Baalke clearly does not like BPA... Especially in 1st round

I like how we drafted Aldon Smith, who has the MOST sacks of ANY player in history over the first 2 years in the NFL, and somehow we whiffed?

And I think were set at RB. Who cares about Doug Martin. Gore, Hunter, James, Lattimore is plenty good.

The only criticism I have of their drafting thus far is the A.J. Jenkins pick, but if they loved him enough to trade up to make sure they got him well over his projected draft slot, im willing to wait and see. Apparently the Bears were trying to get him too.

They saw something special in Aldon Smith, and it paid off. They saw something special in Kaepernick, and it paid off. They saw something special in Jenkins, and in Reid as well, so I think we better just sit back and wait before we go complaining.

The 2011 draft was insanely good. Aldon, Kap, Culliver, Hunter, Kilgore, Miller, etc.

baalke has been owning the league in the draft so i trust whatever decisions he makes. 2011 was incredible and this draft may even top that one. reid, carradine, mcdonald and lattimore are all first round talents, patton and lemonier shouldve been 2nd rounders and we got them later and dial was a starter on one of the best dlines in the country and we got him late. cooper is an intriguing prospect at cb as well. add to that all the extra picks for next year again and its a grandslam if half of these guys turn out good

Baalke started his career as a scout did he not? I think he knows talent.

On that note, it's obvious that we're not drafting for this season's needs but for next season. I haven't seen it posted anywhere else, but it's obvious to me that Baalke and Harbaugh are drafting for the long haul, we're picking players of need when we do need them - hence Reid - but the overall strategy seems to be based on what we will need in the 2014 season to stay successful.

Look at Kaep, AJ Jenkins, LMJ - Kaep sat for a year learning the playbook at the system, ok his introduction maybe wasn't as planned but I think he was always destined to come in. AJ Jenkins only saw the field because we had injuries to Manningham and Williams, I think the intent was for him to sit the first year as well and learn the playbook and work on his strength. LMJ only saw the field because of the injury to Hunter, but he worked out damn well.

Obviously there are exceptions to that philosophy but it seems to me that is the overall plan to ensure continued success so that we are not drafting and playing rookies in their first year and having them learn on the job, mistakes and all.

On another note, look at the type of player we are drafting. The "gold Helmet" approach is obviously key. We're drafintg guys with great athletic ability and as strong an intellectual capability as we can. The aim is obviously to coach them up during that rookie year so that they hit the field in year 2 knowing the playbook, having had a year to correct their bad habits, become familiar with the requirements of being a prefessional player in the NFL, learn the right techniques from an excellent group of coaches and know the playbook inside out. The "gold Helmet" stamp is a vital part of that for all of the above and allowing them to reach their potential.

With this draft group, obviously Reid is filling an immediate position of need as is McDonald but both were drafted with long term potential in mind, Tank will see some snaps but will be a backup to Justin Smith, Lemonier will spell Aldon sometimes but be primarily backup. Dial I think will be an understudy to Dorsey and RayMac, Patton may see the field but will obviously be behind Crabtreee, Boldin and I think Jenkins. We know Lattimore will not play this season unless he pulls a Peterson. Most of the 5th round pricks and our signed UDFA's are there to try and win a place on the practics squad and some may even make it to the 53 on special teams.

We'll make the odd pick based on need, but this organisation is not thinking about the season ahead - it's thinking 2-3 seasons ahead and continued success.

A players' performance is broken down to, 40 time, cone drill, agility, high jump, broad jump, intelligent quotient and other measurements. If we drafted the players with the best results we would have a winning team.Too bad it wasn't that easy. A human element is involved, such as motivation, teamwork and heart. A successful GM can take all these factors into consideration and make a winning team. Baalke seems to have the eye.

Originally posted by jreff22:

Originally posted by GolittaCamper:
When your team sucks and you have holes at every position best player available makes sense, when you are good and the team is stacked, you are drafting for need. Perhaps too many years of watching this team struggle has blind you to the difference between rebuilding and reloading, welcome to the new 49er paradigm.

nobody is ever too good to throw away BPA

This is when you trade back, stock up on picks, and go after your specific needs. If BPA had led us to pick another QB, or ILB what would everyone be saying about this last draft? When you are reloading, you drat for need.

Originally posted by Big_Daddy:

Baalke does not purely draft BPA.... I've often read that drafting for need over BPA was the quickest way to mess up a roster. Granted, Baalke is a genius so he's right more often than the normal GM is right. This is not a post to trash Baalke. I love him. BUT.....

2011 ----- Aldon over JJ Watt, who was a known commodity
2012 ----- AJ Jenkins over Doug Martin and everyone else in round 2 who was rated higher
2013 ----- E Reid over Eifert, Rhodes, Sly Williams etc in a deep safety draft (webzone faves Cyprien, swearinger, Thomas can be had later)

We should have Watt, Doug Martin and Eifert on our roster. 3 guys I'm sure will be tops in their positions in the next 3 years. We seem to draft conservatively, to grab good to very good prospects. Yes, Aldon was a home run but Watt on this defense... Good god!!!

I'm not drinking the kool-aid on Reid. He's fast, can jump high, and is a good person. But to trade up and forgo BPA, especially when Safety is considered deep, was a waste of pick #74 IMO.
The best GM in football didn't panic... He waited patiently and grabbed Elam at #32. For all you doubters, see me next year when the short Elam is still making plays like he did in college, while we're busy trying to teach football "angles" to the #18th pick. Let me tell you something about angles in football. You either have it or you don't. Gore had it, Barlow didn't, so we kept Gore. Just cause Reid is fast and can jump high does not make him a natural football player. I think he can be solid. But you don't swing for solid in the 1st round.

DISCLAIMER: Baalke is so good rounds 2-7 and in getting extra picks that he makes up for not picking 3 blue chip players in 3 years when it was staring him in the face

You say youre not bashing Baalke, but you're clealy bashing him for not drafting according to your draft board. I'm not sure how you can state for a fact Aldon wasn't the BPA on Baalke's board. Doug Martin shouldn't even be discussed. Youre drafting in hind sight.

Unless your team is in total shambles, no one drafts purely based on BPA. That's just the usual recycled BS draft talk the pundits like to spew every year. You take the BPA at a position of NEED. Which Baalke has done since directing the draft.

People need to get over this idea that every pick should be a future hall of famer. NO team hits on EVERY pick. Teams are lucky if 1/3 of the players they draft turn out to be any good.

Considering all the talent Baalke and Harbaugh have added to the team I really don't care whether Jenkins works out or not. Don't get me wrong, he's a Niner, so I hope he does, but if not it is not the end of the world.

We're still drafting better than maybe 99% of the league IMO.

Baalke has already stated that if the consensus BPA or close to BPA is also a position of need, you obviously go that way. Eric Reid was by most projections the second or third best safety in the draft. He was also the only safety other than Vaccaro to have actually played the Free Safety position. He was also the tallest of all the highly-rated safeties. It was a great pick.

I think we have one of the very best front offices in the league. When you consider our record the past 2 seasons, the stadium being built in California, the probability of hosting Super Bowl 50, cap management, free agency hsul, drafting and having the best coaches and roster in football it's hard to complain. There are hits and misses but our batting avg is high

Originally posted by Pillbusta:
I think we have one of the very best front offices in the league. When you consider our record the past 2 seasons, the stadium being built in California, the probability of hosting Super Bowl 50, cap management, free agency hsul, drafting and having the best coaches and roster in football it's hard to complain. There are hits and misses but our batting avg is high

So true. Baalke has been in the running for GM of the year and Harbaugh for HC of the year both years they've been together. The rest of the league notices.

Originally posted by iohk:
Fail post

Why is it a failed post? I've NEVER bought into this BPA thing, and have always thought it' used as a generic smoke-screen by GM's and coaches, and over used by lazy fans in their mock drafts. The BPA don't always fit your team or O & D scheme and what your are trying to achieve long term. What if the BPA is at a position that your roster absolutely don't need? Or, for example, should the Bills have taken Gino over E.J? After all, Gino was projected much better that E.J. From what I've seem from Baalke's drafts he isn't a BPA guy, especially in the early rounds. Last season I was among the few who stated that the first round is where you address potential starters (needs), and was shot down for it. After we got Dorsey from from the Chiefs FS became our top priority in my mind, and had us taking Reid in the 1st. Reid is better than any FS on our roster. (I also thought that CB was a need, but based on our selection it's clear JH & Co. didn't think so.) Bottom line, BPA isnt a way to run a because you'll find yourself with a bunch of talented parts that don't match.

I agree that with a lot of organizations, the BPA line is a fall-back position they use when they don't get the specific player they had in mind. But, with deep rosters that are already pretty set on playoff teams, BPA makes more sense. This year, when you consider that Harbaugh coveted Reid years before he became available in the draft, it's very possible that to Harbaalke, Reid was BPA and position of need at the same time. Reid is a great athlete with prototype size. He's a student of the game and a hard worker. I liked Goldson a lot, but I actually think Reid will end up better than Goldson.

BPA according to you, We dont know what the 49ers draft board looks like.

Originally posted by 49erMike:

Originally posted by Big_Daddy:
Baalke does not purely draft BPA.... I've often read that drafting for need over BPA was the quickest way to mess up a roster. Granted, Baalke is a genius so he's right more often than the normal GM is right. This is not a post to trash Baalke. I love him. BUT.....

2011 ----- Aldon over JJ Watt, who was a known commodity
2012 ----- AJ Jenkins over Doug Martin and everyone else in round 2 who was rated higher
2013 ----- E Reid over Eifert, Rhodes, Sly Williams etc in a deep safety draft (webzone faves Cyprien, swearinger, Thomas can be had later)

We should have Watt, Doug Martin and Eifert on our roster. 3 guys I'm sure will be tops in their positions in the next 3 years. We seem to draft conservatively, to grab good to very good prospects. Yes, Aldon was a home run but Watt on this defense... Good god!!!

I'm not drinking the kool-aid on Reid. He's fast, can jump high, and is a good person. But to trade up and forgo BPA, especially when Safety is considered deep, was a waste of pick #74 IMO.
The best GM in football didn't panic... He waited patiently and grabbed Elam at #32. For all you doubters, see me next year when the short Elam is still making plays like he did in college, while we're busy trying to teach football "angles" to the #18th pick. Let me tell you something about angles in football. You either have it or you don't. Gore had it, Barlow didn't, so we kept Gore. Just cause Reid is fast and can jump high does not make him a natural football player. I think he can be solid. But you don't swing for solid in the 1st round.

DISCLAIMER: Baalke is so good rounds 2-7 and in getting extra picks that he makes up for not picking 3 blue chip players in 3 years when it was staring him in the face

You say youre not bashing Baalke, but you're clealy bashing him for not drafting according to your draft board. I'm not sure how you can state for a fact Aldon wasn't the BPA on Baalke's board. Doug Martin shouldn't even be discussed. Youre drafting in hind sight.

It does sound like Baalke never picked the guys you wanted or thought he should of picked and now he's only good in rounds 2-7..I totally disagree. Aldon was a great pick even above Watt. Watt is a beast, but we needed a edge rusher and one who could drop back in coverage (well at least somewhat lol ) Aldon was and is very coachable for what we needed and is producing at a high level. Jenkins can't say I'm impressed as most of 9er fan on here but the jury is still out." Reid is coachable for what we need and were looking for" thats why they moved up..Harbs knew this and I'm sure highly influenced the move.. Our division is fast, even faster with Harvin in it now ,and for the most part big punishing RB. We needed a big hard hitting and fast safety.On top of the Reid has intelligence which means he is coachable and can be taught to take better angles..Gore has great vision and knows when to take angles Barlow had no vision and was always dancing a in the backfield.. Its vision that can't be taught its a natural instinct....

So you had Watt rated higher then Aldon coming out? Aldon fits better with what they do anyways.