I LOVE this pick. Jackson is an absolute beast. He just turned 21 making him one of the youngest defenders in the draft but has three full seasons in the PAC-12 under his belt. Jackson explodes off the line to put OTs on their back foot and combines that with unique bendy-ness that enables him to get to the QB consistently. By all advanced metrics, he was one of the most effective pass rushers in college football last year. Where his youth comes through, however, is in his play strength. It's clear he's not nearly as solid against the run and he too often loses battles when tackles can lock on to him. However, his age, raw traits and work ethic should be moldable clay in the hands of Kris Kocurek. You can never go wrong stockpiling talented pass rushers and I was surprised to see Jackson fall this late into the second round. My ONLY quibble here is that I ever so slightly preferred Nik Bonitto from Oklahoma who went just three picks later. Bonitto isn't the complete DE that Jackson projects to become, but Bonitto is a far more refined pass rusher at this point and likely would've made a bigger impact this year.
Grade: A
RB Ty Davis-Price LSU 6'0" 211
As much as I loved the Drake Jackson pick, this was arguably the biggest "WHAT THE F**K?" pick on all of Day 2. This pick neither addressed a big need (OL, S, DB, WR) nor had any value (David-Price was projected at best as a late 4th Round Pick). I've been trying to identify a silver lining here but the more I read about Davis-Price, the more confounded I become. He was a fine RB at LSU, but never had a season where he averaged over 4.8 yards per cary. He's not particularly elusive, not particularly big and doesn't have any one special trait. So what did the Niners see here? Maybe he's the second coming of Frank Gore who can consistently pound out yards, but short of that this is a gigantic reach. Worse, it appears the Niners didn't learn their lesson from reaching for Trey Sermon last year. What makes this so much more painful is that dynamic S Nick Cross was on the board, only to go a few picks later to the Colts. Even if the Niners didn't love Cross, they could've given up very little to jump ahead of the Raiders at pick #90 to grab OG/OC Dylan Parham. Instead they used a premium pick on a RB who was far from the best available (Pierre Strong, Dameon Pierce and Zamir White would have all been far superior picks).
Grade: F-
WR Danny Gray SMU 6'0" 186
I'm a huge Danny Gray fan who in many ways is Brandon Aiyuk Lite; a slightly smaller, slightly faster version. Gray is one of the fastest players in this draft but unlike other speed demons, he's not linear. Gray is incredibly smooth and slippery and can get in and out of his breaks to consistently get open. His got some work to do on his hands and needs find more consistency, but he has a chance to become an explosive #2 or #3 WR in this league who takes the top off defenses. A month or so back I was hoping we'd be able to nab Gray in the 5th, then a few weeks leading up to the draft I was hoping it would be with a 4th, but he clearly started rising late in the process and given the run on WRs he wouldn't have been available later. My expectation is that Gray will work his way into the rotation as an offensive weapon and #4 WR and can also take some pressure of RayRay McCloud in the return game.
Grade: B+
OL Spencer Burford UTSA 6'4" 304
The Niners entered Day 3 badly needing help on the OL and went for Burford late in the 4th, an OT who's got ok size, good length, moves well and shows a nasty streak. He was projected as a 4th-5th rounder but I didn't know much about him. There weren't a ton of options available here but Zak Tom, one of the most athletic OL prospects in the draft who plays OC went just a few picks later to the Packers. Burford projects as an OG with potential to kick outside and really does remind me of Jaylon Moore in terms of build and movement skills. You do have to question why the Niners keep selecting OTs only to have them learn a new position in the pros...
Grade: B-
NCB Samuel Womack Toledo 5'9" 189
I have to admit, I was stunned when I first saw this pick, as Womack didn't even have scouting reports on NFL.com or ESPN and was off most peoples' boards as a relative unknown. But then when you read up on the kid you see why he's intriguing. He's built well at 5'9", runs a blazing 4.39 40 with very good 3-cone time and has insanely long arms for someone his height. His production is also off the charts and he shows a real toughness playing inside. All in all, he does have all the tools to excel in a nickel role. I'm excited to see what Womack can do this year BUT you have to wonder if he could've been snagged far later - even as a UDFA - and this pick would've been far better spent trading up for someone like Tariq Woolen or Tycen Anderson who went just a few picks earlier.
Grade: C+
OL/OC Nick Zakelj Fordham 6'6" 313
The Niners continued to invest in the OL with another OT who projects to swing inside in the pros; in fact the Niners may see Zakelj as an OC despite the fact he doesn't have much experience. Zakelj has good size, great movement skills and is a tough competitor but has shorter arms and has a tendency to get overpowered in obvious pass sets (as seen at the Senior Bowl where he really struggled). Zakelj is an intriguing developmental prospect but especially if he can master the craft at Center, but he's at least a year away from any meaningful contribution.
Grade: C
DT Kalia Davis UCF 6'1" 303
This is my favorite pick in the draft. Davis is an EXPLOSIVE interior penetrator with a barrell chest and long arms. He moves like a much smaller man and it shows that he's a former LB who's managed to pack on some real weight and not lose much in terms of his movement ability. Davis projected as a 4th rounder - maybe even a Day 2 pick -but tore his ACL after 5 games this past year. As a result, he'll likely redshirt in 2022, but I'm very excited to see what he can do in Kris Kocurek's system.
Grade: A
CB Tariq Castro-Fields Penn St. 6'1" 197
Another great pick by the Niners in the 6th, grabbing an experienced CB from the BIG 10 with size and excellent athleticism. Castro-Fields is a competitive press corner with great size, speed (4.38) and overall athleticism. Despite his natural gifts he was wildly inconsistent and needs to refine his technique but this is exactly the type of player that warrants a late round selection. I can see him fitting in as the 5th or 6th CB on the squad and eventually developing to challenge for real playing time.
Grade: A-
QB Brock Purdy Iowa St. 6'1" 212
Purdy is a productive 4-year starter at the college level but has pretty middling traits across the board. He's tough, a good leader and decision-maker with the football but doesn't have an NFL arm. If Nick Mullens is your upside comp you got work to do.
Grade: C
Overall: B-
On Day 2, the Drake Jackson and Danny Gray picks are excellent but I can't get rid of the horrible taste in my mouth left by the Ty Davis-Price pick. Taking a RB in the 3rd, let alone one who doesn't appear to have any elite traits, is such a head-scratcher it borders on unforgivable error considering S Nick Cross was available. I fear this pick will rival, if not surpass, the Aaron Banks over Creed Humphrey selection last year in terms of sheer stupidity. Maybe Ty Davis-Price becomes the second coming of Frank Gore, but in terms of value, need and draft strategy it's an absurdly bad pick which really casts a shadow over the other two picks which are great.
With respect to Day 3 the Niners seemingly reached a bunch but clearly identified several players they really liked and went for them. They are also are making some aggressive projections on their OL picks that they can add the requisite strength and transition inside, but there is some potential here. Burford has a real chance given his length, movement skills and nasty demeanor. While I was first highly skeptical of Womack he does have the goods to become a long term solution at NCB. In the 6th round, the Niners clearly got value with Davis who projects as a very good rotational 3-technique and Castro-Fields who's as athletically gifted as any CB on the roster.
Overall, the team really struggles with understanding the concept of value. There is a lot to be said of identifying and grabbing the players you like, but you're wasting massive resources but continually going "off the board." We'll see how this class shakes out...
[ Edited by lp1986 on May 4, 2022 at 9:15 AM ]
