The reason wanting to draft a "Big Frame" WR is just overrated

Agree with that, We tend to prioritize size when evaluating potential draft picks at WR, when it comes down to just being a baller
someone that makes plays and is productive

Now if you can find someone that is a baller and has size thats great, but size shouldnt be the first attribute looked at

With that said, I want the Niners to take Beckham Jr. or Adams, both are ballers

Tell that Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Josh Gordon.

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Tell that Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Josh Gordon.

Tell that to Steve Smith, Victor Cruz and Reggie Wayne.

I think skill is far more important than size overall. The guys who are true superfreaks, who are big, fast, highly skilled, usually end up going in the Top 5 picks of the draft. Your Calvin Johnson's, Larry Fitzgerald's, AJ Green type receivers. Unless you're a super chitty team, you aren't drafting one of those guys. Gordon would have been up there with that group as well if he hadn't been a complete screwup.


Then you look at some of the bigger receivers taken on in the latter part of the 1st round and 2nd round, this is where you fall into a trap. Jon Baldwin, Stephen Hill....etc. Drafting a guy because he's bigger, not because he's skilled almost always leads to disaster. For where the 49ers will be picking in the 1st round, I'd take someone like Jarvis Landry over any "big" receiver that will be available at that point. Excellent route runner, freakishly good hands, clutch player on 3rd down....etc...etc


Find the most talented guy, the best route runner, the best hands, the most tenacious and hard-working, whether big or small, find that guy.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Tell that Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Josh Gordon.

Tell that to Steve Smith, Victor Cruz and Reggie Wayne.

I will gladly take Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Josh Gordon 6 days a week and TWICE ON SUNDAY over and above the people you listed....

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
I will gladly take Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Josh Gordon 6 days a week and TWICE ON SUNDAY over and above the people you listed....

Good for you.

The problem with the smaller guys is they tend to get injured. They are only on the field half the time. I agree we can't totally ignore the smaller players, bug being big is a huge plus.

Originally posted by fryet:
The problem with the smaller guys is they tend to get injured. They are only on the field half the time. I agree we can't totally ignore the smaller players, bug being big is a huge plus.

You mean big receivers don't ever get injured?













Reggie Wayne didn't miss a single game in 10 seasons until this year. Receivers in general will start suffering more injuries as a result of the NFL's new policies regarding concussions. If anything, smaller receivers have it better than ever before due to the rule changes preventing a lot of hard hits, these guys won't suffer as much wear and tear as they might have in the past.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by fryet:
The problem with the smaller guys is they tend to get injured. They are only on the field half the time. I agree we can't totally ignore the smaller players, bug being big is a huge plus.

You mean big receivers don't ever get injured?













Reggie Wayne didn't miss a single game in 10 seasons until this year. Receivers in general will start suffering more injuries as a result of the NFL's new policies regarding concussions. If anything, smaller receivers have it better than ever before due to the rule changes preventing a lot of hard hits, these guys won't suffer as much wear and tear as they might have in the past.

Thank you!

Stephen Hill should be the latest major cautionary tale as to why people shouldn't obsess so much over size and speed. I was guilty of pushing for him a bit too, along with Tommy Streeter.....lesson learned. He has looked exactly like what his college performance indicated, freakishly athletic, but a better athlete than receiver, a guy who runs sloppy routes and has a bad case of dropsies when the football actually comes his way.


Better pick than AJ Jenkins? Definitely. Better pick than a bunch of guys picked after him? Absolutely not. People fell in love with his size and speed but didn't seem to concentrate on the small issue of him not really being all that skilled of a receiver. Now Jets fans are basically looking at him is a big bust.

It doesn't matter what size you are, as long as you have the heart. Guys like Landry, Lee, Beckham all pop out as guys with a ton of heart and I would be more than happy to have someone like that on our team next year.

"Dear Stephen Hill,


I was incredibly excited about your potential when the Jets moved up and drafted you with 43rd overall selection in the 2012 draft. I remember gawking at your college highlights from Georgia Tech, the same school Lions receiver Calvin Johnson went to, thinking one day you might be just as productive. You had great size standing at 6 foot 4 and blazing fast speed which you showed in the 40 yard dash at the combine when you ran in the 4.3′s. Analysts said you were raw, and would need to improve in a lot of areas to be an effective receiver at the next level, but the Jets, like many, were too smitten with your measurable statistics.


I personally was excited to potentially see you grow into the next Megatron, I even had your Decepticon name picked out. You were to be Starscream (after all Starscream transforms into a Jet), Megatrons second in command constantly pining for the throne. In your first game ever you blew up with 5 receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns.

You showed your deep threat ability on the first TD, and your incredible speed in the second on a crossing route where you made the second effort to stay in bounds while diving into the end-zone. Fast forward to now and I am sad to say you have not earned your Decepticon nickname, as a matter of fact you haven't even earned a starting spot in the Jets roster that is known to all as having a lack of wide receiver talent.

You struggled with ball security, getting off press coverage, and worst of all you struggle catching the ball. You rarely used the size you possess to gain position and advantage on passes thrown your way, and we haven't seen your speed translate consistently on the NFL field."





Yes, Stephen Hill....."this guy could be Calvin Johnson or at least Demaryius Thomas"....except both of those guys were far more skilled as receivers.

6'4", 215, 4.36 40, basically SanDiego's wet dream and just not a very good receiver in spite of the Jets doing everything possible to force the ball to him. Injury prone too.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

I think skill is far more important than size overall. The guys who are true superfreaks, who are big, fast, highly skilled, usually end up going in the Top 5 picks of the draft. Your Calvin Johnson's, Larry Fitzgerald's, AJ Green type receivers. Unless you're a super chitty team, you aren't drafting one of those guys. Gordon would have been up there with that group as well if he hadn't been a complete screwup.


Then you look at some of the bigger receivers taken on in the latter part of the 1st round and 2nd round, this is where you fall into a trap. Jon Baldwin, Stephen Hill....etc. Drafting a guy because he's bigger, not because he's skilled almost always leads to disaster. For where the 49ers will be picking in the 1st round, I'd take someone like Jarvis Landry over any "big" receiver that will be available at that point. Excellent route runner, freakishly good hands, clutch player on 3rd down....etc...etc

What made Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne great? I'm sorry but you can't teach or coach up all that.


Find the most talented guy, the best route runner, the best hands, the most tenacious and hard-working, whether big or small, find that guy.

I do think that certain traits a particular receiver has might be more valuable to different teams in different situations. For example, if Crabtree was 6'5" instead of 6'0" it makes that deep jump ball a slightly better play. Having said that, I do agree with you in principle.

The draftniks and the wannabe draftniks continue to look for ways to differentiate players more easily and often times the physical size/speed combo pops up as an obvious point of differentiation. What they tend to overlook (I feel) is the general question of "who is better at the game of football". We as a public tend to believe we can just suddenly "coach up" a physical specimen in a way that hasn't been seen at the collegiate level yet. Lets get real here, what more can they teach that a college crew can't? College coaches frequently bounce between NFL and NCAA so what's different? I believe people overstate how much your staff can teach the intangibles (timing, reading defenses, etc.) or improve their fundamentals (ie. route running). While there are always success stories there are a ton of failures. Stock your team with guys who can play the game and you start to get nervous drafting speed guys with limited reps (Jenkins anybody?).

You don't draft a big-framed WR just to have one. It's not because "their height alone makes them a RZ threat" even. You draft one that you expect to become a good pro in the NFL because they KNOW how to use their big frame to their advantage. That's what you're looking for; not just any big-framed guy out there.