Draft Grades

scooterhd · 2024-04-29T14:54:09-07:00

2024 NFL Draft Grade: 49ers Overall (B)Round 1, No. 31 overall: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida (B) Admittedly, I was a bit taken back by this. More of a failure on my part than anything. I strongly suspected that the organization would not like the group of tackles left at 31. The league concurred as we didn't see another tackle drafted in the next 25 picks. Should we have moved up? I thought DL as BPA might be the path. Possible CB. Receiver was always a viable play, but I thought the 49ers might be smart to try to move back here. Pre draft I thought some relationships with Washington and the Chargers could help facilitate a move back to 36 or 37. But in hindsight, I think the 49ers were smart to stay. We saw 5 of 7 picks go WR from 31-37. On the wrong side of it I don't think Pearsall is there. So if that's your guy, you get him. Do you think Pearsall makes it past 37? The positives on Slick Rick are the elite RAS score. His route running is very good. Some of the better hands in the draft. Only 3 drops in his last 150 targets. He is a hands catcher and high points the ball. Not the biggest wingspan, but still has a big catch radius. I like his return abilities. I also thought he was very versatile and effective at Florida playing both inside and out. Also did well on manufactured runs. He has speed to burn the corner and run after catch skills. Immediately, he seems capable of running plays meant both for Aiyuk and Deebo, and we don't have that from Jennings. Whenever Conley or Ray Ray came in, it was a completely different type of player, different playcalling and the timing is different. I think Pearsall adds some quality depth and continuity. Lets KS and Brock get in a rhythm. And that 40 time at least threatens the top of the defense which we are so badly missing. Rookie WRs are not typically showcased by KS, so my expectations this year are low. If you had a bad grade on the pick you might be feeling more and more right. But this move may be the necessary precursor to moving on from Deebo or Aiyuk, though I suspect the former. Hard to pay Brock and 2 WRs top 5 money. But we aren't letting them go without a succession plan. It's hard to grade this pick. It feels like step one in the chain. If you want a tackle for 2025, does a WR now let you make a trade later for an existing player or for draft capital to get your guy? I will say I do like not just drafting guy to plug a hole. Pearsall seems like a 49er. Smart kid. Enjoys the process. Puts in the work. Seems like a KS guy. Emmanual Sanders was a comp brought up on the board and I like that one. Not sure that Pearsall is a true stud #1 WR ever, but could have a long effective career and be a solid WR2 for a decade. Round 2, No. 64 overall: Renardo Green, CB, Florida State (C+) This has to be one of the more debated picks of the draft for the 49ers. We knew a corner was coming in the first four rounds. Mooney and DMO are free agents next season. Just about everyone else is on a one year deal. At minimum we are looking for starter for 2025, but there's playing time to be had this year as well. It's a short and long term need, so you can't be mad about taking CB. But the way this played out was tough to watch. I know I was eyeing the best available list and praying that Rosengarten would make it. Should we have moved up? I think so. Suamataia seemed like the next logical pick and we handed him to KC. Did KC jump us twice and steal our pick twice? One could argue. Personally, I had more interest in boundary corners with more height and arm length like Elijah Jones and Kyree Jackson. We could have waited another round on those guys. I thought Phillips would go off the board first as a better man cover CB then Green. But here we are. Renardo has a ton of positives. I love his demeanor. Love his aggressiveness. He's a convincing tackler. He does well in man and zone schemes. I'm not convinced hes an outside corner, but he certainly has a lot of versatility and could even play some safety at some point in his career. The interception production is lacking, but the pass breakups are there some of the advanced stats are exceptional. The RAS score is average, but the tape on Nabers and Thomas was incredible. Seems like he is up to the challenge. The grade has nothing to do with him. If he is the 3rd round pick, you are ecstatic with him. Does he make it that far? Who knows. Feels like the biggest reach we made. But we probably have less of a problem with it if the tackles were off the board sooner and we could claim BPA. Oddly, this one probably gets the lowest grade from pundits, myself included, but he might have the biggest chance to make an impact this year. And I have graded higher then DMO when he came out, so if he can make that same impact in time, this will be looked at favorably. Round 3, No. 86 overall: Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas (A) Absolutely love the pick. The draft board was all over this young man. It sort of seemed like he was wearing a 9er cap in our minds pre draft. After the combine, he proved the scouting reports correctly. Elite 3 cone and shuttle for an IOL. His broad and vertical are incredible for a guard. Really shows his short area quickness and explosiveness. The tape matches. Every scouting report complements the nimble feet, the ease of getting to the next level, adjusting to moving targets. No doubt he has all the physical characteristics to play in a heavy zone scheme. And hes just an absolute unit at 6'5, 315. His arms and hands are big for a guard. Pre draft this was a huge need for us. Need to secure up depth inside. And long term we know Feliciano is not the answer. Not sure if we can afford to keep Banks around. Puni may not get a ton of run this year, but the expectation will be to be starting next year. And I love the flexibility. Taking snaps at center at the Senior Bowl. He has a ton of experience at tackle. This was one of the better fits for us in the draft and kudos to moving up to get him as well. There's an ever expanding role for him here. Round 4, No. 124 overall: Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest (B+) Again, a player the draft board discussed heavily. We knew safety was a position of need likely to be addressed in the draft and Mustapha was on my short list. He's undersized. Shorter arms. Doesn't exactly have over the top deep speed, so he is far from a perfect prospect. He may not ever be a 3 down starter. But he is fantastic in short field coverage. His run support is really good. One of, if not the best tackling safety in this class. His vision and burst is top notch. Really quick processor and is explosive as they come. His 9.39 RAS score is entirely from his elite vertical, broad, and bench press. Look at this guys headshot. He's got a linebackers neck. His body is rocked up, just pure muscle. By bench numbers, the strongest DB at the combine and also beat every LB that tested. Really excited to see what this guy can do on the field. I have a feeling, especially with the new kick off rules, that he is going to be a beast on special teams. Curious to see if he finds some snaps playing 3 safety looks or heavy dime packages. And maybe hes able to carve out a bigger role over time. But I think he has some immediate value for us. Round 4, No. 129: Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville (A) Of course we have to take our annual mid round RB. And, well Kyle's and Johnny's batting average here is not very good. But with IG, I feel differently. Again, a guy the board was all over. It was easy to see was this guy was a 49er target. Draft sites compared him to Mostert or Elijah Mitchell, because he has that one cut and go type style and speed. But he has 20 pounds on those guys. Hopefully built to take the abuse and stay available. Plus he has a receiving back round and looks comfortable running routes from the backfield and even split wide. Most reports compliment his pass blocking as well. Elite RAS score. Not just straight line speed but the vertical and broad are elite. He is explosive. The shuttle and 3 cone are very quick, he has some fluidity and burst. And of course to make the game roster as the 3rd RB, you have to play special teams and he checks that box. Might even be the lead KR with the new rules. Will certainly get a shot. Long term I think he becomes the RB2. I don't think there is interest to pay for a second contract for Mitchell. I could even see Mitchell as trade fodder for another team who loses an RB to injury or something early in the year. Usher in a cheaper, younger, faster player with less tread on the tires and who fits our scheme a bit better. Hopefully he earns a role. I'm sure teams are happy to see CMC go to the bench for a breather, but not thrilled with 4.3 220 in the huddle either. Kudos again to Lynch for moving up. He said the back end was weak and hinted at being aggressive. Probably overpaid, but you want to leave with your guy and we did that. Round 4, No. 135: Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona (B) Not at all surprised to see another WR come off the board. This is a new age with Brock. The ground and pound game is still going to be there. But we need some better packages on 3rd and 7. We need guys who can win 1 vs 1 and can create some separation. We are still seeking a guy who can run a go route from the slot and make the coverage respect him. Cowing is a guy that once again the board was all over. 4.38 speed. I don't think the rest of the combine numbers did him any favors, but on tape he looks very quick. Maybe the shuttle and 3 cone don't capture it, but he has some pause and go moves that create immediate separation. He's got a stutter step and burst that looks fast on tape. He's got good vision in the open field and creates some positive run after the catch and could have value in the return game. He's really good at setting up blockers. Two things that really stood out. 1. TD production for a little guy in the slot. Always a big metric for me. It can be easy to take what the defense gives you on underneath routes all day, but when the field gets short and tight and the defense is playing under, are you still productive. 20 touchdowns in his last 2 seasons. The other one is timing. Really good at contorting the body to avoid the press and get to spots without hesitation. Knows when to sit in the zone. Played with a redshirt QB last year and did him a turn of favors getting open quick in the middle, and then also staying with the QB and working back to him. He was very reliable and getting where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there. Not sure of his immediate role. Tough for rookie WRs to get a lot of time under KS, but Gray is an unknown at this point. Bell's spot is not safe. And of course next year there could be a real chance to be a 3rd or 4th WR if Jennings leaves on top of the Deebo/Aiyuk drama. Hopefully he can be a new age Trent Taylor for us. Round 6, No. 215 overall: Jarrett Kingston, G, USC (B+) I know everybody wants a tackle, and so another IOL seems like a letdown. I don't think you are finding a tackle better than Brandon Parker here. Not finding a tackle better then Puni would be staying outside here. I watch a ton of the conference formerly known as the Pac 12 football and have seen a lot of Jarrett Kingston. Although he played a lot of tackle in college, he is moving inside in the pros. Most draft sites list him at guard. I think the 49ers view him as a center. His RAS score online as a guard is 9.90 and 15th best since 1987. As a center he grades out at 9.98 and the second highest athletic score ever. Same height, weight, very similar athletic profile to Jake Brendel. Some of you wanted a center, wanted Beaux Limmer. I think Kingston has a lower floor but much higher ceiling. Much higher. We brought in additional centers, so it's a position we are trying to sure up. Kingston's never taken a snap at center in a game, so theres work to be done. But he's shown he has the requisite pass blocking skills. We've seen some tenacity from him in the run game at LG and RG. I believe he has the smarts for the role in the KS system. And we know for certain that the athletic profile is there. Time to get to work. Excited about this pick. Could bust out because he doesn't have the build for OT or OG in my opinion. But could be a long term starter in two years. I don't mind taking a swing here. We have some depth pieces that will probably never see the field. Take a chance on the local kid with elite traits. Round 7, No. 251 overall: Tatum Bethune, LB, Florida State (B) Could have gone a few areas here. I was personally calling for Evan Anderson, but we quickly secured him as a UDFA. LB was another position group that needed to be addressed. Greenlaw is coming back from a serious injury. I am not entirely convinced Campbell has a secure handle on the job. Excited to see what Winters brings this year, but I like adding Bethune to the group. As opposed to a dart throw on a TE or FB, Bethune has a real chance to make the team as a special teamer. He seemed to have Johnny Holland vouching for him and that's all I needed to hear. Seems like a guy they were hoping would be there. He's a late 7th round pick for a reason. The physical profile is lacking. A bit undersized as well. But he is a physical player. Not afraid to throw his body around. Seems to navigate through traffic well to get into the backfield. Team captain. All reports indicate he's a high character kid with a great work ethic. Somebody has to be at the bottom end of the roster, and he's the kind of driven, team first, no drama guy you want there.

Apr 29, 2024 at 4:29 PM

kansasninerfan
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Great insights Scooter. thanks for posting

Apr 29, 2024 at 9:42 PM

mcwoot
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Disappointed by the first two picks but glad we got Puni. Mustapha is good insurance for Huf who will likely end up netting us a nice comp pick if he walks. Besides that I hope we get some return game value.

Apr 30, 2024 at 4:55 AM

KiwiM3
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Really fun read. Thanks for posting.

Apr 30, 2024 at 6:10 AM

genus49
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Great job putting all that together. Personally I'm just so over the grades thing ever since that 2017 draft...

I remember we were considered to have one of the best first rounds that year and almost every grade was either A or A+. Looking back it was a disaster.

Now I just wait to see how the guys look for our team but as I said I respect the work you put into this.

Apr 30, 2024 at 10:46 AM

49ers808
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Posts: 16,535

Bro you got me kinda hyped to see what Kingston can do. He's the guy from our class that I knew/know the least about. Great write up, that was fun to read 🤙🏾

Apr 30, 2024 at 10:57 AM

49ers808
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^ How did you see Kingstons RAS as a center?

Apr 30, 2024 at 11:29 AM

scooterhd
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Originally posted by 49ers808:
^ How did you see Kingstons RAS as a center?

Theres a official RAS score calculator where you can select position.

https://ras.football/ras-calculator/

On the left, here is the widely available RAS score from Math Bomb. On the right, I've dropped in the same values but at the center position. On the bottom I've included the additional metrics. Not sure why the 3 cone was left off. He ran it at the combine. He also did 32 reps and the combine and 36 reps at his pro day. Those values dont change the score, but the bottom one is the more complete profile.

Apr 30, 2024 at 12:09 PM

LasVegasWally
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Excellent post! Interesting and well thought out.

Apr 30, 2024 at 2:59 PM

eastcoast49ersfan
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Nice write-up. I'm a bit more negative on first two picks but agree with the thoughts on Green. I'm not sure we should use pro day times when calculating RAS score. Thought there was a ~0.08-0.1 second difference between combine 40 and pro day 40 because combine is half electronic (pro day is fully hand-timed).

Adjusting the 40 time and splits pushes Mustapha to 8-8.5.

Kingston is an impressive athlete although I don't think bench press should be a metric for RAS. Weight is a better proxy for strength, bench press favors guys like Kingston who have very short arms, and bench press is way less relevant for most positions than some of the speed/agility/explosiveness tests. Even for OL, I'd much rather see a good 3 come / shuttle time.

Apr 30, 2024 at 3:06 PM

#10

49ers808
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Posts: 16,535

Originally posted by scooterhd:

Originally posted by 49ers808:
^ How did you see Kingstons RAS as a center?

Theres a official RAS score calculator where you can select position.

https://ras.football/ras-calculator/

On the left, here is the widely available RAS score from Math Bomb. On the right, I've dropped in the same values but at the center position. On the bottom I've included the additional metrics. Not sure why the 3 cone was left off. He ran it at the combine. He also did 32 reps and the combine and 36 reps at his pro day. Those values dont change the score, but the bottom one is the more complete profile.

Awesome, thanks! Didn't know you could do that or that the calculator existed

Apr 30, 2024 at 4:36 PM

#11

scooterhd
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Posts: 1,688

Originally posted by eastcoast49ersfan:
Nice write-up. I'm a bit more negative on first two picks but agree with the thoughts on Green. I'm not sure we should use pro day times when calculating RAS score. Thought there was a ~0.08-0.1 second difference between combine 40 and pro day 40 because combine is half electronic (pro day is fully hand-timed).

Adjusting the 40 time and splits pushes Mustapha to 8-8.5.

Kingston is an impressive athlete although I don't think bench press should be a metric for RAS. Weight is a better proxy for strength, bench press favors guys like Kingston who have very short arms, and bench press is way less relevant for most positions than some of the speed/agility/explosiveness tests. Even for OL, I'd much rather see a good 3 come / shuttle time.

That's sort of the point of recalculating at center. At OG, his weight of 306 is well below average and hurts the score. Move him to center, even ignoring bench, and the speed and explosion scores pretty much grade out the same. The boost in RAS to a near perfect score is because his weight is now basically average. You probably dont want him gaining anymore as a zone center. I just included bench to complete the final card, but it didnt move the score at all even though it is an impressive number at 32-36.

And you are lower then a C+ on Green? Why is you reasoning?

[ Edited by scooterhd on Apr 30, 2024 at 4:38 PM ]

Apr 30, 2024 at 11:52 PM

#12

Luckycharms
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Posts: 950

Originally posted by 49ers808:
Bro you got me kinda hyped to see what Kingston can do. He's the guy from our class that I knew/know the least about. Great write up, that was fun to read 🤙🏾

I was thinking the same thing while reading it bc like you, he was the player I knew the least about (him and Bethune). And real nice write up Scooter. I agree with basically all the grades except I would give our draft as a whole an -A, go B+ on Ricky, B+/-A on Green and -A on Mustapha. I'm no niner homer, I'll call it like I see it and they nailed this draft. Of course you never know how a player will turn out but based on fit, scheme, talent, need etc they nailed it. I think Green can be a really good corner. He's the best press man corner in the draft, absolutely shut down opposing teams #1 WR's when line up against them (see Nabers). The most yards he gave up in a game in coverage was 46, very aggressive tackler like you said, love his versatility. I can see him starting opposite Ward this year tbh, by next year at the latest. Mustapha I think is a stud as well, I really think he will be our starting SS if Huf doesn't get back to his pre injury level. Like I said I really loved this draft, I think it was their best one in the last 10 years ive tracked it closely.

May 1, 2024 at 6:05 AM

#13

NYniner85
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Posts: 118,934

Originally posted by scooterhd:

Round 2, No. 64 overall: Renardo Green, CB, Florida State (C+)

This has to be one of the more debated picks of the draft for the 49ers. We knew a corner was coming in the first four rounds. Mooney and DMO are free agents next season. Just about everyone else is on a one year deal. At minimum we are looking for starter for 2025, but there's playing time to be had this year as well. It's a short and long term need, so you can't be mad about taking CB. But the way this played out was tough to watch. I know I was eyeing the best available list and praying that Rosengarten would make it. Should we have moved up? I think so. Suamataia seemed like the next logical pick and we handed him to KC. Did KC jump us twice and steal our pick twice? One could argue.

Personally, I had more interest in boundary corners with more height and arm length like Elijah Jones and Kyree Jackson. We could have waited another round on those guys. I thought Phillips would go off the board first as a better man cover CB then Green. But here we are. Renardo has a ton of positives. I love his demeanor. Love his aggressiveness. He's a convincing tackler. He does well in man and zone schemes. I'm not convinced hes an outside corner, but he certainly has a lot of versatility and could even play some safety at some point in his career. The interception production is lacking, but the pass breakups are there some of the advanced stats are exceptional. The RAS score is average, but the tape on Nabers and Thomas was incredible. Seems like he is up to the challenge. The grade has nothing to do with him. If he is the 3rd round pick, you are ecstatic with him. Does he make it that far? Who knows. Feels like the biggest reach we made. But we probably have less of a problem with it if the tackles were off the board sooner and we could claim BPA. Oddly, this one probably gets the lowest grade from pundits, myself included, but he might have the biggest chance to make an impact this year. And I have graded higher then DMO when he came out, so if he can make that same impact in time, this will be looked at favorably.

Respectfully disagree with your Green take. I think he's one of the best press-man CBs in the draft. I don't see any problem's with his size? 6" 190lbs. He's got 31"+ arms. He reminds me of L'jarius Sneed who's one of the best man covers in the league (4th rd pick). I don't think he's limited to NCB at all. He can play multiple positions similar to DMO.

he's also a great tackler in space and the film vs the LSU guys shows he can lock studs down.

I think folks got so fixated on certain players/positions that we all are "disappointed" when those players or positions aren't gotten when we want it to happen and whoever was the picks we're a little down on that prospect.

Green can play.

May 1, 2024 at 6:14 AM

#14

NYniner85
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I'll add imo the one pick I'm kinda lower on than you is Guerendo. We all knew it was gonna happen.

Great combine athlete, I didn't really see those elite numbers pop on the field. I just find it really hard to grasp giving up multiple 5ths for a guy that's gonna see the field sparingly, if at all this yr. I feel like he runs a little high and for a dude at his size, I didn't see a lot of yards after contact and blasting through tackles.

overall for a guy that been in college for so long, he still seems a bit raw as a RB.

[ Edited by NYniner85 on May 1, 2024 at 6:23 AM ]