MadDog49er's FInal Draft Review and Niners' Draft Grade

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by jreff22:

Skov will end up on the PUP to let him fully recover. If we are talking about the 4th ILB there is no reason to rush it. Wilhoite can finish out his contract this year and we can get a comp pick for him when he's picked up by somebody else because of what he did here. Next year Skov and Moody can battle for that 4th spot behind Borland.

What happens when Bowman returns and you have 4 other ILB's on the roster?

By that point somebody else will be hurt if history tells us anything. And even when Bowman returns we can't just drop somebody that fast. If he reaggrivates his knee (God forbid) we need to have some overlap of protection.

I think Moody has PS eligibility as well. If he's inactive most of the year we may just try to push him through waivers. He was only a 6th rounder who is unknown at this point. He doesn't have the name recognition like Skov so I doubt he becomes a big target.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
What happens when Bowman returns and you have 4 other ILB's on the roster?

All depends on their fitness and other value. As in players like Ventrone and Osgood who may be listed as S and WR but are only on roster for special teams in reality.



I do think it likely that Moody and Borland are the competition to start in place of Bowman, but it will be an open competition and Wilhoite and Skov can get in there too.



Realistically we will only ever have 4 on the roster, but the odds are someone else will be injured by time Bowman comes back anyway. This is the NFL after all, and as much as we like to predict depth charts, etc, it's impossible right now. What I would say is this draft and off season has left us with 90 players that seem to offer good cover for injury at almost every position.





Admittedly, there may be issues if we lose Kap, but Gabbert is better than McCoy if not damaged too badly by Jags experience. And returner is a question mark if James not on roster.



I could add comment about other things that have came up on this thread, but I guess there are other threads for them. As for the OP, great work on the analysis. We don't have to agree on everything, but surely other posters can at least acknowledge the work that has gone into it. If I had to grade this draft I give it an A.



And a note for some posters on here - players picked in the draft do not have to start this year, but I seriously expect Ward to feature a lot, and favour Martin and Borland to start in first game, which would be great for them, and no great failure if they don't. As long as the 2016 roster still has half these 12 on the roster the draft gets pass marks, and if 4 or more are starting in 2016 or 2017 then it really does get an A.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

8- Aaron Lynch- Suddenly the dark clouds appear. Worst pick of the day in value for the team. At 150, still a bunch of guys who are going to help the team. Lynch is a formerly great, self-indulged, spoiled, bad attitude, me-first train wreck of a person. Now onto his good characteristics...haha. If he makes the 53 man roster, it will be one of the greatest shocks. Do we really want to add this kid onto a list of guys with character questions on our team? No confidence in him. My pick at 150- Jackson Jeffcoat...who went undrafted, surprisingly, but will contribute more to the NFL than Lynch. GRADE: F-

You just never learn.

I remember having this argument with you before the 2011 draft. You were saying the same type of stuff about Cam Newton. He seems to be doing just fine.

http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/nfl-draft/147861-what-yall-think-cam-newton/page33/

Originally posted by jreff22:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by jreff22:

Skov will end up on the PUP to let him fully recover. If we are talking about the 4th ILB there is no reason to rush it. Wilhoite can finish out his contract this year and we can get a comp pick for him when he's picked up by somebody else because of what he did here. Next year Skov and Moody can battle for that 4th spot behind Borland.

What happens when Bowman returns and you have 4 other ILB's on the roster?

By that point somebody else will be hurt if history tells us anything. And even when Bowman returns we can't just drop somebody that fast. If he reaggrivates his knee (God forbid) we need to have some overlap of protection.

I think Moody has PS eligibility as well. If he's inactive most of the year we may just try to push him through waivers. He was only a 6th rounder who is unknown at this point. He doesn't have the name recognition like Skov so I doubt he becomes a big target.

Those were the old days. With the Niners reputation for loading up on talent due to their high amount of draft picks year after year, every team pays close attention to who is on our practice squad and who we are trying to sneak through waivers.

Originally posted by 60sFan:

Those were the old days. With the Niners reputation for loading up on talent due to their high amount of draft picks year after year, every team pays close attention to who is on our practice squad and who we are trying to sneak through waivers.

For some players yes. I think we give a little too much credit to the full roster. Is somebody going to pick up a kid drafted in the 6th round towards the end of the year to put on their active roster? And this is a kid coming off an ACL injury as well. Chances are he plays a little in preseason and never sees a snap during the regular season. That's a big gamble for an outside team to take for a 53 member. We probably would have more suitors looking to trade for Wilhoite at that point.

I just feel for the kid. People tend to overlook the current talent because we got some new shiny toys a few days ago. Since te draft the list of expendable players has apparently grown around here. Kilgore, Skuta, Hunter, Wilhoite, even Miller now have replacements...or so I'm told.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by jreff22:
Skov will end up on the PUP to let him fully recover. If we are talking about the 4th ILB there is no reason to rush it. Wilhoite can finish out his contract this year and we can get a comp pick for him when he's picked up by somebody else because of what he did here. Next year Skov and Moody can battle for that 4th spot behind Borland.

What happens when Bowman returns and you have 4 other ILB's on the roster?

By the time Bowman comes back injuries will have opened roster spots. look at some of the players on the roster late in the year. Even if all our ILB's stay healthy a spot will open up in another position and we will just keep an extra LB.

What if Darius Fleming plays well in preseason? That would be interesting.

Originally posted by MC9BEAT:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by jreff22:
Skov will end up on the PUP to let him fully recover. If we are talking about the 4th ILB there is no reason to rush it. Wilhoite can finish out his contract this year and we can get a comp pick for him when he's picked up by somebody else because of what he did here. Next year Skov and Moody can battle for that 4th spot behind Borland.

What happens when Bowman returns and you have 4 other ILB's on the roster?

By the time Bowman comes back injuries will have opened roster spots. look at some of the players on the roster late in the year. Even if all our ILB's stay healthy a spot will open up in another position and we will just keep an extra LB.

What if Darius Fleming plays well in preseason? That would be interesting.

Fleming was already cut

Originally posted by GORO:
Jimmie Ward pick was like the Aldon Smith pick. In 2011 I thought we might draft Gabbert who Harbaugh attempted to recruit but they took Smith. I was expecting Bradley Roby or a Wide Receiver but they took Jimmie Ward and when you watch them both on film you can see why.

I love the picks and love the draft but I wish these young men selected would get a real shot to play on Sundays. Such as Ellington whom will have to win the returners job to be active, how can he get playing time with Crabs, Boldin, Johnson and Patton?

Martin will he really get a shot to unseat Kilgore whom is a favorite of the OL Coach.

Lynch pick is worth the risk they invested by drafting him, especially with his college coach giving a recommendation to Harbs.

As far as CB where the two undrafted players from Florida not worth drafting?

Both have character issues, and tested poorly this offseason. Limited upside to both

Originally posted by Big_Daddy:
Woah this thread got derailed for a minute there... back on topic... Love the first 3 picks, which I can see you also did.

Maddog, with 12 picks, you see any surprise cuts this coming year?

Also, I think Hyde plays more than Gore. He's already a better runner right now, we'll have to see if he can pick up our protection assignments.

Hyde and Gore will share a lot of carries. Will be a solid combination. Hyde will have to show he can pass protect to get reps on third down. He has very good hands, but if you can't block, you can't play.

Surprise cuts? Look for salary cap cuts. Not sure Cook is going to pan out, and we'll see what the team thinks about Gabbert once he puts on a helmet. I think many fans look at Johnson from a few years ago. He is not the same player today, and I would not be shocked to see him lopped off if Ellington and Patton show up big in camp.

Originally posted by barrymartin:
Thank you, MadDog...You deserve far more credit for the contribution you make to the Draft section of the boards..

Thanks. Lot of time and effort, but keeps the brain active, for sure. Lot of height/weight/40 times/stats/arrest records floating around inside the cranium.

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
Thanks MadDog...nice round up. I agree with most of your comments, not all.

Agree regarding the future and cover safeties...which I have been arguing since the concusion lawsuit made it apparent the league had to make a stand against helmet hits. Seattle beat us to it but now the niners are compiling a nice group of guys who are tough, fast, and able to cover...smart. The key is to interrupt the routes, harrass receivers, and just use pushing and pulling to the limit...and then past the limit.

I like Skov to compete with Borland...see if they can inspire each other...not that they need it.

Skov is going to show mentally, but that body is pretty shot. He is a longshot to make a roster. Sad.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
My thoughts on Lynch are that while he's a bit of a headcase and kind of an a*****e, he doesn't have a rap sheet, he hasn't gotten into trouble with the law, he hasn't been charged with a DUI, it seems like he had some family issues going on and he seems rather immature although for a guy that only just turned 21, it necessarily isn't all that unusual. If he gets all his issues worked out, nobody is questioning his talent or ability to make plays. Taggart's endorsement of Lynch to Harbaugh is a very good sign since they have such a close relationship, I don't think Taggart would feel pressured to sugar-coat anything necessarily.

With a 5th round pick, its worth the risk, if he plays up the level he is capable of, the 49ers would have a pretty ridiculous steal on their hands. I think the upside on Lynch is so high that you can't help but take a shot at him, for better or worse.


Barrows wrote an article about Lynch, including this video which was Lynch at his best pretty much. It shows what he is fully capable of doing out on the football field.








Personally I think Lynch should work as a 3rd down pass rusher and slowly transition to a DE, taking time over the span of a year or two to add quality mass and work up to 275...280ish.....

He better mature quickly, because this is a man's game. It has been only 2 1/2 months since his combine interview, where he pissed off many for supposedly lying about whatever it was. He is a bridge burner for sure, and I don't like that enerfy entering the locker room. Not for a late rounder.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by barrymartin:
Thank you, MadDog...You deserve far more credit for the contribution you make to the Draft section of the boards..

Thanks. Lot of time and effort, but keeps the brain active, for sure. Lot of height/weight/40 times/stats/arrest records floating around inside the cranium.

I wish I lived in my moms basement sat around all day eating bonbons while copying and pasting info from Al Gore's data base.

MadDog,

Thanks for being such a large part of the Zone's drafting experience. Love ya or hate ya, no one can deny the impact you have had on this board. Most if not all wait for this time every year and with such anticipation of your rankings and opinions. You make this board better and the wealth of knowledge share as a result of discussions, sometimes arguments, about players increases the rolodex of info especially for the late round prospects.

Great job and thanks for being a part of it.

As always, MD - you're the man!