What's a "Shanahan Guy"? | 49ers Prospects Key Traits

Something that has always helped me pinpoint team targets is just really getting at the heart of what qualities the team is looking for in the players they scout. So, I wanted to take a moment to look at what we now know about the type of players the team seems to covet, based on the personnel they've added over the past few years, and schematic changes we've seen recently. Every team narrows down their list during draft season to the players who they think fit their vision and identity. We've seen the 49ers establish their identity by now I think, and so I think that helps us narrow down -- to an extent -- the kind of guys who fit that mold. I'll start with generic, then move to some positional traits.


GENERIC TRAITS

1. Football IQ
I can't recall the specific names, but I do recall reading that part of the reason we targeted certain prospects was the fact they were the "best on the whiteboard" of any players they interviewed. Whether it's offense or defense, the ability to handle complexities with assignments and not get confused when opponents try to trick/scheme with exotic packages is an extremely valuable trait that doesn't always show up in the box score. While I understand this is a trait any team would want, I feel like this is something we put an extra emphasis on here.

2. High Character
While other teams might be more keen on taking the risk, the 49ers seem adamant that they won't go anywhere near any player with character concerns now, especially after whole Reuben Foster fiasco. The team had zero interest in Antonio Brown and I'm glad they steered clear. We want team-first, no drama players who won't be distractions.

3. Leadership/Work Ethic
This shows up in our free agency acquisitions as well. The team loves lead-by-example types and those who can help bolster the culture of working everyday to improve. We want guys who live and breathe football and who help energize others around them and foster a family type of atmosphere.


POSITION-BASED TRAITS

1. Running back
Decisiveness paired with patience and vision is crucial in this particular scheme. Knowing when to turn on the jets and burst through the hole is super important, and just that ability to run for more yards than the play was blocked for -- a phrase that Shanahan has frequently used when describing play by the RBs. Shanahan values multidimensional backs, so RBs here need to be able to catch. This gives formational flexibility and creates more opportunities via shifts and motions.

2. Receiver
In our system, you have to be able to play every WR position. Also, we've started trending towards multidimensional WR talents who are built and/or already coming out of college as hybrid RB/WR types. Again, as much as we like to motion and shift, this makes our offense that much more dangerous when we have players that could be used in any number of positions based on whatever defensive personnel groupings we face.

3. Offensive Line
Athleticism > Power in the zone blocking scheme. We need guys who can move, pull, and get to the next level. Pad level/leverage (aka technique) to compensate for lack of brute strength is a big plus, and swift feet make a big difference, but so does the ability to hit moving targets. If you're hyper athletic but Whiff City when it comes to blocking, you're not a fit for us.

4. Defensive Line
You have to be strong against the run. Period. Inside/outside versatility helps too. If you're not strong against the run, you have to have great speed to be used as a pass rush specialist in specific packages. If you posses none of those qualities, like Cassius Marsh, you won't be here long.

5. Linebacker
Speed. Speed. Speed. You've got to have sideline-to-sideline range. Dre Greenlaw when healthy ran at 22 MPH. He's at least a 4.5 guy. Warner and Alexander are both 4.6 guys. Okay, it's not all about speed though. These guys have to be strong in coverage and display fantastic play recognition. Believe it or not, Warner, Greenlaw, and Kwon all were noted in the pre-draft process as guys who were not considered very good tacklers. At the NFL level though, they've refined this area tremendously and the rest of their attributes -- speed/instincts/discipline/play recognition get them around the ball in the right position. That's a big key for our scheme. If you've got the right tools, we have no problem getting a guy with some coachable "flaws" in their game.

6.Cornerback
Obviously run support is big, but discipline is huge. Zone coverage ability is favored over man in our system, so be good at sticking to your assignment, and be smart with pattern matching.

7.Safety
Versatility is big because we like to rotate both the FS and SS into the single-high spot at times. Of course, playing single-high, you've got to have the speed and range to make plays on the back end. You have to be the "eraser" and take good angles if you want to be more than a backup. Unlike at LB, I imagine we will be more likely to avoid a bad tackler at safety. Again, discipline is key too because when you're brought down into the box, failing to play your gap assignment properly can lead to big plays.


Feel free to add your take on other positions I haven't mentioned above, or if you have more to add on anything I've already stated.

Getting a little more specific, here are the 3 most recurring trends that I've identified over the last three drafts:

SPARQ - No brainer here. 49ers put a premium on athleticism and adhere to the SPARQ grading system.
Wonderlic - This regime drafts a lot of players with the highest Wonderlic scores at their respective positions.
Captaincy - 49ers love drafting players who have been elected captains by their teammates. This one obviously reflects work ethic, character, team player, dedication, etc.

ie:

Dre Greenlaw earned the distinction of team captain his final season as a Razorback

Mike McGlinchey Appeared in 51 games (39 starts) in five years at Notre Dame. In 2017, was named a team captain...He scored a 37 on the Wonderlic, tied for the highest score out of all prospects in the 2018 class.

Fred Warner Warner — a team captain in college who scored a 32 on the Wonderlic test —

Originally posted by Heroism:

Getting a little more specific, here are the 3 most recurring trends that I've identified over the last three drafts:

SPARQ - No brainer here. 49ers put a premium on athleticism and adhere to the SPARQ grading system.
Wonderlic - This regime drafts a lot of players with the highest Wonderlic scores at their respective positions.
Captaincy - 49ers love drafting players who have been elected captains by their teammates. This one obviously reflects work ethic, character, team player, dedication, etc.

That's a fantastic summation breaking things down into three simple keys overall. Perfect. Add this to the position-specific keys, and you should get a terrific feel for potential targets coming up in this 2020 class.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by Heroism:
Getting a little more specific, here are the 3 most recurring trends that I've identified over the last three drafts:

SPARQ - No brainer here. 49ers put a premium on athleticism and adhere to the SPARQ grading system.
Wonderlic - This regime drafts a lot of players with the highest Wonderlic scores at their respective positions.
Captaincy - 49ers love drafting players who have been elected captains by their teammates. This one obviously reflects work ethic, character, team player, dedication, etc.

That's a fantastic summation breaking things down into three simple keys overall. Perfect.

so you gurus with the mock drafts make sure yall look at this and not just pick players you like

No dum dums, no headcases, top notch work ethic and hot, nasty badass speed.

Tight End: Blocking. Pass catching, etc is nice, but blocking is the key trait here for KS.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

No dum dums, no headcases, top notch work ethic and hot, nasty badass speed.

Totally bombed on Reuben Foster

Shanny highlights it in his presser today when speaking about Kittle. Movement ability. It's about how a player moves from the ground up.
Kyle is very specific about the type of of athlete he prefers. Very much like Walsh.

RE: OL The emphasis on athletic ability over bulldozer strength is illustrated by the selection of Justin Skule and the FA pickup of Daniel Brunskill. Neither of those guys, but especially Brunskill, got a sniff from other teams, Skule being a 6th. However, when it came to operating within Kyle's system, their footwork and athleticism came to the top. I still feel Brunskill is a better fit in Kyle's OZ scheme than McGlinchey. DB is much better hitting a moving target in the open field than McGlinchey, IMO.

Originally posted by Bellaleo:
Shanny highlights it in his presser today when speaking about Kittle. Movement ability. It's about how a player moves from the ground up.
Kyle is very specific about the type of of athlete he prefers. Very much like Walsh.

In his presser today, Kyle also noted Kittle's blocking ability at Iowa caught his eye.

If you are a TE at Iowa, you learn to block...hard.

The best formula I've ever seen. Have you ever seen a team with as much chemistry as this one, including new players?

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Something that has always helped me pinpoint team targets is just really getting at the heart of what qualities the team is looking for in the players they scout. So, I wanted to take a moment to look at what we now know about the type of players the team seems to covet, based on the personnel they've added over the past few years, and schematic changes we've seen recently. Every team narrows down their list during draft season to the players who they think fit their vision and identity. We've seen the 49ers establish their identity by now I think, and so I think that helps us narrow down -- to an extent -- the kind of guys who fit that mold. I'll start with generic, then move to some positional traits.


GENERIC TRAITS

1. Football IQ
I can't recall the specific names, but I do recall reading that part of the reason we targeted certain prospects was the fact they were the "best on the whiteboard" of any players they interviewed. Whether it's offense or defense, the ability to handle complexities with assignments and not get confused when opponents try to trick/scheme with exotic packages is an extremely valuable trait that doesn't always show up in the box score. While I understand this is a trait any team would want, I feel like this is something we put an extra emphasis on here.

2. High Character
While other teams might be more keen on taking the risk, the 49ers seem adamant that they won't go anywhere near any player with character concerns now, especially after whole Reuben Foster fiasco. The team had zero interest in Antonio Brown and I'm glad they steered clear. We want team-first, no drama players who won't be distractions.

3. Leadership/Work Ethic
This shows up in our free agency acquisitions as well. The team loves lead-by-example types and those who can help bolster the culture of working everyday to improve. We want guys who live and breathe football and who help energize others around them and foster a family type of atmosphere.


POSITION-BASED TRAITS

1. Running back
Decisiveness paired with patience and vision is crucial in this particular scheme. Knowing when to turn on the jets and burst through the hole is super important, and just that ability to run for more yards than the play was blocked for -- a phrase that Shanahan has frequently used when describing play by the RBs. Shanahan values multidimensional backs, so RBs here need to be able to catch. This gives formational flexibility and creates more opportunities via shifts and motions.

2. Receiver
In our system, you have to be able to play every WR position. Also, we've started trending towards multidimensional WR talents who are built and/or already coming out of college as hybrid RB/WR types. Again, as much as we like to motion and shift, this makes our offense that much more dangerous when we have players that could be used in any number of positions based on whatever defensive personnel groupings we face.

3. Offensive Line
Athleticism > Power in the zone blocking scheme. We need guys who can move, pull, and get to the next level. Pad level/leverage (aka technique) to compensate for lack of brute strength is a big plus, and swift feet make a big difference, but so does the ability to hit moving targets. If you're hyper athletic but Whiff City when it comes to blocking, you're not a fit for us.

4. Defensive Line
You have to be strong against the run. Period. Inside/outside versatility helps too. If you're not strong against the run, you have to have great speed to be used as a pass rush specialist in specific packages. If you posses none of those qualities, like Cassius Marsh, you won't be here long.

5. Linebacker
Speed. Speed. Speed. You've got to have sideline-to-sideline range. Dre Greenlaw when healthy ran at 22 MPH. He's at least a 4.5 guy. Warner and Alexander are both 4.6 guys. Okay, it's not all about speed though. These guys have to be strong in coverage and display fantastic play recognition. Believe it or not, Warner, Greenlaw, and Kwon all were noted in the pre-draft process as guys who were not considered very good tacklers. At the NFL level though, they've refined this area tremendously and the rest of their attributes -- speed/instincts/discipline/play recognition get them around the ball in the right position. That's a big key for our scheme. If you've got the right tools, we have no problem getting a guy with some coachable "flaws" in their game.

6.Cornerback
Obviously run support is big, but discipline is huge. Zone coverage ability is favored over man in our system, so be good at sticking to your assignment, and be smart with pattern matching.

7.Safety
Versatility is big because we like to rotate both the FS and SS into the single-high spot at times. Of course, playing single-high, you've got to have the speed and range to make plays on the back end. You have to be the "eraser" and take good angles if you want to be more than a backup. Unlike at LB, I imagine we will be more likely to avoid a bad tackler at safety. Again, discipline is key too because when you're brought down into the box, failing to play your gap assignment properly can lead to big plays.


Feel free to add your take on other positions I haven't mentioned above, or if you have more to add on anything I've already stated.

So basically it's everything every other coach looks for

Other people were interested in WR Brown but SF said no, they recognized he was talented as WR but was not a fit for the Niners. I think Shanalynch have refined their process so that they are more likely to get the kind of players they want and not make as many mistakes. Take this last off season, and ponder on how many of their draft selections contributed to the team, and how many UDFAs made the team and contributed. This last off season was wonderful. Now we get to see if they can do it again this next off season. So talent alone is necessary, but there are other factors that help to define the players that they are looking for.

Originally posted by SlowDownBoy:

So basically it's everything every other coach looks for

Eh. Different teams prioritize vastly different things.

Originally posted by Ninefan56:

Other people were interested in WR Brown but SF said no, they recognized he was talented as WR but was not a fit for the Niners. I think Shanalynch have refined their process so that they are more likely to get the kind of players they want and not make as many mistakes. Take this last off season, and ponder on how many of their draft selections contributed to the team, and how many UDFAs made the team and contributed. This last off season was wonderful. Now we get to see if they can do it again this next off season. So talent alone is necessary, but there are other factors that help to define the players that they are looking for.

Just think, next year this team will even be better