OTC's 49ers Draft Grade and Analysis

Summary: I'll admit, as much as I want to give "Bargain Bin" Baalke the benefit of the doubt, this latter half of the draft was painful. This is where Baalke is supposed to make his money, earn his keep. If some of these guys aren't at least role playing contributors, if they aren't at least on the team or practice squad (and that's at the absolute BARE MINIMUM), then the pick is completely wasted. THAT, my friends, is UNACCEPTABLE.

I'm not saying he's wasted them NOW. Not yet. But I'm very concerned that this may be the case. Maybe Baalke and the scouts saw things no one else did. Maybe. Maybe not. We had four picks after the 4th round. The outcome of these later picks will be a testament to how good Baalke & company really are. If none of them make the team, I will be furious. You can't throw away picks like that. You don't pick players you don't think can make the team and contribute. That's the whole point of the draft, so obviously they believe these guys were worth it.

I haven't seen the results yet, but I admit I was underwhelmed with some of the picks. The success of this is tied heavily -- check that, almost ENTIRELY -- to the long term development of some talented, but project players. I'll give Baalke credit for getting a couple more picks for next year again, but that doesn't change my grade much.

1. Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon
While not a bad pick, he wasn't the best value on the board to me. There is obviously a lot of upside and his playoff/bowl game/championship performances were very good, but I thought he was a borderline 1st, early 2nd. Yes, his numbers weren't great partially due to the scheme and his role, but Henry Anderson played in the same scheme -- even spending some time at NT -- and put up superior numbers. GRADE: B+

2. Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford
I graded Tartt as an early third rounder. Small school status bumped him down a little, but he competed well at the Senior Bowl and depending on how quick he adjusts, he can contribute in year one. He is one of the better safeties in a weak class and provides insurance if Reid gets hurt again. Slightly higher than I thought he'd go, but not exactly a reach when there was a chance another team probably would've taken him if we tried to trade back. Still, several players available here at WR I would've taken instead and then got a safety later. GRADE: B+

3. Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
Still needs a lot of work, but that is to be expected from a raw, 20 year old underclassman. He flashes potential and is the right value here in the 3rd. This is a good pick. GRADE: A

4. Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma
This is a better pick than people think. Great red zone threat who is just scratching the surface of his potential. 6-6 260 yet quicker (6.88 3-cone time at combine) than most receivers. Bell talked about how at QB you're not focusing on the same kind of muscle development you do in the upper body at tight end and that he continues to get stronger and stronger there. Vernon likely isn't back in 2016 and if we cut ties with McDonald, Bell probably makes the team. Grade: A-

4. Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina
Certainly needs to improve his conditioning and take care of his body so he stays healthy, but when he is healthy, he's a good, balanced player. Solid par-value pick here. GRADE: B+

4. DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech
Was picked way sooner than I expected, and hopefully he can fully recover. The massive learning curve and the injury had me giving him a 6th - 7th round grade. While he has some skills to work with, I'd have waited at least until the 5th or so to take him. Reason? He'll likely miss all of this season. Even if he does recover, considering the learning curve in his next seasons, at best we have a good possession receiver in 3 years. GRADE: C+

5. Bradley Pinion, P, Clemson
In researching the punter, his best ability was pinning teams inside the 20. But I don't think he was the best K/P in this class. Would have taken Justin Manton (who doubles as a kicker -- anyone remember the great Craig Hentrich?) in the 7th. He may eventually be something, but I'm sorry, I don't see him beating out Andy Lee or even making the PS, so I can't be on board with an underclassman punter this early. GRADE: F

6. Ian Silberman, OG, Boston College
He shut out Leonard Williams in their matchup this year in the sack/TFL column (although, he did have help some of the time on double-teams). But that was just one game. He does flash a nasty streak but he played much of the season below 300 pounds which probably hurt his value to some teams. Also comes with a variety of technical flaws and inconsistencies, but that's typical for a sixth rounder. PS Candidate and maybe someone to compete for a job in year two. GRADE: B-

7. Trenton Brown, OT, Florida
This pick I like. Massive lineman who is remarkably light on his feet for his size. If they conditioned him to lose even a little bit of that weight and play at around 335-340, you've got a developmental OT with swing-tackle potential. GRADE: A

7. Rory "Busta" Anderson, TE, South Carolina
I actually mocked him to the 49ers a couple months back. Thought he was a very, very strange candidate for us to pick him if he was still here and sure enough, we did. Zero risk, high reward. Very athletic TE who could contribute if only he could stay healthy. Still think there were better players on the board, but I'm OK with this pick. B+


Overall grade: B

Bottom Line: Even though I like several of the players, the simple fact remains is that we were aware that none of these players were likely instant impact players, and we were okay with that. I cannot reconcile that as a fan. I am not a proponent of making your entire draft contingent upon projects developing. There needs to be balance, and having some projects and some immediate contributors throughout your draft should be the goal. We really didn't appear to do that -- or have any intention of doing that -- this year. When your "projects" aren't good enough -- and you already knew that there's a good chance they don't make the team -- and you take them anyway, that is wasteful, ineffecient drafting that won't get you maximum value to your team. The success of the players in the second half of this draft will tell us either Baalke knew something we didn't, or he's just not as good of a talent evaluator as some think.

You gave a lot of B+s and A's to be so harsh on the draft, don't you think? This draft has to be the most unsexy in Baalke's tenure, so I really hope it works out. If it doesn't, there is no cover behind coach firings any longer.

Also, any thought of opening up the offense a bit and adding zone blocking schemes was crushed with this draft. We kept draft big, powerful but slow offensive players. Particularly at offensive line and RB. In a league searching to add speed, the 49ers are an interesting anomaly. Baalke is the polar opposite of Chip Kelly so it will be interesting to gauge both approaches.

Originally posted by bzborow1:
You gave a lot of B+s and A's to be so harsh on the draft, don't you think? This draft has to be the most unsexy in Baalke's tenure, so I really hope it works out. If it doesn't, there is no cover behind coach firings any longer.

Also, any thought of opening up the offense a bit and adding zone blocking schemes was crushed with this draft. We kept draft big, powerful but slow offensive players. Particularly at offensive line and RB. In a league searching to add speed, the 49ers are an interesting anomaly. Baalke is the polar opposite of Chip Kelly so it will be interesting to gauge both approaches.

As far as the O-Linemen go you have a point, but both TEs they drafted seem to have good speed on film and they also added Torrey Smith and Reggie Bush at the same time who would think would both be considered fast for their positions.

I agree that the comments seem a little harsh for what appears to be a good overall grade. I can't really argue with the comments though. I like the players drafted and I even see where they fit, but they do seem to be long-term pieces. Best case scenario for this season I can see is Armstead, Tartt, Davis and maybe Harold getting some run in sub packages with the rest of the guys as inactives or practice squaders. That's not going to get a fan-base excited.

Originally posted by bzborow1:
You gave a lot of B+s and A's to be so harsh on the draft, don't you think? This draft has to be the most unsexy in Baalke's tenure, so I really hope it works out. If it doesn't, there is no cover behind coach firings any longer.

Also, any thought of opening up the offense a bit and adding zone blocking schemes was crushed with this draft. We kept draft big, powerful but slow offensive players. Particularly at offensive line and RB. In a league searching to add speed, the 49ers are an interesting anomaly. Baalke is the polar opposite of Chip Kelly so it will be interesting to gauge both approaches.

Same thing i was about to type. I'm pretty confused here.

Originally posted by bzborow1:
You gave a lot of B+s and A's to be so harsh on the draft, don't you think? This draft has to be the most unsexy in Baalke's tenure, so I really hope it works out. If it doesn't, there is no cover behind coach firings any longer.

Also, any thought of opening up the offense a bit and adding zone blocking schemes was crushed with this draft. We kept draft big, powerful but slow offensive players. Particularly at offensive line and RB. In a league searching to add speed, the 49ers are an interesting anomaly. Baalke is the polar opposite of Chip Kelly so it will be interesting to gauge both approaches.

Silberman is barely 300, and Brown was actually quick enough at 380 (!!!!) to make me believe he'd perform fine on zone plays at 350 or lower (hopefully 335 or less).

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by bzborow1:
You gave a lot of B+s and A's to be so harsh on the draft, don't you think? This draft has to be the most unsexy in Baalke's tenure, so I really hope it works out. If it doesn't, there is no cover behind coach firings any longer.

Also, any thought of opening up the offense a bit and adding zone blocking schemes was crushed with this draft. We kept draft big, powerful but slow offensive players. Particularly at offensive line and RB. In a league searching to add speed, the 49ers are an interesting anomaly. Baalke is the polar opposite of Chip Kelly so it will be interesting to gauge both approaches.

Same thing i was about to type. I'm pretty confused here.

he explains that the draft is more than the sum of its parts because he expected a more blended strategy, affecting this season as well as next.

Originally posted by WRATHman44:

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by bzborow1:
You gave a lot of B+s and A's to be so harsh on the draft, don't you think? This draft has to be the most unsexy in Baalke's tenure, so I really hope it works out. If it doesn't, there is no cover behind coach firings any longer.

Also, any thought of opening up the offense a bit and adding zone blocking schemes was crushed with this draft. We kept draft big, powerful but slow offensive players. Particularly at offensive line and RB. In a league searching to add speed, the 49ers are an interesting anomaly. Baalke is the polar opposite of Chip Kelly so it will be interesting to gauge both approaches.

Same thing i was about to type. I'm pretty confused here.

he explains that the draft is more than the sum of its parts because he expected a more blended strategy, affecting this season as well as next.

I guess so but when you say the picks at the bottom of this draft were painful and underwhelming than precede to give then all good grades it's kinda confusing.

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by WRATHman44:

Originally posted by lamontb:

Originally posted by bzborow1:
You gave a lot of B+s and A's to be so harsh on the draft, don't you think? This draft has to be the most unsexy in Baalke's tenure, so I really hope it works out. If it doesn't, there is no cover behind coach firings any longer.

Also, any thought of opening up the offense a bit and adding zone blocking schemes was crushed with this draft. We kept draft big, powerful but slow offensive players. Particularly at offensive line and RB. In a league searching to add speed, the 49ers are an interesting anomaly. Baalke is the polar opposite of Chip Kelly so it will be interesting to gauge both approaches.

Same thing i was about to type. I'm pretty confused here.

he explains that the draft is more than the sum of its parts because he expected a more blended strategy, affecting this season as well as next.

I guess so but when you say the picks at the bottom of this draft were painful and underwhelming than precede to give then all good grades it's kinda confusing.

I think he means that the are players he liked, but he thinks they'll be cut so that's frustrating.

I'm sure he can explain better than I can.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Summary: I'll admit, as much as I want to give "Bargain Bin" Baalke the benefit of the doubt, this latter half of the draft was painful. This is where Baalke is supposed to make his money, earn his keep. If some of these guys aren't at least role playing contributors, if they aren't at least on the team or practice squad (and that's at the absolute BARE MINIMUM), then the pick is completely wasted. THAT, my friends, is UNACCEPTABLE.

I'm not saying he's wasted them NOW. Not yet. But I'm very concerned that this may be the case. Maybe Baalke and the scouts saw things no one else did. Maybe. Maybe not. We had four picks after the 4th round. The outcome of these later picks will be a testament to how good Baalke & company really are. If none of them make the team, I will be furious. You can't throw away picks like that. You don't pick players you don't think can make the team and contribute. That's the whole point of the draft, so obviously they believe these guys were worth it.

I haven't seen the results yet, but I admit I was underwhelmed with some of the picks. The success of this is tied heavily -- check that, almost ENTIRELY -- to the long term development of some talented, but project players. I'll give Baalke credit for getting a couple more picks for next year again, but that doesn't change my grade much.

1. Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon
While not a bad pick, he wasn't the best value on the board to me. There is obviously a lot of upside and his playoff/bowl game/championship performances were very good, but I thought he was a borderline 1st, early 2nd. Yes, his numbers weren't great partially due to the scheme and his role, but Henry Anderson played in the same scheme -- even spending some time at NT -- and put up superior numbers. GRADE: B+

2. Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford
I graded Tartt as an early third rounder. Small school status bumped him down a little, but he competed well at the Senior Bowl and depending on how quick he adjusts, he can contribute in year one. He is one of the better safeties in a weak class and provides insurance if Reid gets hurt again. Slightly higher than I thought he'd go, but not exactly a reach when there was a chance another team probably would've taken him if we tried to trade back. Still, several players available here at WR I would've taken instead and then got a safety later. GRADE: B+

3. Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
Still needs a lot of work, but that is to be expected from a raw, 20 year old underclassman. He flashes potential and is the right value here in the 3rd. This is a good pick. GRADE: A

4. Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma
This is a better pick than people think. Great red zone threat who is just scratching the surface of his potential. 6-6 260 yet quicker (6.88 3-cone time at combine) than most receivers. Bell talked about how at QB you're not focusing on the same kind of muscle development you do in the upper body at tight end and that he continues to get stronger and stronger there. Vernon likely isn't back in 2016 and if we cut ties with McDonald, Bell probably makes the team. Grade: A-

4. Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina
Certainly needs to improve his conditioning and take care of his body so he stays healthy, but when he is healthy, he's a good, balanced player. Solid par-value pick here. GRADE: B+

4. DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech
Was picked way sooner than I expected, and hopefully he can fully recover. The massive learning curve and the injury had me giving him a 6th - 7th round grade. While he has some skills to work with, I'd have waited at least until the 5th or so to take him. Reason? He'll likely miss all of this season. Even if he does recover, considering the learning curve in his next seasons, at best we have a good possession receiver in 3 years. GRADE: C+

5. Bradley Pinion, P, Clemson
In researching the punter, his best ability was pinning teams inside the 20. But I don't think he was the best K/P in this class. Would have taken Justin Manton (who doubles as a kicker -- anyone remember the great Craig Hentrich?) in the 7th. He may eventually be something, but I'm sorry, I don't see him beating out Andy Lee or even making the PS, so I can't be on board with an underclassman punter this early. GRADE: F

6. Ian Silberman, OG, Boston College
He shut out Leonard Williams in their matchup this year in the sack/TFL column (although, he did have help some of the time on double-teams). But that was just one game. He does flash a nasty streak but he played much of the season below 300 pounds which probably hurt his value to some teams. Also comes with a variety of technical flaws and inconsistencies, but that's typical for a sixth rounder. PS Candidate and maybe someone to compete for a job in year two. GRADE: B-

7. Trenton Brown, OT, Florida
This pick I like. Massive lineman who is remarkably light on his feet for his size. If they conditioned him to lose even a little bit of that weight and play at around 335-340, you've got a developmental OT with swing-tackle potential. GRADE: A

7. Rory "Busta" Anderson, TE, South Carolina
I actually mocked him to the 49ers a couple months back. Thought he was a very, very strange candidate for us to pick him if he was still here and sure enough, we did. Zero risk, high reward. Very athletic TE who could contribute if only he could stay healthy. Still think there were better players on the board, but I'm OK with this pick. B+


Overall grade: B

Bottom Line: Even though I like several of the players, the simple fact remains is that we were aware that none of these players were likely instant impact players, and we were okay with that. I cannot reconcile that as a fan. I am not a proponent of making your entire draft contingent upon projects developing. There needs to be balance, and having some projects and some immediate contributors throughout your draft should be the goal. We really didn't appear to do that -- or have any intention of doing that -- this year. When your "projects" aren't good enough -- and you already knew that there's a good chance they don't make the team -- and you take them anyway, that is wasteful, ineffecient drafting that won't get you maximum value to your team. The success of the players in the second half of this draft will tell us either Baalke knew something we didn't, or he's just not as good of a talent evaluator as some think.

I think a big part of the reason why they went with so many projects is that they have so many other guys who either haven't played or haven't gotten a chance to play much that they believe can make an impact. Reaser, Acker, Johnson, Thomas, Ramsay, Millard, Patton, Ellington, McDonald....etc....if you believe that those guys are ready for prime time, it changes things a lot.

Fair grade! I predict we'll see about 13 players go on the PUP/IR list about two days before the final cuts.

OTC, Rory "Busta" Anderson, TE, South Carolina...at 6'5" 244, do you see him losing about 10-15 pounds and trying out at the X WR position (i.e. Boldin/Smelter's backup)? We already signed Carrier to a LT deal as basically, our H-Back and now have VD (last year), McDonald (needs a chance) and Bell (doubles as a 3rd QB)...Celek, Cleveland and Grimble should be done this year.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
I think a big part of the reason why they went with so many projects is that they have so many other guys who either haven't played or haven't gotten a chance to play much that they believe can make an impact. Reaser, Acker, Johnson, Thomas, Ramsay, Millard, Patton, Ellington, McDonald....etc....if you believe that those guys are ready for prime time, it changes things a lot.

Sooooo many players that just need a chance this year. Period.

Absolutely agree on Pinion!

Total head-scratcher.

Justin Manion would have been my call.

When I first started reading your post I was expecting scathing reviews and grades.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Summary: I'll admit, as much as I want to give "Bargain Bin" Baalke the benefit of the doubt, this latter half of the draft was painful. This is where Baalke is supposed to make his money, earn his keep. If some of these guys aren't at least role playing contributors, if they aren't at least on the team or practice squad (and that's at the absolute BARE MINIMUM), then the pick is completely wasted. THAT, my friends, is UNACCEPTABLE.

I'm not saying he's wasted them NOW. Not yet. But I'm very concerned that this may be the case. Maybe Baalke and the scouts saw things no one else did. Maybe. Maybe not. We had four picks after the 4th round. The outcome of these later picks will be a testament to how good Baalke & company really are. If none of them make the team, I will be furious. You can't throw away picks like that. You don't pick players you don't think can make the team and contribute. That's the whole point of the draft, so obviously they believe these guys were worth it.

I haven't seen the results yet, but I admit I was underwhelmed with some of the picks. The success of this is tied heavily -- check that, almost ENTIRELY -- to the long term development of some talented, but project players. I'll give Baalke credit for getting a couple more picks for next year again, but that doesn't change my grade much.

1. Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon
While not a bad pick, he wasn't the best value on the board to me. There is obviously a lot of upside and his playoff/bowl game/championship performances were very good, but I thought he was a borderline 1st, early 2nd. Yes, his numbers weren't great partially due to the scheme and his role, but Henry Anderson played in the same scheme -- even spending some time at NT -- and put up superior numbers. GRADE: B+

2. Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford
I graded Tartt as an early third rounder. Small school status bumped him down a little, but he competed well at the Senior Bowl and depending on how quick he adjusts, he can contribute in year one. He is one of the better safeties in a weak class and provides insurance if Reid gets hurt again. Slightly higher than I thought he'd go, but not exactly a reach when there was a chance another team probably would've taken him if we tried to trade back. Still, several players available here at WR I would've taken instead and then got a safety later. GRADE: B+

3. Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
Still needs a lot of work, but that is to be expected from a raw, 20 year old underclassman. He flashes potential and is the right value here in the 3rd. This is a good pick. GRADE: A

4. Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma
This is a better pick than people think. Great red zone threat who is just scratching the surface of his potential. 6-6 260 yet quicker (6.88 3-cone time at combine) than most receivers. Bell talked about how at QB you're not focusing on the same kind of muscle development you do in the upper body at tight end and that he continues to get stronger and stronger there. Vernon likely isn't back in 2016 and if we cut ties with McDonald, Bell probably makes the team. Grade: A-

4. Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina
Certainly needs to improve his conditioning and take care of his body so he stays healthy, but when he is healthy, he's a good, balanced player. Solid par-value pick here. GRADE: B+

4. DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech
Was picked way sooner than I expected, and hopefully he can fully recover. The massive learning curve and the injury had me giving him a 6th - 7th round grade. While he has some skills to work with, I'd have waited at least until the 5th or so to take him. Reason? He'll likely miss all of this season. Even if he does recover, considering the learning curve in his next seasons, at best we have a good possession receiver in 3 years. GRADE: C+

5. Bradley Pinion, P, Clemson
In researching the punter, his best ability was pinning teams inside the 20. But I don't think he was the best K/P in this class. Would have taken Justin Manton (who doubles as a kicker -- anyone remember the great Craig Hentrich?) in the 7th. He may eventually be something, but I'm sorry, I don't see him beating out Andy Lee or even making the PS, so I can't be on board with an underclassman punter this early. GRADE: F

6. Ian Silberman, OG, Boston College
He shut out Leonard Williams in their matchup this year in the sack/TFL column (although, he did have help some of the time on double-teams). But that was just one game. He does flash a nasty streak but he played much of the season below 300 pounds which probably hurt his value to some teams. Also comes with a variety of technical flaws and inconsistencies, but that's typical for a sixth rounder. PS Candidate and maybe someone to compete for a job in year two. GRADE: B-

7. Trenton Brown, OT, Florida
This pick I like. Massive lineman who is remarkably light on his feet for his size. If they conditioned him to lose even a little bit of that weight and play at around 335-340, you've got a developmental OT with swing-tackle potential. GRADE: A

7. Rory "Busta" Anderson, TE, South Carolina
I actually mocked him to the 49ers a couple months back. Thought he was a very, very strange candidate for us to pick him if he was still here and sure enough, we did. Zero risk, high reward. Very athletic TE who could contribute if only he could stay healthy. Still think there were better players on the board, but I'm OK with this pick. B+


Overall grade: B

Bottom Line: Even though I like several of the players, the simple fact remains is that we were aware that none of these players were likely instant impact players, and we were okay with that. I cannot reconcile that as a fan. I am not a proponent of making your entire draft contingent upon projects developing. There needs to be balance, and having some projects and some immediate contributors throughout your draft should be the goal. We really didn't appear to do that -- or have any intention of doing that -- this year. When your "projects" aren't good enough -- and you already knew that there's a good chance they don't make the team -- and you take them anyway, that is wasteful, ineffecient drafting that won't get you maximum value to your team. The success of the players in the second half of this draft will tell us either Baalke knew something we didn't, or he's just not as good of a talent evaluator as some think.

I have to disagree with you on Smelter when He gets up to speed He will be our No.1 WR and He has very good speed,not possesion WR speed but Speed to take it to the House.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Overall grade: B

Bottom Line: Even though I like several of the players, the simple fact remains is that we were aware that none of these players were likely instant impact players, and we were okay with that. I cannot reconcile that as a fan. I am not a proponent of making your entire draft contingent upon projects developing. There needs to be balance, and having some projects and some immediate contributors throughout your draft should be the goal. We really didn't appear to do that -- or have any intention of doing that -- this year. When your "projects" aren't good enough -- and you already knew that there's a good chance they don't make the team -- and you take them anyway, that is wasteful, ineffecient drafting that won't get you maximum value to your team. The success of the players in the second half of this draft will tell us either Baalke knew something we didn't, or he's just not as good of a talent evaluator as some think.

I agree on your bottom line grade. B might be ok if he had just taken over the team and is rebuilding from scratch. Not good enough now that we have a team that's supposed to already be contending & needs holes filled right now. I also agree with your assessment of the last half of the draft. What is the fascination of continuing to draft for quantity instead of using those picks to go get more quality? We've already seen just how many of these picks just get wasted & end up getting cut without ever really contributing? Ohhh but Baalke is a master at stockpiling picks, yay, . But the goal is a Super Bowl before we have to replace Staley, Kap, Bowman, Boldin, V.Davis, etc and have to start over again. Wouldn't you rather see 6 top, high quality picks then 10-11-12 projects that might never, ever see the field with this team? If there truly is so much talent on this team, then let's a few ones that will get us over the top.

Thanks for the write up!

I will disagree with the smelter pick I loved it. At that point if they were grabbing a wr I was hoping for him. He has the makeup of a solid wr just needs to get healthy...learning behind boldin and from our new wr coach for a year should do wonders....plus we will get to see what Patton and Ellington can really do this season.

My only real head scratcher was the punter pick in the 5th.