Draft summary

Originally posted by Heroism:
He played off-ball(Will) LB at the Senior Bowl and looked natural doing so.

He's going to be an off-ball LB in the NFL, which means Mike or Will in Saleh's defense. But I agree about making calls. I don't like the idea of starting him at Mike because it's a lot to put on a rookies plate. I'd start him off at Will LB, but if he shows he can handle Mike responsibilities in OTA/camp, then have at it.

totally agree - Coyle can play Mike and I suspect that if Foster is suspended then on base downs then Coyle / Toomer play Mike and Smith plays Will.

On clear passing downs however I can see Warner playing coverage LB with Malcolm Smith because of his size and speed.

I think we learned a lot about Shanahan and Lynch and their draft philosophy. That third day press conference revealed a lot. If you haven't seen it, I recommend watching it. Some of my thoughts from the draft.

Reaching
The scouts put together their lists and Shanahan and Lynch separately place their favorites and slot them in rounds they think they will go in. By doing this, essentially they gather all the intel and pick their 'favorites'. Once they love their favorites, they will do whatever it takes to grab them. Hence, my feeling and opinion is that they will tend to reach. I don't think this is a one-time thing. I think you will always see this from them. We saw it last year with Beathard. Lynch admitted that Shanahan wanted him and moved up into Day 2 so Shanahan didn't have to sleep that night worrying if they would land him the next day. I think we saw that a few times in this draft as well. Pettis was surprised to go in Round 2. And you could say we reached on several picks.

Impulsive Trading
Not sure if this is Lynch or Shanahan or both, but this team tends to make impulsive trades. We could garner better value in some of these deals. I think we could have gotten more in the Trent Brown deal. And there are other examples... Kilgore's trade value, even MacDonald to the Steelers could have been worth more IMO. The trading also bleeds into the 'Reaching Philosophy' above. Their targetting strategy gets them in a hot mess; and they impulsively trade up to reach for guys who are likely on the board. Or for that matter, deny possible trade-downs for fear of losing 'their guy'.

Shanahan as a Talent Evaluator
First off, love Shanahan as a coach. He has exceeded my expectations and I think we are seeing the early stages of an innovative, offensive guru who will dominate the game for the next two decades. That said, I am slightly concerned (not sure if that is the right word) of his opinion in the draft room. We know that the scouts, spending months putting together a board, didn't have Joe Williams on their board, and Shanahan wanted him put back on. I think Shanahan sees things he likes and zones in on it. He probably would make a good wing-man at a bar but I don't know if he can accurately weigh the value of a strong trade proposal versus his guy. I may be completely off-base here but it will be something to look for in future drafts.

2018 Draft
My view of this draft. I believe in their ability to find talent and despite the reaches I think it will be a good draft. One interesting point that was made in that press conference... they admitted that they looked at guys on their roster and asked the question if the potential draftee could make the team. They believe it will be harder for some of these guys to make the team. I think the issue with this draft is related to the 2017 draft. Similar to College recruiting, we now have a HUGE sophomore class because we had to reload a depleted roster in 2017. Our leadership wants to give them an opportunity to succeed and doesn't want to impede their progress. Don't draft an Edge if you think others on the team has the 'potential' to do it. I say it is similar to College, because if you over-recruit one year, you tend to under recruit the following year. In hindsight, perhaps we should have traded up or picked up 2019 picks.

Anyway, my thoughts. will be interesting to see this team, and I am optimistic we will have a great year.

Originally posted by NCommand:
...

Defensive Personnel: --- 45
LDE: Arik Armstead; Ronald Blair (Kentavius Street)
NT: Earl Mitchell; D.J. Jones & Niles Scott
RDT: DeForest Buckner; Sheldon Day & Jullian Taylor
LEO: Solomon Thomas; Jeremiah Attaochu, Cassius Marsh & Patrick Choudja
--- Armstead moves to the Big End spot where he should be much more comfortable given his 3-4 DE days. The NT will be ups-for-grabs with D.J. Jones being well-liked by the FO and coaching staff. 3T just got deeper with Taylor added. Street will be redshirted with an...ummm...ACL. Base looks identical to last year at LEO with Solomon Thomas pegged for the first two downs before sliding inside to NT on 3rd downs. 3rd downs are when Saleh will tap into Marsh and Attaochu. In short, expect stout run defense, league-leading QB pressures but bottom of the barrel in sacks again (around 30).

If you consider Attaochu a draft pick, I think this draft was solid as can be. Solomon and Cassius were decent last year and I hope Solomon takes a quantum leap in sack production this year. I'm beginning to think that ShanaLynch compared all of this years Edge Rushers to Attaochu and just said, it, lets just go with what we have and draft for depth. If you consider Attaochu and Jimmy GQ as two 2nd round draft picks - this draft is AAA+++ in my opinion. Without Attaochu and Jimmy, this draft is still an un-sexy solid draft. More of a draft for Depth and Scheme Fit than anything else.

Originally posted by SteveYoung:

I love the Trent Brown for Mike McGlinchey pick. Brown was holding this entire offense back.

I love Dante Pettis even more. He reminds me of Antonio Brown. Smooth route runner, deadly in the RZ, catches everything and is a game changing returner. He is a beast.

Fred Warner is perfect for our scheme and could challenge to start from day 1 at MIKE beside Malcolm Smith of Reuben has to miss time.

That is 3 guys who can contribute from day 1.

Tarvarius Moore, DJ Reed and Marcell Harris offer much needed depth and versatility to our secondary.

Kentavius Street and Jullian Taylor are huge and athletic. They may not contribute this year but they could play big roles next year.

And WR Richie James is a Trent Taylor clone.

People also forgot we got jimmy G for our 2nd

Honestly I'm not a huge fan of the day 3 picks at all...I like Reed but we're not at a point where we can afford to draft injured players like Street.

I give the draft A because of the jimmy trade...give the rest of it a B-

Originally posted by Nastastical:

Originally posted by SteveYoung:

I love the Trent Brown for Mike McGlinchey pick. Brown was holding this entire offense back.

I love Dante Pettis even more. He reminds me of Antonio Brown. Smooth route runner, deadly in the RZ, catches everything and is a game changing returner. He is a beast.

Fred Warner is perfect for our scheme and could challenge to start from day 1 at MIKE beside Malcolm Smith of Reuben has to miss time.

That is 3 guys who can contribute from day 1.

Tarvarius Moore, DJ Reed and Marcell Harris offer much needed depth and versatility to our secondary.

Kentavius Street and Jullian Taylor are huge and athletic. They may not contribute this year but they could play big roles next year.

And WR Richie James is a Trent Taylor clone.

I swear some of our fan base need to relax more. It's like some just try to find every single thing to be negative about.

This was a draft that clearly filled the needs that Lynch and Shanny identified, not some fake scout who works for ESPN or any other place that covers the draft.

You'd think after the stellar job our guys did during last years draft they would've gained some trust from the fan base, but I guess not.

I'm not a homer and have never considered myself someone who follows things blindly, but I do give people a chance to prove their worth before criticizing prematurely.

Did I like the Street pick? Not necessarily, but that has nothing to do with Lynch or Street, but more so my own personal feelings towards selecting injured rookies. Maybe our font office and coaches saw something they love and are willing to wait a season for him. I hope it works out, even though I don't agree with this strategy.

All their other selections looked solid though and I can understand why they selected each and every player. Only time will tell if each picks works out though.

I think if most of these picks work out they earned our trust. It would also mean that theres very little room on the team so it would make sense that maybe much fewer draft picks make the team

Originally posted by ronin1387:

Originally posted by Nastastical:

Originally posted by SteveYoung:

I love the Trent Brown for Mike McGlinchey pick. Brown was holding this entire offense back.

I love Dante Pettis even more. He reminds me of Antonio Brown. Smooth route runner, deadly in the RZ, catches everything and is a game changing returner. He is a beast.

Fred Warner is perfect for our scheme and could challenge to start from day 1 at MIKE beside Malcolm Smith of Reuben has to miss time.

That is 3 guys who can contribute from day 1.

Tarvarius Moore, DJ Reed and Marcell Harris offer much needed depth and versatility to our secondary.

Kentavius Street and Jullian Taylor are huge and athletic. They may not contribute this year but they could play big roles next year.

And WR Richie James is a Trent Taylor clone.

I swear some of our fan base need to relax more. It's like some just try to find every single thing to be negative about.

This was a draft that clearly filled the needs that Lynch and Shanny identified, not some fake scout who works for ESPN or any other place that covers the draft.

You'd think after the stellar job our guys did during last years draft they would've gained some trust from the fan base, but I guess not.

I'm not a homer and have never considered myself someone who follows things blindly, but I do give people a chance to prove their worth before criticizing prematurely.

Did I like the Street pick? Not necessarily, but that has nothing to do with Lynch or Street, but more so my own personal feelings towards selecting injured rookies. Maybe our font office and coaches saw something they love and are willing to wait a season for him. I hope it works out, even though I don't agree with this strategy.

All their other selections looked solid though and I can understand why they selected each and every player. Only time will tell if each picks works out though.

I think if most of these picks work out they earned our trust. It would also mean that theres very little room on the team so it would make sense that maybe much fewer draft picks make the team

in future drafts i mean...

Originally posted by Rice-a-Ronnie:

I think we learned a lot about Shanahan and Lynch and their draft philosophy. That third day press conference revealed a lot. If you haven't seen it, I recommend watching it. Some of my thoughts from the draft.

Reaching
The scouts put together their lists and Shanahan and Lynch separately place their favorites and slot them in rounds they think they will go in. By doing this, essentially they gather all the intel and pick their 'favorites'. Once they love their favorites, they will do whatever it takes to grab them. Hence, my feeling and opinion is that they will tend to reach. I don't think this is a one-time thing. I think you will always see this from them. We saw it last year with Beathard. Lynch admitted that Shanahan wanted him and moved up into Day 2 so Shanahan didn't have to sleep that night worrying if they would land him the next day. I think we saw that a few times in this draft as well. Pettis was surprised to go in Round 2. And you could say we reached on several picks.

Impulsive Trading
Not sure if this is Lynch or Shanahan or both, but this team tends to make impulsive trades. We could garner better value in some of these deals. I think we could have gotten more in the Trent Brown deal. And there are other examples... Kilgore's trade value, even MacDonald to the Steelers could have been worth more IMO. The trading also bleeds into the 'Reaching Philosophy' above. Their targetting strategy gets them in a hot mess; and they impulsively trade up to reach for guys who are likely on the board. Or for that matter, deny possible trade-downs for fear of losing 'their guy'.

Shanahan as a Talent Evaluator
First off, love Shanahan as a coach. He has exceeded my expectations and I think we are seeing the early stages of an innovative, offensive guru who will dominate the game for the next two decades. That said, I am slightly concerned (not sure if that is the right word) of his opinion in the draft room. We know that the scouts, spending months putting together a board, didn't have Joe Williams on their board, and Shanahan wanted him put back on. I think Shanahan sees things he likes and zones in on it. He probably would make a good wing-man at a bar but I don't know if he can accurately weigh the value of a strong trade proposal versus his guy. I may be completely off-base here but it will be something to look for in future drafts.

2018 Draft
My view of this draft. I believe in their ability to find talent and despite the reaches I think it will be a good draft. One interesting point that was made in that press conference... they admitted that they looked at guys on their roster and asked the question if the potential draftee could make the team. They believe it will be harder for some of these guys to make the team. I think the issue with this draft is related to the 2017 draft. Similar to College recruiting, we now have a HUGE sophomore class because we had to reload a depleted roster in 2017. Our leadership wants to give them an opportunity to succeed and doesn't want to impede their progress. Don't draft an Edge if you think others on the team has the 'potential' to do it. I say it is similar to College, because if you over-recruit one year, you tend to under recruit the following year. In hindsight, perhaps we should have traded up or picked up 2019 picks.

Anyway, my thoughts. will be interesting to see this team, and I am optimistic we will have a great year.

I hear what you're saying and I agree to a point with the reaching for players they value.

I will say it's tough to gauge if players are reaches because we simply don't know other teams boards. If the guys they reached for (or over paid to draft) turn into quality starters I'm cool with it.

My real issue is drafting ACL and injured players at this stage in the game...SF isn't at a pt where they can use picks on players like that.

We will see looks like they should have 3 possibly 4 starters which is pretty solid

Originally posted by NCommand:

Thanks for starting this SY. Let's look at the whole lot.

Offensive Personnel: --- 44
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo; C.J. BeatHard & Nick Mullens
--- We're solid here, right guys?

RB1: Jerick McKinnon; Joe Williams & Jeffrey Wilson
RB2: Matt Breida; Jeremy McNichols & Raheem Mostert
FB: Kyle Juszczyk; Malcolm Johnson
--- Last year, we ran 140 inside zone runs coupled with 175 outside zone. The addition of McKinnon and with Hyde gone, more competition with Breida in year 2, and a revamped OL, you can bet your ass we'll run over 200 outside zone runs next year and probably, closer to 100 inside zone. Given that, it doesn't look like Kyle was too interested in a bigger inside-the-tackles runner. Like he said, if a RB can run, he can run and you still have to find the hole either way. He's all about splitting the carries anyhow. We now have backs who can catch the damn ball and be legit threats in the passing game.

TE: George Kittle; Garett Celek, Cole Hikutini, Cole Wick & Ross Dwelley
--- A healthy Kittle should help this unit a lot this year. I'm most excited about the battle between Hikutini and Dwelley (RZ machine).

XWR: Marquise Goodwin; Aldrick Robinson, Victor Boldin Jr. & Deontez Alexander
YWR: Dante Pettis; Trent Taylor, Richie James, DeAndre Carter & Aaron Burbridge
ZWR: Pierre Garcon; Kendrick Bourne, Max McCaffrey & Steven Dunbar
--- After listening to the ShanaLynch's presser, it sounds like last year they were just looking for a player to fit the slot YWR role. This year, they wanted to add a dynamic, long-term option there. Do not be surprised if Pettis supplants a fan-favorite in Trent Taylor. Pettis also adds a more dynamic route tree from the slot, speed and return abilities. He can also play outside at the X & Z too so Trent Taylor still has a chance to stick as our 3rd down specialist. With Goodwin's evolution out at the X and Garcon back plus the growth of Bourne, we are going to pose some real challenges for defenses in between the 20's with Kyle's X's and O's. Richie James also has a legit shot to stick with his return abilities and as being an offensive weapon.

LOT: Joe Staley; Garry Gilliam & Pace Murphy
LG: Jonathan Cooper; Laken Tomlinson & Zane Beadles
C: Weston Richburg; Erik Magnuson & Alan Knott
RG: Joshua Garnett; Andrew Lauderdale
ROT: Mike McGlinchey; Darrell Williams Jr., Andrew Marshall & Jamar McGloster
--- Nothing made me more happy than seeing this OL revamped. We still have massive question marks at G with three former first round picks vying for two starting positions but they'll be sandwiched in between Staley, Richburg and the tone-setter rookie, McGlinchey. Kyle said the running game starts with the C-G's so we'll see how that goes. It took 2/3rds of the year for the OL to get clicking so patience is a virtue with so many new pieces.

Defensive Personnel: --- 45
LDE: Arik Armstead; Ronald Blair (Kentavius Street)
NT: Earl Mitchell; D.J. Jones & Niles Scott
RDT: DeForest Buckner; Sheldon Day & Jullian Taylor
LEO: Solomon Thomas; Jeremiah Attaochu, Cassius Marsh & Patrick Choudja
--- Armstead moves to the Big End spot where he should be much more comfortable given his 3-4 DE days. The NT will be ups-for-grabs with D.J. Jones being well-liked by the FO and coaching staff. 3T just got deeper with Taylor added. Street will be redshirted with an...ummm...ACL. Base looks identical to last year at LEO with Solomon Thomas pegged for the first two downs before sliding inside to NT on 3rd downs. 3rd downs are when Saleh will tap into Marsh and Attaochu. In short, expect stout run defense, league-leading QB pressures but bottom of the barrel in sacks again (around 30).

SAM: Eli Harold; Pita Taumoepenu & Dekoda Watson
MIKE: Fred Warner; Korey Toomer, Brock Coyle, Jimmie Gilbert & Mark Nzeocha
WILL: Malcolm Smith; Elijah Lee, Donavin Newsome & Boseko Lokombo (Rueben Foster)
--- Some things never change, like the sun coming up and Eli Harold starting for the 49ers and being totally invisible. Pita should have a legit chance to compete but has to prove he's as stout as Eli and add 'some' edge rush off the strong side. MIKE and WILL be be a fuster cluck until the Rueben Foster situation is resolved. That said, Fred Warner is an excellent pickup and he's a bright guy who will have a legit shot at starting at MIKE and wearing the green communication dot...if not him, Malcolm Smith returns and can also play the MIKE. Toomer should be a big upgrade over Brock Coyle for depth. He, like Malcolm, knows this system so keep an eye on him.

RCB: Ahkello Witherspoon; Jimmie Ward, Tyvis Powell & Tarvarus McFadden
S/CB: K'Waun Williams; D.J. Reed, Emmanuel Moseley & Trovon Reed
LCB: Richard Sherman; Tarvarious Moore, Greg Mabin & Channing Stribling
--- This entire unit could be completely revamped if Sherman retains full health and explosion. Witherspoon is about to get his M.D. in how to play CB from Sherman. Ward moves back to the outside but there are three newcomers I'm excited about. K'Waun Williams recently signed a long-term contract and has ties to the coaching staff for developing him and when healthy late last year, came on, but keep your eye on D.J. Reed. He has a legit shot to supplant Williams and like Pettis, adds a ton to the return game. On the outside, we're all about those long 6'2" CB's with long arms in Tarvarus McFadden (UDFA) and Tarvarious Moore. Moore is the most intriguing b/c he can play FS in this scheme behind Adrian Colbert, posted 4.32 speed and has the make-up to compete outside and both he and McFadden, will be developed by Sherman the right way.

FS: Adrian Colbert; Dexter McCoil, Don Jones & Corey Griffin
SS: Jaquiski Tartt; Chancellor James & Marcell Harris
--- I absolutely love the Colbert + Tartt combo. The coaches do as well, extending Tartt through 2020 and Colbert's ascension sent the former first round Ward, to the outside...literally. James was having a terrific pre-season until injury stuck so the FO brought in Harris to compete for depth as SS. Again, Tarvarious Moore adds additional depth as FS as well as Ward.

Special Teams: --- 4
LS: Kyle Nelson
PK: Robbie Gould
P: Bradley Pinion; Jeff Locke
--- Nothing to see here, people. Business as usual.

KOR: Dante Pettis & Jerick McKinnon
PR: Dante Pettis; Trent Taylor & D.J. Reed
GR: Raheem Mostert & Tarvarious Moore
--- Speed kills. It's safe to say the return and coverage units have taken on a serious overhaul. Mostert was one of PFF's best gunners and if he's fully recovered, he and Moore's 4.32 speed will destroy the oppositions return game and help win the field position game. Speaking of field position, Pettis, McKinnon and D.J. Reed bring a legit return game for kickoffs and punts and should be a huge upgrade over Trent Taylor who was solid last year himself.

Go Niners!

Absolutely great breakdown. So excited to see this team on the field to compete. This team has been made over into Shanahan's vision with much more overall team speed! Love it!

Originally posted by mayo49:

Originally posted by NCommand:
Thanks for starting this SY. Let's look at the whole lot.

Offensive Personnel: --- 44
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo; C.J. BeatHard & Nick Mullens
--- We're solid here, right guys?

RB1: Jerick McKinnon; Joe Williams & Jeffrey Wilson
RB2: Matt Breida; Jeremy McNichols & Raheem Mostert
FB: Kyle Juszczyk; Malcolm Johnson
--- Last year, we ran 140 inside zone runs coupled with 175 outside zone. The addition of McKinnon and with Hyde gone, more competition with Breida in year 2, and a revamped OL, you can bet your ass we'll run over 200 outside zone runs next year and probably, closer to 100 inside zone. Given that, it doesn't look like Kyle was too interested in a bigger inside-the-tackles runner. Like he said, if a RB can run, he can run and you still have to find the hole either way. He's all about splitting the carries anyhow. We now have backs who can catch the damn ball and be legit threats in the passing game.

TE: George Kittle; Garett Celek, Cole Hikutini, Cole Wick & Ross Dwelley
--- A healthy Kittle should help this unit a lot this year. I'm most excited about the battle between Hikutini and Dwelley (RZ machine).

XWR: Marquise Goodwin; Aldrick Robinson, Victor Boldin Jr. & Deontez Alexander
YWR: Dante Pettis; Trent Taylor, Richie James, DeAndre Carter & Aaron Burbridge
ZWR: Pierre Garcon; Kendrick Bourne, Max McCaffrey & Steven Dunbar
--- After listening to the ShanaLynch's presser, it sounds like last year they were just looking for a player to fit the slot YWR role. This year, they wanted to add a dynamic, long-term option there. Do not be surprised if Pettis supplants a fan-favorite in Trent Taylor. Pettis also adds a more dynamic route tree from the slot, speed and return abilities. He can also play outside at the X & Z too so Trent Taylor still has a chance to stick as our 3rd down specialist. With Goodwin's evolution out at the X and Garcon back plus the growth of Bourne, we are going to pose some real challenges for defenses in between the 20's with Kyle's X's and O's. Richie James also has a legit shot to stick with his return abilities and as being an offensive weapon.

LOT: Joe Staley; Garry Gilliam & Pace Murphy
LG: Jonathan Cooper; Laken Tomlinson & Zane Beadles
C: Weston Richburg; Erik Magnuson & Alan Knott
RG: Joshua Garnett; Andrew Lauderdale
ROT: Mike McGlinchey; Darrell Williams Jr., Andrew Marshall & Jamar McGloster
--- Nothing made me more happy than seeing this OL revamped. We still have massive question marks at G with three former first round picks vying for two starting positions but they'll be sandwiched in between Staley, Richburg and the tone-setter rookie, McGlinchey. Kyle said the running game starts with the C-G's so we'll see how that goes. It took 2/3rds of the year for the OL to get clicking so patience is a virtue with so many new pieces.

Defensive Personnel: --- 45
LDE: Arik Armstead; Ronald Blair (Kentavius Street)
NT: Earl Mitchell; D.J. Jones & Niles Scott
RDT: DeForest Buckner; Sheldon Day & Jullian Taylor
LEO: Solomon Thomas; Jeremiah Attaochu, Cassius Marsh & Patrick Choudja
--- Armstead moves to the Big End spot where he should be much more comfortable given his 3-4 DE days. The NT will be ups-for-grabs with D.J. Jones being well-liked by the FO and coaching staff. 3T just got deeper with Taylor added. Street will be redshirted with an...ummm...ACL. Base looks identical to last year at LEO with Solomon Thomas pegged for the first two downs before sliding inside to NT on 3rd downs. 3rd downs are when Saleh will tap into Marsh and Attaochu. In short, expect stout run defense, league-leading QB pressures but bottom of the barrel in sacks again (around 30).

SAM: Eli Harold; Pita Taumoepenu & Dekoda Watson
MIKE: Fred Warner; Korey Toomer, Brock Coyle, Jimmie Gilbert & Mark Nzeocha
WILL: Malcolm Smith; Elijah Lee, Donavin Newsome & Boseko Lokombo (Rueben Foster)
--- Some things never change, like the sun coming up and Eli Harold starting for the 49ers and being totally invisible. Pita should have a legit chance to compete but has to prove he's as stout as Eli and add 'some' edge rush off the strong side. MIKE and WILL be be a fuster cluck until the Rueben Foster situation is resolved. That said, Fred Warner is an excellent pickup and he's a bright guy who will have a legit shot at starting at MIKE and wearing the green communication dot...if not him, Malcolm Smith returns and can also play the MIKE. Toomer should be a big upgrade over Brock Coyle for depth. He, like Malcolm, knows this system so keep an eye on him.

RCB: Ahkello Witherspoon; Jimmie Ward, Tyvis Powell & Tarvarus McFadden
S/CB: K'Waun Williams; D.J. Reed, Emmanuel Moseley & Trovon Reed
LCB: Richard Sherman; Tarvarious Moore, Greg Mabin & Channing Stribling
--- This entire unit could be completely revamped if Sherman retains full health and explosion. Witherspoon is about to get his M.D. in how to play CB from Sherman. Ward moves back to the outside but there are three newcomers I'm excited about. K'Waun Williams recently signed a long-term contract and has ties to the coaching staff for developing him and when healthy late last year, came on, but keep your eye on D.J. Reed. He has a legit shot to supplant Williams and like Pettis, adds a ton to the return game. On the outside, we're all about those long 6'2" CB's with long arms in Tarvarus McFadden (UDFA) and Tarvarious Moore. Moore is the most intriguing b/c he can play FS in this scheme behind Adrian Colbert, posted 4.32 speed and has the make-up to compete outside and both he and McFadden, will be developed by Sherman the right way.

FS: Adrian Colbert; Dexter McCoil, Don Jones & Corey Griffin
SS: Jaquiski Tartt; Chancellor James & Marcell Harris
--- I absolutely love the Colbert + Tartt combo. The coaches do as well, extending Tartt through 2020 and Colbert's ascension sent the former first round Ward, to the outside...literally. James was having a terrific pre-season until injury stuck so the FO brought in Harris to compete for depth as SS. Again, Tarvarious Moore adds additional depth as FS as well as Ward.

Special Teams: --- 4
LS: Kyle Nelson
PK: Robbie Gould
P: Bradley Pinion; Jeff Locke
--- Nothing to see here, people. Business as usual.

KOR: Dante Pettis & Jerick McKinnon
PR: Dante Pettis; Trent Taylor & D.J. Reed
GR: Raheem Mostert & Tarvarious Moore
--- Speed kills. It's safe to say the return and coverage units have taken on a serious overhaul. Mostert was one of PFF's best gunners and if he's fully recovered, he and Moore's 4.32 speed will destroy the oppositions return game and help win the field position game. Speaking of field position, Pettis, McKinnon and D.J. Reed bring a legit return game for kickoffs and punts and should be a huge upgrade over Trent Taylor who was solid last year himself.

Go Niners!

Thanks, NCommand - nice list, man.

My pleasure! Always good to review the whole roster and see what dark horses have a shot to stick this year and where units are strong and weak.

Originally posted by Rice-a-Ronnie:
I think we learned a lot about Shanahan and Lynch and their draft philosophy. That third day press conference revealed a lot. If you haven't seen it, I recommend watching it. Some of my thoughts from the draft.

Reaching
The scouts put together their lists and Shanahan and Lynch separately place their favorites and slot them in rounds they think they will go in. By doing this, essentially they gather all the intel and pick their 'favorites'. Once they love their favorites, they will do whatever it takes to grab them. Hence, my feeling and opinion is that they will tend to reach. I don't think this is a one-time thing. I think you will always see this from them. We saw it last year with Beathard. Lynch admitted that Shanahan wanted him and moved up into Day 2 so Shanahan didn't have to sleep that night worrying if they would land him the next day. I think we saw that a few times in this draft as well. Pettis was surprised to go in Round 2. And you could say we reached on several picks.

Impulsive Trading
Not sure if this is Lynch or Shanahan or both, but this team tends to make impulsive trades. We could garner better value in some of these deals. I think we could have gotten more in the Trent Brown deal. And there are other examples... Kilgore's trade value, even MacDonald to the Steelers could have been worth more IMO. The trading also bleeds into the 'Reaching Philosophy' above. Their targetting strategy gets them in a hot mess; and they impulsively trade up to reach for guys who are likely on the board. Or for that matter, deny possible trade-downs for fear of losing 'their guy'.

Shanahan as a Talent Evaluator
First off, love Shanahan as a coach. He has exceeded my expectations and I think we are seeing the early stages of an innovative, offensive guru who will dominate the game for the next two decades. That said, I am slightly concerned (not sure if that is the right word) of his opinion in the draft room. We know that the scouts, spending months putting together a board, didn't have Joe Williams on their board, and Shanahan wanted him put back on. I think Shanahan sees things he likes and zones in on it. He probably would make a good wing-man at a bar but I don't know if he can accurately weigh the value of a strong trade proposal versus his guy. I may be completely off-base here but it will be something to look for in future drafts.

2018 Draft
My view of this draft. I believe in their ability to find talent and despite the reaches I think it will be a good draft. One interesting point that was made in that press conference... they admitted that they looked at guys on their roster and asked the question if the potential draftee could make the team. They believe it will be harder for some of these guys to make the team. I think the issue with this draft is related to the 2017 draft. Similar to College recruiting, we now have a HUGE sophomore class because we had to reload a depleted roster in 2017. Our leadership wants to give them an opportunity to succeed and doesn't want to impede their progress. Don't draft an Edge if you think others on the team has the 'potential' to do it. I say it is similar to College, because if you over-recruit one year, you tend to under recruit the following year. In hindsight, perhaps we should have traded up or picked up 2019 picks.

Anyway, my thoughts. will be interesting to see this team, and I am optimistic we will have a great year.

What a terrific, well-thought out post. I also wholeheartedly agree on all of your points. Free agency is also proving a similar mentality (getting their FB, RB and C at all costs). There also seems to be a strong hint of money-ball here too. This is the most open regime I've heard talking about their willingness to pay guys, dumping them and bringing in rookies on the cheap. I think we are starting to see some clear trends through two off seasons.

I was a lot more optimistic heading into the draft. We look like a 7-9 football team now. Our OL is mediocre (LT and C are strong but our guards wouldn't be starting for a lot of teams). We have some decent but not spectacular WRs and a decent RB who may be overpaid but is hopefully a good scheme fit. On defense, our defensive line is unchanged and wasn't good last year but maybe Thomas develops. Our linebackers are garbage until Foster comes back (if he does). Our secondary could be a little better if Sherman is healthy but we don't have any shutdown corners or elite safeties teams need to worry about.

Garapollo is the strength of this football team right now. Our first round pick may not be an upgrade over Brown in the short run and potentially losing Foster hurts our defense more than any of the additions we made in the offseason or draft. Hopefully Garapollo stays healthy, because without him this is still a bad football team.

Rotoworld draft grade only A draft grade in the NFC (people HAVE to include the jimmy trade)


1. (9) Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey
2. (44) Washington WR Dante Pettis
3. (70) BYU OLB Fred Warner
3. (95) Southern Miss S Tarvarius Moore
4. (128) NC State DE Kentavius Street
5. (142) Kansas State CB D.J. Reed
6. (184) Florida S Marcell Harris
7. (223) Temple DT Jullian Taylor
7. (240) Middle Tennessee WR Richie James

Overview: Roquan Smith would have been a preferred selection at No. 8 overall, but the Bears weren't going to let him slip, and McGlinchey filled a need when the Niners dealt RT Trent Brown to New England. Coach Kyle Shanahan clearly fell in love with Pettis; the 49ers traded up from 59 to 44 to land him. Pettis profiles as a slot-flanker receiver and was one of the top return men in this draft. Warner has a chance to fill the K.J. Wright role in DC Robert Saleh's Seahawks-style defense, and Moore is a superb athlete with true centerfield safety skills. Street and Harris came at injury discounts. Reed is a slot corner only with kickoff-return value. Among draft-eligible defensive tackles, only Taven Bryan logged better SPARQ results than Taylor. As the 49ers acquired Jimmy Garoppolo for the 43rd overall pick, he must be included in this haul and provides a significant boost to San Francisco's draft grade.

Grade: A

Originally posted by Giedi:
If you consider Attaochu a draft pick, I think this draft was solid as can be. Solomon and Cassius were decent last year and I hope Solomon takes a quantum leap in sack production this year. I'm beginning to think that ShanaLynch compared all of this years Edge Rushers to Attaochu and just said, it, lets just go with what we have and draft for depth. If you consider Attaochu and Jimmy GQ as two 2nd round draft picks - this draft is AAA+++ in my opinion. Without Attaochu and Jimmy, this draft is still an un-sexy solid draft. More of a draft for Depth and Scheme Fit than anything else.

Yeah, I was in the same mindset that if you couldn't get Landry, and we could have, just cash it in on LEO. In a quote from Shanahan, they had to ask themselves, can this guy beat out Cassius Marsh? Perhaps they are too high on Cassius and Attaochu? But I also feel they dropped the ball on targeting the SAM for an upgrade too. There were several players like Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Lorenzo Carter, Uchenna Nwosu, Kemoko Turay, Chad Thomas or Dorance Armstrong (all players we met with) who could have been massive upgrades over the Eli Harold+Elvis Dumervil combo we had last year.

They flat out ignored both edge positions and it clearly, was our biggest need coming into the draft.

Speaking of Dumervil, Saleh only used him on 3rd downs and he netted 6.5 sacks for us. He's gone now, so objectively, did this unit get better, worse or stay the same?

Either way, it looks like we'll be using Thomas again on the first two downs at LEO and Marsh+Attaochu on 3rd downs.

Even if that combo is more effective than the 3rd down package of Dumervil+Marsh from last year, how much of an improvement can we expect from the 30 team sacks we had last year?

This draft probably exposes the difference between the WZ fan opinion vs. the real 49ers draft board more than any other draft in recent memory.

Lynch and Co. have access to film, interviews with player, coaches and teammates, medical records, and a full time staff of assistants and regional scouts.

We have access to limited game film, draft pundit opinions, and public accounts of information.

But the reality is that even with all of that data, franchises get it wrong sometimes.

Based on the limited information I have, my assessment is that every single pick after McGlinchey could have been taken a round or two later, if not as UDFA. I dont hate the players, but I dont see great value in the timing of these picks.

It may turn out that all of these players contribute, but if they did reach on them, Lynch didnt give himself very much margin for error.

Originally posted by eastcoast49ersfan:

I was a lot more optimistic heading into the draft. We look like a 7-9 football team now. Our OL is mediocre (LT and C are strong but our guards wouldn't be starting for a lot of teams). We have some decent but not spectacular WRs and a decent RB who may be overpaid but is hopefully a good scheme fit. On defense, our defensive line is unchanged and wasn't good last year but maybe Thomas develops. Our linebackers are garbage until Foster comes back (if he does). Our secondary could be a little better if Sherman is healthy but we don't have any shutdown corners or elite safeties teams need to worry about.

Garapollo is the strength of this football team right now. Our first round pick may not be an upgrade over Brown in the short run and potentially losing Foster hurts our defense more than any of the additions we made in the offseason or draft. Hopefully Garapollo stays healthy, because without him this is still a bad football team.

Top 3 offense when jimmy G was the qb over the last 5 games...that's with Kilgore and Zane beadles as starters. Garnett and cooper are at the very least as good as Fusco and Tomlinson. Pettis IMO is stefon diggs 2.0.

We have crazy speed and kyle can now run OZ with our athletic RT and McKinnon. They also get Garcon back...I can't see how they didn't improve the offense between FA and this draft.

They improved the secondary from last yr without question..,Sherman sounds like he will be good to go and I'm a big fan of the Moore pick.

My man issue is the lack of edge and that was my biggest problem with this FO/draft. Hopefully a better secondary will help get more pressure this yr.