OLB with a quick first step and solid experience in the SEC for Auburn. Another very hard working player, with excellent determination and a relentless motor, he adds another edge rusher to the team. There is a lot to like from this kid. The downside is a siginificant drop in productivity on the back end of the 2012 season, as the competition became stiffer. For me, Lemonier is a bit of a one trick pony at rushing the QB. If he beats you to the edge, he's got you. However, if the OT gets his hands on him, he's done. Lemonier needs to work on counter moves if cannot beat the OT to the edge. Since this was another trade up, extra value is placed on it, as another draft choice will be used for compensation. Grade for Lemonier: C+ 4. Quinton Patton, 128th overall. He was the top guy left on my board for the team at the pick, so I saw great value and a need come into harmomic alignment, as with Carradine, with this pick. Patton was hyperproductive at Louisiana Tech, is very smooth on the field, and knows how to play the game. I saw him as second round value, so to pluck him in the fourth is a home run. Dare I say I graded him higher than the Niners' first rounder last year, AJ Jenkins. To me, he should surprise a lot of people with the productive career ahead. Grade for Patton: A 4. Marcus Lattimore: 131st pick. A terrific football player, with great spirit and heart. The team could take a high risk player in Lattimore at this juncture with so many picks at their disposal. Why not roll the dice with a guy who could end up the best back in the draft? This is the positive spin on Lattimore. The reality is that Lattimore suffered a horrific injury, and while there are examples of RBs who return to form after major ACL surgery (Peterson, McGahee), most are not the same. Further, Lattimore has a lot of mileage on that body, even before the injury, as he has been taking big hits for four college years. He does not shrink from violent collisions, and that takes an extra toll. If I was a betting man, I'd say he won't end up the NFL player that I imagined when he tore up college football as a freshman. However, I wish the best for him. Grade for Lattimore: B+ 5. Quinton Dial, 157th overall. Dial is a very intriguing prospect. He has excellent size for a 34 DE, and played in a terrific program. He has a nasty streak about him. In fact, to me, he is one of the dirtier college football players. Some like that nasty streak, others see it as a sign of bad character. Honestly, I couldn't care less, as long as he is productive. Looking at his numbers, 40 total tackles in two years. To me, a bit on the low side. I look at a player like Kapron Lewis Moore who played the exact position as Dial, a 34DE, and see 40 tackles in 2012. To me, this would have been the better choice between the two players. Grade for Dial: C 6, Nick Moody, 180th overall; 7. BJ Daniels, 237th overall; 7. Carter Bykowski, 246th; 7. Marcus Cooper, 252 overall For the sake of brevity, I won't go into a long elaboration of the four late rounders. Let's be honest, all of these guys are going to be practice Squaders at best. I haven't read any of the 49ers write-ups post draft, but sure that Moody is shifting inside to ILB. He's a really good special teamer but nothing more. I'm guessing Daniels is also being moved to FB, TE, Hback. Good athlete, but a long shot to even make the PS in my opinion. Bykowski was selected to gain the Polish-American community, and Marcus Cooper was selected because every other back seven defender on Rutgers' squad was selected and we didn't want him to feel left out. I hope they didn't base their opinion on him due to the forty times posted at Rutgers. That track is so fast, my granny can run a forty in 4.55. Grade for the collective bunch of late rounders: C...does it even matter? Overall, I give the team a B- grade for the draft. I do rate it as a top 10 draft this year, but it could have been so much more. Got to hand it to Baalke for stockpiling picks this season and grabbing an extra third rounder next year. At the same time, if Justin Hunter blows up the league, and Carradine does not, we will look back at that number 34 pick and scream for the heavens. As chronicled in the ongoing Draft Discussion Thread, and my Resetting the Board for Day Three thread, here was my 13 selections at the time of the selection. It will be fun to compare over the years. 31. Tank Carradine-DE 34. Justin Hunter- WR 61. Jesse Williams-NT/DE 74. BW Webb-CB 93. Phillip Thomas-S 128. Quinton Patton-WR 131. Cornelius Washington-OLB 157. Josh Evans-S 173. David Quessenberry-OT/G 180. Rex Burkhead-RB 237. Reid Fragel-OT 246. Marcus Cromartie-CB 252. Lucas Reed-TE I give myself an "A" grade...of course, these were my picks. In wrapping up, let no one ever state that they get the draft. It is like reading the mind of a woman for guys....good luck. Just when you think you've got it all figure out, you realize you know nothing. Back to square one. That is the great joy of the draft, realizing that the impossible task of mastering it will never happen, but you want to so badly. For those fixated on draft grades, one special note. The Seahawks last year were roundly booed, heckled, jeered by professions and amateurs alike for their sophomoric attempt to make selections. In the end, Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, and Russell Wilson ended up being sensational picks. So, while it is fun to assign grades at this point, history shows that it can go any direction.

May 2, 2013 at 12:54 PM

#301

MadDog49er
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19,400

Originally posted by oldninerdude:
Remember, Harbaugh and his coaching staff made some TEs at Stanford pretty successful. They knew enough to recruit those guys to Stanford in the first place, and then utilized them in games extensively and successfully.

So in this draft they decide to forgo drafting Eifert and Ertz, and others at TE, and decide to move up a little to take McDonald. He certainly appears to have the physical tools needed.

I believe MD would agree that we should all try to analyse the Niner's picks logically, and set aside whatever "draft crush" we may have developed predraft for any particular player. No question Eifert would have been an excellent selection, but it appears that McDonald may have as much, or even more potential, and his selection in the third round allowed them to fill team needs at FS and DE as well. Its difficult to logically find fault with that strategy.

Time will tell.

I really like Mike Mayock, but I have to admit, when he says the phrase, "My guy", I cringe. You simply lose objectivity in making an observation about a player. When that happens, you end up drafting a Danny Watkins, who graded so poorly during the Senior Bowl game, that I actually PM'd OTC after the game and said, "Did anyone else catch how bad he was in that game?" That puppy was screaming red flags, and he went on to be a first round disaster.

When you play favorites, you are going to be burned. And, as much as I hate Notre Dame, Eifert is a baller. All of that being said, McDonald is the most intriguing TE in this draft. The measurables of big/strong/fast all line up. Now, it is matter if it translates to the field.

Final note: Got to love Patton reporting early. Have a feeling he will not report out of shape, like AJ did last year. Some of these small schoolers are so hungry to make an impact, that they will run through a wall. Can't wait to see him play soon. Dare I say, I'd put money he and Tank will be the most impactful draftees from this 49ers class.

[ Edited by MadDog49er on May 2, 2013 at 1:07 PM ]

May 2, 2013 at 1:02 PM

#302

Ninerjohn
Veteran
Posts: 67,443

Originally posted by nw9erfan:

Originally posted by buck:
I checked the career stats for Quinton Dial and Jessie Williams at NCAA site and College Football Stats site.

There is a difference between the two sites for the stats for Quinton Dial.

The NCAA site has him playing in 25 games and credits him with 46 tackles (20 solo and 26 assists).

The College Football site has him playing in 24 games and credits him with 40 tackles (17 solo and 23 assists)

Both sites have Jessie Williams playing in 26 games and credit him with 61 tackles (17 solo and 44 assists).

Their other stats are the same for the two sites.

Sacks Dial--2.5 Williams—1.5

TFL Dial—8 Williams-- 6.5

QBH Dial—5 Williams—8

PBU Dial—0 Williams--3

Hope this helps.

http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/mainpage.jsp?year=2012

http://www.cfbstats.com/
Nice post, Buck... Very informative. Thanks, man.

I think another factor that plays into the comparison is the number of snaps these two players had. Dial wasn't even a starter and Jesse Williams was...so the latter played a significantly higher number of snaps. With that taken into account (not to mention that Jesse Williams has a degenerative knee condition that will likely shorten his NFL career), it would appear that the Niners like Dial better as a long term prospect.

Dial is raw of course, but he is huge, athletic, and has no injury history. I think we can trust that the Niners did their homework on these guys before they made their choice.

I agree. When you look at the number of solo tackles, tackles for loss and figure that he didnt come close to the number of snaps that Williams had his productivity may have been greater. Williams played DE in their 3-4 for parts of his time in Alabama too.. so you cant just say he was a NT

May 2, 2013 at 1:34 PM

#303

buck
Veteran
Posts: 13,137

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Nothing wrong with a B-. It means you hit on some players, missed on others. The draft grades that many experts give are inflated. Way too many A and B grades in my opinion. An average draft should be labeled a C grade. However, I think some see an average draft as a B grade.

The only thing wrong with a C is that people would consider it a failure, and call for Baalke's head.

Grading a draft seems to be a very complicated and I am still looking for a way to reduce my prejudices, both negative and positive, from my attempts.

Given the ingrained debilities of grading a draft before the draftees have played a down of ball in the NFL, I have opted to wait.

I read the discussions and try to learn from the perspectives presented.

I would like to commend you for the obvious positive change in the tone and tenor of your posts. Good job on that.

I do feel that you have been overly critical of Baalke and tend not to give him the credit he merits, but I sense that is also changing.

May 2, 2013 at 2:37 PM

#304

strickac
Veteran
Posts: 15,176

It's hard to argue the logic of this year's selections. Reid was the team's highest rated FS (reportedly) and he filled the largest void on the roster. You have to take him there. Plus, they seemed to love McDonald as their #2 TE prospect. We landed our #1 FS, Tank, and our #2 TE.

If we would've went for Eifert, we'd have our #1 TE, probably our #3-4 FS, and a lesser DE later in the 2nd. It looks like we did it right, IMO. If this draft doesn't work out, it'll be an issue of scouting talent. The way Baalke managed to draft the players he had ranked high was impressive.

May 2, 2013 at 3:18 PM

#305

BrianGO
Veteran
Posts: 10,300

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Nothing wrong with a B-. It means you hit on some players, missed on others. The draft grades that many experts give are inflated. Way too many A and B grades in my opinion. An average draft should be labeled a C grade. However, I think some see an average draft as a B grade.

There's more room on the downside than on the upside though. For example, if every team in the league followed your value board exactly (ie. if you made the picks for every team) then every team deserves an "A" because they did the best possible job they could with the picks they had. Any of the teams could have had a better draft, but only if other teams drafted worse. So there are very few ways for any given team to draft perfect (only one way, in fact), but there are a million different ways for a team to draft poorly.
So given the inherit rarity of a perfect draft, a higher grading scale makes more sense.

The 49ers picked Tank and Patton, which were "best" value picks on your board. I'm curious if any other team had more "best" value picks than that?

May 2, 2013 at 3:20 PM

#306

BrianGO
Veteran
Posts: 10,300

Originally posted by strickac:
It's hard to argue the logic of this year's selections. Reid was the team's highest rated FS (reportedly) and he filled the largest void on the roster. You have to take him there. Plus, they seemed to love McDonald as their #2 TE prospect. We landed our #1 FS, Tank, and our #2 TE.

If we would've went for Eifert, we'd have our #1 TE, probably our #3-4 FS, and a lesser DE later in the 2nd. It looks like we did it right, IMO. If this draft doesn't work out, it'll be an issue of scouting talent. The way Baalke managed to draft the players he had ranked high was impressive.

Also, people can't forget what Bill Walsh used to talk about. He talked about how he would select players that FIT into his team. "How does this player FIT into our system?" It's not always about top positional talent.

May 2, 2013 at 3:41 PM

#307

bigwads
Veteran
Posts: 5,890

Originally posted by oldninerdude:

Originally posted by bigwads:
Maddog is spot on with the Reid pick for a number of reasons.

Although, I don't believe the trade and pick were made out of "desperation" I do think it was simply wrong. The analysis of the player by our FO is wrong, where they drafted him was way too high and to make it worse the player we took at 18 was wrong.

Like maddog when the trade happened I thought we were trading up for Eifert. He was the only guy worth trading up for IMO (maybe Floyd too), and if we had taken Eifert the entire league would have $hit their pants.

Despite the Autin hysteria, Eifert will go down as the best offensive player in this entire draft.

TE was one of three positions of huge need for us and IMO none of the safeties in this draft were worthy of first round selection.

Frankly, there will be no difference in impact on a team between McDonald taken by the Rams in the 3rd and Reid.

But, everyone bemoaning the pick, including myself, hopes to be wrong...but I doubt it (see, A.J. Jenkins pick last year.
Remember, Harbaugh and his coaching staff made some TEs at Stanford pretty successful. They knew enough to recruit those guys to Stanford in the first place, and then utilized them in games extensively and successfully.

So in this draft they decide to forgo drafting Eifert and Ertz, and others at TE, and decide to move up a little to take McDonald. He certainly appears to have the physical tools needed.

I believe MD would agree that we should all try to analyse the Niner's picks logically, and set aside whatever "draft crush" we may have developed predraft for any particular player. No question Eifert would have been an excellent selection, but it appears that McDonald may have as much, or even more potential, and his selection in the third round allowed them to fill team needs at FS and DE as well. Its difficult to logically find fault with that strategy.

Time will tell.

I think everyone is hoping our picks work out of course. I don't have any issue with the McDonald pick at all...I had him in one of my mocks. I think we were forced to trade up for him because Escobar got taken earlier than we all expected.

Reid just isn't worth the #18 pick, period. Polamalu was taken #16 and Reed #24. Reid doesn't even tie these guys shoes as a prospect.

I really hope something weird was going on at LSU that put Reid in some weird positions as a player, which can happen. The problem I have is I never thought he was that great in 2011 or 2012. I always thought he was overrated.

We needed a red zone threat, and Eifert was that guy. Hopefully McDonald can fill this roll but I am not confident he will be near the caliber of Eifert.

Obviously the FO thought Reid was a very good player, so I hope they are right...they were dead wrong about Jenkins last year.

As a grade I gave us a B-, we simply could have done better. We did make some great value picks though, but there were some real squanders too.

[ Edited by bigwads on May 2, 2013 at 3:43 PM ]

May 2, 2013 at 3:58 PM

#308

thl408
Moderator
Posts: 33,315

Originally posted by BrianGO:
Also, people can't forget what Bill Walsh used to talk about. He talked about how he would select players that FIT into his team. "How does this player FIT into our system?" It's not always about top positional talent.

Excellent point. How does Reid stack up against other FS's when it comes to being physical and attacking the ball carrier (RB) aggressively? That might be a trait that Baalke/Harbaugh want in their FS. In that case, I am not sure Swearinger was on their list of FS preferences.

Same goes with McDonald. Does Ertz do well with blocking and lining up in the slot?

[ Edited by thl408 on May 2, 2013 at 4:00 PM ]

May 2, 2013 at 4:02 PM

#309

oldninerdude
Veteran
Posts: 4,330

Originally posted by bigwads:
I think everyone is hoping our picks work out of course. I don't have any issue with the McDonald pick at all...I had him in one of my mocks. I think we were forced to trade up for him because Escobar got taken earlier than we all expected.

Reid just isn't worth the #18 pick, period. Polamalu was taken #16 and Reed #24. Reid doesn't even tie these guys shoes as a prospect.

I really hope something weird was going on at LSU that put Reid in some weird positions as a player, which can happen. The problem I have is I never thought he was that great in 2011 or 2012. I always thought he was overrated.

We needed a red zone threat, and Eifert was that guy. Hopefully McDonald can fill this roll but I am not confident he will be near the caliber of Eifert.

Obviously the FO thought Reid was a very good player, so I hope they are right...they were dead wrong about Jenkins last year.

As a grade I gave us a B-, we simply could have done better. We did make some great value picks though, but there were some real squanders too.

I understand your logic.

It will be interesting to see if Jenkins steps up this season. WRs can be slow to develop at the NFL level, and his development was even more limited last year due to the presence of Moss and Manningham, among other things. Not like he was forced into action untlil very late in the season. He has excellent speed and hands, and he's a rookie no more. Go time for him. IMHO

May 2, 2013 at 4:29 PM

#310

RollinWith21n52
Veteran
Posts: 2,948

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by oldninerdude:
Remember, Harbaugh and his coaching staff made some TEs at Stanford pretty successful. They knew enough to recruit those guys to Stanford in the first place, and then utilized them in games extensively and successfully.

So in this draft they decide to forgo drafting Eifert and Ertz, and others at TE, and decide to move up a little to take McDonald. He certainly appears to have the physical tools needed.

I believe MD would agree that we should all try to analyse the Niner's picks logically, and set aside whatever "draft crush" we may have developed predraft for any particular player. No question Eifert would have been an excellent selection, but it appears that McDonald may have as much, or even more potential, and his selection in the third round allowed them to fill team needs at FS and DE as well. Its difficult to logically find fault with that strategy.

Time will tell.

I really like Mike Mayock, but I have to admit, when he says the phrase, "My guy", I cringe. You simply lose objectivity in making an observation about a player. When that happens, you end up drafting a Danny Watkins, who graded so poorly during the Senior Bowl game, that I actually PM'd OTC after the game and said, "Did anyone else catch how bad he was in that game?" That puppy was screaming red flags, and he went on to be a first round disaster.

When you play favorites, you are going to be burned. And, as much as I hate Notre Dame, Eifert is a baller. All of that being said, McDonald is the most intriguing TE in this draft. The measurables of big/strong/fast all line up. Now, it is matter if it translates to the field.

Final note: Got to love Patton reporting early. Have a feeling he will not report out of shape, like AJ did last year. Some of these small schoolers are so hungry to make an impact, that they will run through a wall. Can't wait to see him play soon. Dare I say, I'd put money he and Tank will be the most impactful draftees from this 49ers class.

MD,

Speaking of Patton and small school guys. We picked up an undrafted FA CB by the name of Darryl Morris who really intrigues me. He played at Texas St. and I noticed that they went up against Louisiana Tech this year. Do you know of any way to watch that game? Would love to see this kid (tiny but absurdly fast) match-up against a bigger (but slower) Patton.

May 2, 2013 at 5:31 PM

#311

nvchamp9ers
Veteran
Posts: 4,423

I am honestly confused as to why there is so much dislike of Reid on this board. Once we made that pick I was thoroughly elated. Reid, imo, was by far the best fit for our team's scheme in this draft. Dashon Goldson was by no means a "great" cover safety, but that is not what our defense requires. Much like what Goldson did, Reid will simply be asked to diagnose, run/pass, then either cover a deep half or take the responsibilty of a RB/flat. The skills that are needy for that are simple and Reid has them all. He is an extremely smart "field general". A simple job like this schemes safety, will allow Reid to come in "stop thinking" and simply use his athletecism to react. Reid has more range, more speed, and more smarts then Dashon Goldson did, and we made him an All-Pro. I would assume the 9ers are going to give Reid the same kind of assignments as a rookie that the Redskins gave Sean Williams, and while I dont think Reid is nearly the prospect Williams was, he could very well turn into that Rangy ballhawk taking away the back half of the field. Vaccarro is a better cover safety but I dont seem him as the physical/tough player we get in Reid.

May 2, 2013 at 5:45 PM

#312

WildBill
Veteran
Posts: 6,217

Originally posted by nvchamp9ers:
I am honestly confused as to why there is so much dislike of Reid on this board. Once we made that pick I was thoroughly elated. Reid, imo, was by far the best fit for our team's scheme in this draft. Dashon Goldson was by no means a "great" cover safety, but that is not what our defense requires. Much like what Goldson did, Reid will simply be asked to diagnose, run/pass, then either cover a deep half or take the responsibilty of a RB/flat. The skills that are needy for that are simple and Reid has them all. He is an extremely smart "field general". A simple job like this schemes safety, will allow Reid to come in "stop thinking" and simply use his athletecism to react. Reid has more range, more speed, and more smarts then Dashon Goldson did, and we made him an All-Pro. I would assume the 9ers are going to give Reid the same kind of assignments as a rookie that the Redskins gave Sean Williams, and while I dont think Reid is nearly the prospect Williams was, he could very well turn into that Rangy ballhawk taking away the back half of the field. Vaccarro is a better cover safety but I dont seem him as the physical/tough player we get in Reid.

Because so many fans get locked into either the sexy/flashy pick or their draft crush. They also get into a locked phase of thinking that their evaluation is as good or greater than a teams. Of course of the teams is at the bottom, hard to argue that the guy might not be. However, when a team is successful, their argument is less qualified. Like those that think the Cyp or Elam is the same quality player. Not taking into account if the player fits the system.

Of course nothing is full proof, However, most of the analyst didn't pan the move up pick either. Especially the pros who have experience like Gil Brandt and Polian, not saying they are not infalliable, but their weight has more pull to me.

Ertz, JH and company knew all about him, if he is that impactful or dynamic they would have gone after him, but people can't believe that JH would pass on a guy that he helped recruit.

May 2, 2013 at 5:51 PM

#313

LieutKaffee
Veteran
Posts: 1,988

Originally posted by WildBill:

Originally posted by nvchamp9ers:
I am honestly confused as to why there is so much dislike of Reid on this board. Once we made that pick I was thoroughly elated. Reid, imo, was by far the best fit for our team's scheme in this draft. Dashon Goldson was by no means a "great" cover safety, but that is not what our defense requires. Much like what Goldson did, Reid will simply be asked to diagnose, run/pass, then either cover a deep half or take the responsibilty of a RB/flat. The skills that are needy for that are simple and Reid has them all. He is an extremely smart "field general". A simple job like this schemes safety, will allow Reid to come in "stop thinking" and simply use his athletecism to react. Reid has more range, more speed, and more smarts then Dashon Goldson did, and we made him an All-Pro. I would assume the 9ers are going to give Reid the same kind of assignments as a rookie that the Redskins gave Sean Williams, and while I dont think Reid is nearly the prospect Williams was, he could very well turn into that Rangy ballhawk taking away the back half of the field. Vaccarro is a better cover safety but I dont seem him as the physical/tough player we get in Reid.

Because so many fans get locked into either the sexy/flashy pick or their draft crush. They also get into a locked phase of thinking that their evaluation is as good or greater than a teams. Of course of the teams is at the bottom, hard to argue that the guy might not be. However, when a team is successful, their argument is less qualified. Like those that think the Cyp or Elam is the same quality player. Not taking into account if the player fits the system.

Of course nothing is full proof, However, most of the analyst didn't pan the move up pick either. Especially the pros who have experience like Gil Brandt and Polian, not saying they are not infalliable, but their weight has more pull to me.

Ertz, JH and company knew all about him, if he is that impactful or dynamic they would have gone after him, but people can't believe that JH would pass on a guy that he helped recruit.

Good post. When the draft approaches, I start spending quite a bit of time reading scouting reports and posting on this board, but I am way below average at actually knowing anything about the prospects. I don't even watch CFB. I had talked myself into Cyprien or Thomas as the best fits for us, but after seeing what Baalke did to get Reid, I reevaluated why I had come to my conclusions and thought harder about his fit on our team. It may seem like a cop-out to decide I like a move simply because the 49ers made it, but then of course their opinion is far more well-founded than mine!

May 2, 2013 at 6:54 PM

#314

dhp318
Veteran
Posts: 4,924

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Nothing wrong with a B-. It means you hit on some players, missed on others. The draft grades that many experts give are inflated. Way too many A and B grades in my opinion. An average draft should be labeled a C grade. However, I think some see an average draft as a B grade.

Your students must not like you very much

May 2, 2013 at 7:48 PM

#315

GEEK
Veteran
Posts: 19,430

Reid excelled in 2011 with strong talent around him in the secondary. Once those prospects left for the NFL and the Honey Badger did his thing, it exposed Reid quite a bit.

That being said, Dashon Goldson really started developing into an "elite" free safety once we had stability in the secondary and front 7.

I think the 49ers logical approach is that Reid can thrive in his 1st year at the NFL level on a team with stability at nearly every position from the previous year. Once he learns the nuances of the game, the expectation is to become better and better each of the next couple of seasons...similar to Dashon's development.