9ersLferInChicago 2015 Mock Draft

9ersLiferInChicago · 2015-02-24T14:01:36-08:00

I really fought with myself to release my mock before the combine. I took a long look at many of these kids, and frankly after watching the combine I cannot say I came away thinking much different than before I saw it, save for Darren Waller and Preston Smith, guys who were on my radar. But I admit the combine changed me with them. I direct Zoners to my "Roster Needs & Priorities" post: http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/nfl-draft/180969-roster-needs-amp-priorities/ The I still see the cornerback spot as being our most pressing need, and I won't budge off that. We are faced with the potential of, yet again, losing our two starting CB for the 2nd season in a row. That's not a good thought to just look over. Also, this mock is reflective of reality unless we mortgage our future and trade up, which I really don't think is necessary. There are many guys I just don't think we have a realistic chance at getting, even if they fit our personnel and scheme. So, I honestly don't expect us to make much noise with trades unless we're trading down. I just don't think our roster is in that big of need for trade up. Last season was an aberration. With all the injuries, distractions, and mismatched offensive scheme it's hard to imagine how this team could have won. But we still have a top roster talent wise, though the coaching staff has a lot to prove with all kinds of pressure. And for me, the bar is sky high. So I have no tolerance for low expectations. I fully expect this team to at least go deep into the playoffs, anything less than an NFC championship appearance will be a failed season in my mind. 1. First round, #15 2. Second round, #46 3. Third round, #79 4. Fourth round, TBD 5. Fifth round, TBD 6. Sixth round, TBD 7. Sixth round, TBD (Compensatory) 8. Seventh round, TBD 9. Seventh round, TBD (Compensatory) 1st CB – Quinten Rollins, 5'11", 193lbs, Miami (Ohio) – 4.57 40 Please keep in mind that Cully, Cox, and Cook are all UFA, and I doubt very seriously that we'll be able to re-sign all of them – maybe one – but not all three. I won't speak for anyone else but I think this guy is the best all-around CB in the draft. His game screams NFC West. Rollins is just impressive. One of the smarter CB's in the draft. Not much to say negative about him other than he don't have much experience at the position seeing that he played 4 years playing basketball with only one season of football. But to me that speaks to his athleticism. This is a "can't miss" pick. Trust me this guy will be one of the top 2 or 3 NFL CB for years to come. Good character. Strong work ethic. Despite his extremely physical style of play Rollins proved to be very durable. Can be put on an island ALL GAME. Won't be bullied by top, 6-3+ 215+lbs WR's. Fights through blocks very well, so offenses won't make much of a living running his way. Crowds WR's down field. Absolutely enjoys tackling, and a sure tackler to boot. Actually, he's perhaps the meanest tackling CB in this draft. This guy has shut-down written all over him. Day one starter. 2nd WR – Jaelen Strong, 6'2", 217lbs, Arizona St. – 4.44 40 Unless we move up (or unless there GM's and FO's smoking crack) Amari Cooper, Kevin White, and DeVante Parker will not be available at pick 15. I'm high on Dorial Green-Beckham, but we just don't need anymore character headaches on this team, not on a team still close to another championship. Jaelen Strong would be a really good fit for the 49ers WR corps, who'd come in and be at least the #2 WR. Very good hands catcher. Strong at the point-of-attack and won't get re-routed or bullied at the LOS. Perhaps the best body control WR in the draft. Very good at in-flight adjustments on the ball, which is really good for a team with a QB with accuracy complaints (not that Kaep can't be accurate). Tough, and definitely NOT afraid of the middle of the field. Coachable; no character issues at all. About the only negatives about this guy is his limited routes, but that's always the case with rookie WR's. Also, a criticism of him is that he didn't have top-end speed. But I've never thought that was the case given what he was asked to do at Arizona St. Day one starter. If there's an early run on WR's (which I doubt) and Strong isn't available I say we still go WR here and draft Devin Funchess of Michigan. His learning curve may be a little steeper than Strong's but Funchess would still be at least the 2nd best WR on our roster. 3rd DE/DT – Preston Smith, 6'5", 271lbs, Miss. St. I have to say that I had to change my mind on this pick because I'm starting to think that there will be teams that will reach for Arik Armstead, who I wanted here. Owamagbe Odighizuwa of UCLA and Mario Edwards Jr. of Florida State will likely be out of reach here as well. (But if one of those three are available here we definitely take them.) I thought about Joey Mbu of Houston, but the more I looked at his film/highlights the more I came away thinking that he'd be more of a liability on 2nd and 3rd down. Preston Smith, not so much. Smith (yeah, another Smith) has a ridiculous wingspan (something Baalke loves). Won't be moved or pushed around. Much like Cowboy, Preston can be moved all around the D-line and still create problems for the offense and push the pocket better than reasonable. Won't beat anyone with speed, but then again neither did Cowboy. Would make the 53. 4th RB – Terrance Magee, 5'8", 213, LSU Although I do think Gore will be returning I do think we should draft for depth here. Gore has, tops, one more season left in him. Terrance Magee is a very good all-around back who dose pretty much everything well. He's not a burner but he has adequate speed in the open field to get separation when separation is needed. Once he's gone, he's gone and rarely caught from behind. Is a brave pass blocker of the Gore verity. A very balanced runner with good vision. Runs between the tackles very well, won't shy away from contact, and finishes runs. Extremely good hands-catching RB. Would make the 53. 5th QB – Sean Mannion, 6'6", 229lbs, Oregon State Not gonna go into why we need this pick. Kaep needs to be pushed by a legitimate contender, and Mannion is that, and then some. IMHO, what this team needs, among other things, is a good old fashioned QB controversy. JJ and Crappert posed absolutely no threat at all to Kaep's position as the starting QB and gave no push, and that's just simply unacceptable. Mannion would give this offense a prototypical QB dimension. Big and strong. Throws an accurate deep and short ball, and throws with real touch on the intermediate routes. Played under center in a pro-style offense under Mike Riley. I'm actually a little shocked he's rated this low. I still have a 2nd – 3rd round grade on this kid. But every place I've looked he's graded as a 5th – 6th. So getting him here would be larceny. Mannion won't wow anyone with his speed or mobility. Gonna have to learn how to step up in the pocket as his first read will often be taken away in the NFL. Gonna have to learn to better deal with pocket pressure and simply face it down. Would make the 46. 6th TE – Wes Saxton, 6'4", 243lbs, South Alabama – 4.65 40 Personally, I think we've held on to Vernon Davis a year too long. His drop-off last season was painfully obvious and hard to watch. Now, that may have been connected to the scheme that JH & Co. tried to employ with Kaep. And injuries had something to say about it as well. But when he was on the field he simply looked like a man at the end of his career. And no one behind Davis has impressed me frankly. Saxton is extremely athletic. Carries the ball with real physicality. Very versatile; can be split out and play with his hands in the dirt. Decent blocker. Perhaps the biggest thing Saxton would bring (back) to the 49ers is that H-back dimension that Delany Walker provided. He would cause all kinds of problems for a defense with the formation looks alone. Saxton will have to improve his concentration as he had some ugly drops. Also, he can stand to bulk up a bit, and given his frame it can be said that he isn't even done growing, which is scary. Still, somebody not named Vernon Davis will get pushed off the roster if we draft this kid. Would make the 46. 7th OLB – Tony Washington, 6'3", 250lbs, Oregon Can never have too many pass-rushers. Plus we need to draft for depth here given that some team could overpay for Skuta. Washington is very quick, long, and can drop into coverage. Classic speed edge rusher. His game will fit our 3-4 scheme seamlessly. Won't be a liability in the run game. He's gonna have to get smarter in his plan of attack and develop more moves. Has a lean frame, so will need to bulk up a bit, lower as well as upper body. Would make the 53. 8th WR – Darren Waller, 6'6", 238lbs, Georgia Tech. – 4.46 40 Yes another WR. I have to admit that this is where the combine made me change my mind. This guy would be a real nightmare for defenses to defend. Given that he's a Georgia Tech product he will have to be taught a whole lot, so he'll be a project. But he's worth the pick here. Given his combine and NFL teams hunger for big, physical WR's Waller might not last past the 6th. Given how NFL teams covet these large WR's with speed I won't be at all surprised to see a team reach for Waller in the 6th, or even the 5th. Would make the 53 9th OT/OG – Jamon Brown, 6'4", 323lbs, Louisville This is one huge man who carries his weight well!! Speed rushers have a really difficult time getting around him. Will be a decent replacement for Iupati and excellent swing guy on the line. Played OG and OT very well. Rare athleticism for a man his size. But will need to improve is footwork at the NFL level. I'd like to see him loose a few pounds to improve his stamina (he seemed to get worn down in games). Great value pick here who'd make the team. Could push Looney off the roster. Would make the 53. All nine of those guys would make this roster. Unlike many other Zoners I just don't see us addressing the NG position at all. I know many here love Danny Shelton – so do I – but Dorsey and Ian Williams makes this an unnecessary position to address at all this season. Plus, Shelton won't get out of the top seven, or even the top five. Again, I just don't see the need for trade-ups. outside of CB and WR we just don't have any real glaring needs. Like I said, last season was just too full of injury and distractions for a winning environment to take hold. Thoughts?

Feb 24, 2015 at 2:14 PM

slowriot
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No way Strong is there in the 2nd. He may have to be the 1st round pick.

Feb 24, 2015 at 2:15 PM

evil
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Posts: 46,709

I really LOVE QR, but between his 40 and 3 cone, I see him more as a safety in the NFL. 15 may be a bit high for him too but ridiculous upside, perhaps moreso than any other prospect.

Feb 24, 2015 at 2:21 PM

9ersLiferInChicago
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Posts: 11,151

Originally posted by KRS-1:
I really LOVE QR, but between his 40 and 3 cone, I see him more as a safety in the NFL. 15 may be a bit high for him too but ridiculous upside, perhaps moreso than any other prospect.

Your right, he could play safety. And I don't think 4.7 in the 40 isn't that bad.

Feb 24, 2015 at 2:24 PM

9ersLiferInChicago
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Posts: 11,151

Originally posted by slowriot:
No way Strong is there in the 2nd. He may have to be the 1st round pick.

I disagree. I think there's a really good chance Strong will be there, but a good chance he won't either. But as I stated, if he isn't available I think we take Funchess. I just don't see that many WR's will be gone by our 2nd pick.

Feb 24, 2015 at 2:35 PM

Mr.Mcgibblets
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Would be shocked if Jaelen Strong or Preston Smith were available where you have them. I also don't think Rollins is a 1st rd talent or a day 1 starter.

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:17 PM

9ersLiferInChicago
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Posts: 11,151

Originally posted by Mr.Mcgibblets:
Would be shocked if Jaelen Strong or Preston Smith were available where you have them. I also don't think Rollins is a 1st rd talent or a day 1 starter.

Totally disagree

Feb 24, 2015 at 4:28 PM

NYniner85
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Posts: 118,852

Boy I wouldnt be a fan of Rollins at 15 he looks more like safety and honestly I can't see them losing both cbs in the off season...do u think Waynes will be gone at 15? Collins in a trade down if u like him that much would make sense. Just seems like a reach.

I don't see strong and smith around at those picks....strong isn't making it out of the 1st let alone to our pick in the 2nd. Devin smith might be there though.

Feb 24, 2015 at 4:42 PM

GhostofFredDean74
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Posts: 30,082

Love your passion and belief in your mock, but the odds of the first two picks happening that way (for a variety or reasons) are so remote it's probably incalculable. Not saying it's absolutely totally impossible, but it's the next closest thing to it.

Now, if you flipped those picks, your odds increase as would your positive replies.

Feb 24, 2015 at 4:52 PM

eastcoast49ersfan
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Posts: 4,112

Rollins at 15 is a huge reach and I don't think Strong or Smith will be there for our 2nd and 3rd round picks either. Strong wasn't expected to be there before he blew up at the combine and ran a 4.44 which no one was expecting. Smith moved well and has really good length (34" arms) which is why everyone on here wants him and why he won't be there in the 3rd round.

In my opinion, Rollins ends up as the 4th CB taken. He has good instincts for having not played that much football, but his potential is nowhere near what some people have been saying. He's not very athletic and has terrible length (30 1/4"). Waynes will definitely go ahead of him and I expect Peters and Collins to as well.

Feb 24, 2015 at 4:58 PM

#10

eastcoast49ersfan
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Posts: 4,112

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Love your passion and belief in your mock, but the odds of the first two picks happening that way (for a variety or reasons) are so remote it's probably incalculable. Not saying it's absolutely totally impossible, but it's the next closest thing to it.

Now, if you flipped those picks, your odds increase as would your positive replies.

That's a good point. I think there's a much better chance Rollins is there in the 2nd round. I forgot about Kevin Johnson when I was listing CB's who will be taken before Rollins. There are probably 5-6 CB's who could potentially go in the first round and Rollins isn't one of them anymore.

Feb 24, 2015 at 5:56 PM

#11

9ersLiferInChicago
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Posts: 11,151

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Boy I wouldnt be a fan of Rollins at 15 he looks more like safety and honestly I can't see them losing both cbs in the off season...do u think Waynes will be gone at 15? Collins in a trade down if u like him that much would make sense. Just seems like a reach.

I don't see strong and smith around at those picks....strong isn't making it out of the 1st let alone to our pick in the 2nd. Devin smith might be there though.

I don't think Waynes will get out of the top 10. But beyond that I'm not really high on him as everyone else is. And I don't think it'll be that big of a run on WR's. But, as I stated, if Strong is gone We can still get Funchess.

Feb 24, 2015 at 5:58 PM

#12

stonecold590
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Posts: 2,382

Originally posted by Mr.Mcgibblets:
Would be shocked if Jaelen Strong or Preston Smith were available where you have them. I also don't think Rollins is a 1st rd talent or a day 1 starter.

Agree with all of this.

Feb 24, 2015 at 6:02 PM

#13

NYniner85
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Posts: 118,852

Originally posted by 9ersLiferInChicago:
Originally posted by NYniner85:
Boy I wouldnt be a fan of Rollins at 15 he looks more like safety and honestly I can't see them losing both cbs in the off season...do u think Waynes will be gone at 15? Collins in a trade down if u like him that much would make sense. Just seems like a reach.

I don't see strong and smith around at those picks....strong isn't making it out of the 1st let alone to our pick in the 2nd. Devin smith might be there though.
I don't think Waynes will get out of the top 10. But beyond that I'm not really high on him as everyone else is. And I don't think it'll be that big of a run on WR's. But, as I stated, if Strong is gone We can still get Funchess.

I don't want any part of funchess unless he drops to the 4th. Waynes is a stud I think he's only allowed 2 Tds in 2 years.

Feb 24, 2015 at 8:01 PM

#14

bors
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Posts: 5,735

Really enjoyed your break downs..and you had a mbu referance.lol..liked him from.combine..Thanks for the work you put in..do you think the vets combine will affect your draft