Blossoming Draft Picks

Since the mid to late 90s with the possible exception of 2000 the 49ers draft classes as a whole have been less than stellar. Sure there have been the first round sucsesses and busts with the occasional steal but below the first round they have been a little less than average. This year however for the first time in recent memory a fair number of lower round draft picks are cracking or at least pushing for the starting line up. Chilo Rachal, Reggie Smith, Josh Morgan,Dashon Goldson, and Payrs Haralson could all be starters on week one, not to mention anyone from this years class. Maybe G.M. Scott deserves more credit than we give him. I thinks it's a good barameter to have your draft picks move up rather than aquiring free agents, I think the reality is if most free agents were that good...they would'nt be free agents, their teams would'nt have let them go. Maybe we are now finally seeing the "green shoots" of what will be a team that could be a contender.

I think Scot and Nolan drafted fine (besides taking Smith over Rodgers). It's how our talent has been utilized under Nolan is what pissed me off.

Originally posted by 49wyztoscore:
I think Scot and Nolan drafted fine (besides taking Smith over Rodgers). It's how our talent has been utilized under Nolan is what pissed me off.

i agree, i think we've done a good job, hitting on some nice players, namely Haralson, Delanie, Robinson, Willis, Staley, VD and Lawson. and Goldson

While we have had our share of headscratchers, like Rasheed Marshall, etc...

Originally posted by 49wyztoscore:
I think Scot and Nolan drafted fine (besides taking Smith over Rodgers). It's how our talent has been utilized under Nolan is what pissed me off.

Yes, this... and to add, not only utilized but very poorly developed. Players get drafted because they HAVE talent (says Capt. Obvious), but that talent has to be placed in the right situations and has to be further developed to excel at the next level. I don't know that we have the right coaches in place, and can only hope if we do, we can hold on to them for a decent length of time to give the players some consistent structure.

I agree with all the others but VD hasnt really lived up to expectations yet

Originally posted by 49erForLife420:
I agree with all the others but VD hasnt really lived up to expectations yet

Owen Daniels blows away Vernon's career numbers and was picked 3 rounds after Davis.

Originally posted by 49erForLife420:
I agree with all the others but VD hasnt really lived up to expectations yet

Not to get too off-track, but Vernon just doesn't have the "natural" hands or fluidity in his routes that I expected when he was drafted. Don't get me wrong, I don't regard Davis as a bust. I think he can work on routes, and focus better on catching. I don't think he will ever live up to the #6 overall billing... but he should become more involved and productive enough in Raye's scheme.

Scot has a mixed record. He's hit on some later rounders, but missed badly on many first and early second day picks.

So far, Reggie Smith is a joke. I don't understand why you put him with these guys.

Rachal was not a lower round pick. He was a second rounder.

[ Edited by MadDog49er on Jul 28, 2009 at 19:36:53 ]

Gonna be exciting watching this talent blossom this season

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Scot has a mixed record. He's hit on some later rounders, but missed badly on many first and early second day picks.

Missed? or just didn't have the proper coaching or situations to cultivate the selections?

Originally posted by AB83Rules:

Originally posted by 49wyztoscore:
I think Scot and Nolan drafted fine (besides taking Smith over Rodgers). It's how our talent has been utilized under Nolan is what pissed me off.

i agree, i think we've done a good job, hitting on some nice players, namely Haralson, Delanie, Robinson, Willis, Staley, VD and Lawson. and Goldson

While we have had our share of headscratchers, like Rasheed Marshall, etc...

VD an Delanie over Gore and Morgan? What's the board's infatuation with Delanie btw?

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Scot has a mixed record. He's hit on some later rounders, but missed badly on many first and early second day picks.

Missed? or just didn't have the proper coaching or situations to cultivate the selections?

Well, they made a serious misjudgment with Manny Lawson, who was brought in to be a pass rusher. He certainly does not have that skill set, and looks much more comfortable in a 4-3 set.

Davis has not lived up to expectations. He is physically gifted, but has never learned the art of running routes.

David Baas was the top pick in the second round, and is mediocre at best. The difference in talent between Baas, and Mankins, the player selected just before him is astonishing.

Brandon Williams was a bad bust. Reggie Smith is on the same road to becoming a third round bust.

Cohen, Wallace, Moore were head scratchers.

[ Edited by MadDog49er on Jul 28, 2009 at 19:44:20 ]

Originally posted by 49wyztoscore:
I think Scot and Nolan drafted fine (besides taking Smith over Rodgers). It's how our talent has been utilized under Nolan is what pissed me off.

So you think that Rodgers would have done better...that's a good laugh.He would have been pummeled into mush,he is nowhere near as durable as Smith.Rodgers has missed a lot of games for the Packers and he had a good line protecting him.I understand you west coast guys like to conjecture that we should have drafted differently,but to think anyone else would have done better under the same circumstances absurd.Coming out of college Smiths numbers were better than Rodgers across the board.I know some of you guys have trouble seeing past the fact that Rodgers played at Cal,but I am a fan of neither team,and Smith looked like the better choice.Look at their stats and you will see that Smith put up superior numbers.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:


Well, they made a serious misjudgment with Manny Lawson, who was brought in to be a pass rusher. He certainly does not have that skill set, and looks much more comfortable in a 4-3 set.

Davis has not lived up to expectations. He is physically gifted, but has never learned the art of running routes.

David Baas was the top pick in the second round, and is mediocre at best. The difference in talent between Baas, and Mankins, the player selected just before him is astonishing.

Brandon Williams was a bad bust. Reggie Smith is on the same road to becoming a third round bust.

Cohen, Wallace, Moore were head scratchers.

I think in the case of Manny, I think it's just a matter of development. Manny seemed, until now, rather unwilling to bulk up to 250... as if he didn't feel that was necessary. Well, too bad, Manny, you should have been forced to. He also should have been better developed in the art of the bull-rush and inside cut back techniques, instead of being allowed to always try his speed around the outside arc. I don't think it's too late for him, but he'll need help from the DL too.

Vernon... hard to justify taking a TE at #6 overall, and they did seem to overrate his receiving skills. He can be decent or good, but probably not worthy of the spot taken.

Jay Moore has been injured... that's it... Misfortunate, and we don't know what we have in him.

I was not a big fan of Wallace, Cohen, or Brandon Williams at all. We'll see about Wallace in the near future.

As for Baas, I've been through it too much to continue that dialogue. I think Baas played very well last season, and was a late bloomer due to the signing of Allen... injuries, whatever. I know you disagree, and think he is average at best, so all I can do there is agree to disagree.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Scot has a mixed record. He's hit on some later rounders, but missed badly on many first and early second day picks.

Missed? or just didn't have the proper coaching or situations to cultivate the selections?

Well, they made a serious misjudgment with Manny Lawson, who was brought in to be a pass rusher. He certainly does not have that skill set, and looks much more comfortable in a 4-3 set.

Davis has not lived up to expectations. He is physically gifted, but has never learned the art of running routes.

David Baas was the top pick in the second round, and is mediocre at best. The difference in talent between Baas, and Mankins, the player selected just before him is astonishing.

Brandon Williams was a bad bust. Reggie Smith is on the same road to becoming a third round bust.

Cohen, Wallace, Moore were head scratchers.

i agree on Baas, we wanted Mankins, who went 32nd to NE, and i dont see Baas getting extended yet, until he plays a full yr as starter.