Draft Grade

Originally posted by NinerBuff:
It comes down to Trey Lance. If the dude is a pro bowl / All-pro type, then you got the most important position in sports figures out for potentially 15 years. If he's not amazing, then it's gonna be pretty bad.

I do like the power running feel of this draft. Surprised they didn't draft a WR, but maybe Hurd can be healthy.

Right. But right now it is advantageous to make your grade based on what you believe he will be, I'd say.

B+

Lance alone makes this a draft a B, I don't think we needed two RB's and wished we would've taken a WR, but the oline depth is great and everyone selected will push existing players on the rosters.

Originally posted by NinerBuff:
It comes down to Trey Lance. If the dude is a pro bowl / All-pro type, then you got the most important position in sports figures out for potentially 15 years. If he's not amazing, then it's gonna be pretty bad.

I do like the power running feel of this draft. Surprised they didn't draft a WR, but maybe Hurd can be healthy.

It does feel like Kyles moving to power run game doesn't it? For me, this draft addresses the long term QB issue with Trey Lance. I'm pretty confident he'll be torching defenses in a year or two with Kyle coaching him up.

Finally Kyle's 4 minute offense has some teeth. In both super bowl losses, I think the power run 4 minute offense was Kyle's Achilles heel. He needed a run game that can put teams away in the 4th QTr. Those two OLinemen and those RBs look like tailor made for a 4 minute offense. (B+)

Totally get the 2 CBs but not 2 RBS.

Originally posted by 5_Golden_Rings:

Originally posted by NinerBuff:
It comes down to Trey Lance. If the dude is a pro bowl / All-pro type, then you got the most important position in sports figures out for potentially 15 years. If he's not amazing, then it's gonna be pretty bad.

I do like the power running feel of this draft. Surprised they didn't draft a WR, but maybe Hurd can be healthy.

Right. But right now it is advantageous to make your grade based on what you believe he will be, I'd say.

I voted A-. I think they nailed the draft, but these players cost them major draft capital.

Originally posted by NinerBuff:

Originally posted by 9moon:
C - !!

today, today just convinced me even MORE than both Kyle and John " Don't Know Draft " !!!

I thought the draft was very good A-/B+ range. But it'll depend on Lance. Could be A+++/F. But I thought they addressed key positions and got at least 2 or 3 day 1 starters.

LET'S take out Lance out of the equation... we gave up two 1st and a 3rd... we made a very good 2nd round trade to pick up another pick this year..

the moves are very very good and I have no complaints about that.. . but the players we drafted, 70% PROJECTS !!!

I'm calling this class of ours... THE CRYPTO CLASS !!!

Originally posted by NinerBuff:

Originally posted by 5_Golden_Rings:

Originally posted by NinerBuff:
It comes down to Trey Lance. If the dude is a pro bowl / All-pro type, then you got the most important position in sports figures out for potentially 15 years. If he's not amazing, then it's gonna be pretty bad.

I do like the power running feel of this draft. Surprised they didn't draft a WR, but maybe Hurd can be healthy.

Right. But right now it is advantageous to make your grade based on what you believe he will be, I'd say.

I voted A-. I think they nailed the draft, but these players cost them major draft capital.

Either give up that draft capital, or you sit pat at 12 and take fatty Jones.

If Trey is a hit then nothing else matters, A+ draft. Vice versa if he busts.

I feel good about at least one of the OL being a hit and one of the CB's being a hit.

Originally posted by wysiwyg:
Totally get the 2 CBs but not 2 RBS.

We had zero RB's signed in 2022 prior to this draft.

Originally posted by Fanaticofnfl:
If Trey is a hit then nothing else matters, A+ draft. Vice versa if he busts.

I feel good about at least one of the OL being a hit and one of the CB's being a hit.

FULLY AGREE...

that's why IF grading this class w/o LANCE, the players we drafted, all PROJECTS..

It's so silly to do this before these guys have even played a down, but we do this every year.

Originally posted by FL9er:
It's so silly to do this before these guys have even played a down, but we do this every year.

True, lol.

I remember feeling amazing after round 1 of the 2017 draft and bleh after the 2018 draft. You just never know. The Seahawks' 2012 draft was given an F by most at the time wasn't it? And they drafted both of their future HOF franchise cornerstones in that draft.

Originally posted by NinerBuff:

Originally posted by 5_Golden_Rings:

Originally posted by NinerBuff:
It comes down to Trey Lance. If the dude is a pro bowl / All-pro type, then you got the most important position in sports figures out for potentially 15 years. If he's not amazing, then it's gonna be pretty bad.

I do like the power running feel of this draft. Surprised they didn't draft a WR, but maybe Hurd can be healthy.

Right. But right now it is advantageous to make your grade based on what you believe he will be, I'd say.

I voted A-. I think they nailed the draft, but these players cost them major draft capital.

Good point. Didn't really take that into account. Guess that means I have to penalize the next couple of drafts for not having the picks.

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:

Originally posted by NinerBuff:

Originally posted by 5_Golden_Rings:

Originally posted by NinerBuff:
It comes down to Trey Lance. If the dude is a pro bowl / All-pro type, then you got the most important position in sports figures out for potentially 15 years. If he's not amazing, then it's gonna be pretty bad.

I do like the power running feel of this draft. Surprised they didn't draft a WR, but maybe Hurd can be healthy.

Right. But right now it is advantageous to make your grade based on what you believe he will be, I'd say.

I voted A-. I think they nailed the draft, but these players cost them major draft capital.

Either give up that draft capital, or you sit pat at 12 and take fatty Jones.

This also.

B- from me.

R1P3: Trey Lance | A-
We won't know the result for a little while, but I like the process. Personally, I liked Fields, and who knows if we needed to give up as much as we did to move up as much as we did. But, we got a potential QB of the future, and his name isn't Mac Jones, and that deserves an A-.

TRADE R2P43 + R7P230 with Raiders for R2P48 + R4P121 | D+
This is a grade of the trade it self, not of the resulting player and/or subsequent trade. This trade was of fair value, and so for that, I can't give it an F. However, I wish we hadn't made it, and I don't really see the point. I was wishful of a trade back in the second, but as news of the trade was announced, but the compensation not yet revealed, I told my buddy it better have been for a 3rd or better. It is very unlikely that the Niners have room for an entire 9 man rookie class to make the roster, and so they should be looking to add quality over quantity. There were good players at position of need that the Niners were fortunate to still have available at the time the trade was made, and an extra fourth, imo, was not worth passing.

R2P48: Aaron Banks | B
This was sort of the theme of the draft for me: love the player, like the pick. It makes sense; strengthen a weakness on the roster with a good player. I just don't know if this was the right place to do it. For the record, Banks was on my draft wish list. With that said, we'll never know, but I can't help feel that this was a round too early. Even if he was gone, there were enough good lineman available that I think the risk of missing out was worth it over overpaying. I think our CB room is in trouble, and I would have preferred to draft a CB that we feel can start from day 1 if Verrett goes down. Those CBs don't make it into round 3.

TRADE R4P117 + R4P121 with LAR for R3P88 | A+
Unlike the last trade, this one I like. Quality over quantity.

R3P88: Trey Sermon | B-
Again, I love the player - he also on my wish list - but I can't love the pick. Perhaps there is bias, as I was watching my preferred picks come off the board right before or after our picks, but this is a pick that clearly makes us stronger, but doesn't fix my previously perceived weaknesses.

R3P102: Ambry Thomas | A
Finally, a CB. A bit opposite from my analysis thus far, this is a situation where I liked the pick more than the player. That's not to say that I don't like the player; he has a really good chance to start for us by year 2, and he was likely the best CB on the board at the time of this pick.

R5P155: Jaylon Moore | B

R5P172: Deommodore Lenior | B+

R5P180: Talanoa Huganga | B+

R6P194: Elijah Mitchell | C

All-in-all a good draft, but not an exciting or great draft. The roster no doubt got stronger, but I went into the draft worried about developmental center, edge, CB, and WR3, and I still have these same concerns now that the draft is over. Maybe Hurd and Jennings are healthy. Maybe Ambry is ready to go. Maybe Ebukam just needed more opportunity and Dee Ford is back. Maybe Mack still has an extra year beyond this season to teach a draft pick next year. We shall see.