Draft Reviews

by Fooch on Apr 30, 2007 1:43 PM PDT in Draft

Thanks to Call It The Throw for pointing out the Fox Sports review:

Czar's breakdown: This draft might end up comparing favorably with some of ex-coach Bill Walsh's top drafts. Ole Miss middle linebacker Patrick Willis was the worst-kept secret in the draft. San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan fell in love with him at the Senior Bowl and he tagged Willis early as his kind of player. They made a smart trade to acquire Central Michigan OT Joe Staley and Washington State WR Jason Hill was one of the Pac-10's most productive receivers, converting 158 receptions into 111 first downs and 32 touchdowns. Hill could be the playmaker that Alex Smith covets. They also traded a fourth-rounder to Seattle for WR Darrell Jackson, the third-leading wide receiver in Seahawks' history. Jackson, who had knee tendonitis, wore out his welcome in Seattle despite leading the club receptions last season. Deion Branch made him expendable. Nebraska DE Jay Moore has a chance to be a solid pro and a standup outside linebacker. Moore is another player, like Willis, that Nolan fell in love with at the Senior Bowl. Now, the 49ers did take a character risk in Texas CB Tarell Brown, but waited until the fifth round to do it. But Brown, who has a difficult off-the-field background, was a three-year starter at Texas and that's something very positive.

Grade: A+

Over at CBS.Sportsline, Prisco grades us out as an A. I disagree on Staley being a questionable move considering we got a 1st rounder back in the later deal with Indianapolis. I really think those 2 trades have to be considered together:

San Francisco 49ers

Best pick: I love the pick of Jason Hill in the third round. He will be a starting receiver by mid-season.

Questionable move: Moving back up into the first round to get tackle Joe Staley. He's a good player, but was he worth the picks?

Second-day gem: Corner Tarell Brown from Texas is a good player who should have gone higher than the fifth round, but character issues drove him down.

Overall grade: A. They drafted a lot of really good football players. The scouting staff deserves big props.

Not sure how Mel Kiper mistakes the name of the NFC's leading rusher, but whatever:

San Francisco 49ers: GRADE: B+
After the 49ers took a tackling machine in linebacker Patrick Willis with the 11th pick, I liked seeing them move back into the first round (trading for New England's second first-round pick) and get Joe Staley, one of the best offensive tackles in the draft. QB Alex Smith needs someone who's going to protect his blind side, and Staley could do that for years to come. Jason Hill has a lot of speed and was a decent third-round pick. Defensive end Ray McDonald fits Mike Nolan's 3-4 defense; Jay Moore is an intense, hardworking outside linebacker; Dashon Goldson is more of a backup cornerback; Joe Cohen is a backup defensive tackle; cornerback Tarell Brown is a nice cornerback if he stays focused; and running back Thomas Clayton will be a very good backup to Ryan Gore.

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Comments

Laff.

I'm still on the Moore over Soliai pick. Bah.

From everything I've read since yesturday, Nolan compares Cohen to Fields. The 49ers see Fields as a great RE option in the 3-4, so that would imply that Cohen is going to play DE. He may be able to rotate inside in a pinch. He's just not very strong at the point and won't be able to do much in the sense of eating up blockers.

Goldson will not be a corner. Nolan has already says he has a better build for safety than Hudson does. It'll be an interesting camp to see how Hudson dukes it out against Goldson and Brown for one of the few remaining roster spots in the secondary.

Bah. Moore. Really?!

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 8:39 AM PDT 0 recs

Moore

I'm telling you, Moore is gonna be a big contributor for us. We need to come up with some sort of wager on this. Not money, but something else :) Maybe how Soliai and Moore do in year 1 and over their careers!

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by Fooch on Apr 30, 2007 8:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

Not that easy

It's not going to be easy to compare the two players production. As a LB, Moore is likely to have much better numbers. Soliai's value is in occupying multiple blockers and freeing up others to make plays. It's even harder to judge if the Dolphins play a 4-3, as Soliai's responsibilities would be different.

I know you're big on Moore, and I'm not saying he won't be a good player for us or for anyone else, but he's more of a redundant guy on our roster. I don't see him being that much different from 3 or 4 guys on our roster. Soliai was a guy who could make a bigger difference and impact on our defense, allowing the talent behind him to make plays.

In the long run, I really hope you're right and that Moore is a star. If he is though, the Banta-Cain signing is going to look like a waste I think.

Houshamazilly.....Championship

by gatling on Apr 30, 2007 8:51 AM PDT up 0 recs

Soliai vs. Moore

For now I'm willing to give Nolan and Co. the benefit of the doubt. I can see how you could be right on the redundancy, but I figure I'm gonna give it a little bit of time.

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by Fooch on Apr 30, 2007 8:54 AM PDT up 0 recs

not sure Moore can play OLB

He needs a bit more speed for 3-4 OLB. He ran 4.92 at the combine, where most OLB runs around 4.7 I just can't see him covering a WR or TE in the slot.

by ALottOfSense on Apr 30, 2007 10:58 AM PDT up 0 recs

On the other hand.

I am excited about the offense.

Offensive line: With the selection of Staley in the first, it's pretty obvious Nolan envisions him as a starter. If he could take over left tackle, it would allow the team to shift Jennings over to RT. With Staley and Allen on the left side, and Smiley/Snyder and Jennings on the right, the line should be fairly solid on both sides. No more of that "Frank, you're going to the left" stuff. Not to mention, I'm sure Staley in pass protection has to be better than Kwame.

Runningbacks: The same cast returns from last season, with Frank leading the way. Clayton may be able to outplay Hicks, allowing the 49ers to be rid of him once and for all at the end of the season.

Wide receivers: This is where the unit gets it's biggest improvement boost. The team now has a #1 wideout (Jackson) in addition to a career #2 (Lelie) and a guy Nolan feels is a good #3 (Battle). Factor in the pick of Hill, and this team has four really solid players where between them, contribute in every way a wide receiver can. Throw in the two athletic tight ends (Davis and Walker), and the 49ers have a potentially elite group of pass catchers.

Quarterback: With all the new-found goodies in the passing game, Alex should feel better about next season. He'll have options everywhere, and now knows he has the team's security blanket (Gore) for years to come. People make a big deal out of Norv leaving, but I don't think Alex will miss a beat. Especially with all these weapons.

Overall: This offense has the potential to strike from any conceivable offensive angle. Think like the (Golden State) Warriors, except with even MORE talent. It should be a very exciting season.

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 9:19 AM PDT 0 recs

for the most part......

i agree......i think you could possibly see Battle stay at #2 until Lelie proves something to someone.....

Hicks will stay.....he has value in the receiving game and plays hard....if Clayton turns out then Robinson will be hitting the road....Robinson has no value (not a fan) unless he wants to move to fullback which i doubt he could handle

by Qbgetter13 on Apr 30, 2007 10:55 AM PDT up 0 recs

Disagree

Robinson has more value than Hicks does. Robinson, as an ex-QB, has tons of value as a third down back in passing situations. It'll be like having a second QB picking up blitzes in the backfield. Robinson also played WR at Penn St. and has value as a pass catcher (if he's not staying in and picking up blitzes).

Hicks really has no value in the passing game. His receiving ability is no different than Gore's. Gore is a pretty good back out of the backfield and should be able to do that well on 1st and 2nd down. If Robinson comes in for third down, then Hicks is kind of the odd man out.

Hick's only true value is as a kick returner, and even then he's not going to blow you out of the water. Nolan, as most people have noticed, will act as soon as he feels a player is a significant part of the team's long-term plans. He minimum tendered Hicks this offseason, and it wasn't because Hicks would bring back a draft pick (because he woudln't). Nolan just kept his options open for another year.

Where I think Clayton fits, is if he could offer the 49ers a better backup RUNNER than Hicks. If he can do that, Hicks is gone after this year.

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 11:09 AM PDT up 0 recs

Walker has a chance to be a stud.

I want to see him line up at an H-back or even full back position in passing downs. We also have 3 legit tackles with Jennings, Staley and Snyder which could allow us to not activate Bajema on occasion and play with a heavy line on one side in short yardage situations. Now if Smith is for real.....

by jjham15 on Apr 30, 2007 4:22 PM PDT up 0 recs

SportsNation poll...

... has Staley and Willis among the first rounders least likely to bust. Willis received the least "bust" votes.

Source: ESPN

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 11:46 AM PDT 0 recs

when did Frank start going by Ryan?

Bring back Eddie D.

by nostocksjustbonds on Apr 30, 2007 1:02 PM PDT 0 recs

what we got

best ILB in the draft, future leader of the defense and potential future all-pro. (Willis). This warrants an A/A+ grade.
3rd best OT in the draft. (Staley). Trading up to get Staley. Grade: A-
A potential #1 or 1.5 WR with great speed. (Hill). Grade: B+
a potential starting CB if he gets his shit together. (Brown). That we got him in the 5th makes this pick a very good one. Grade: B/B+.

Other picks: A bunch of backups and role players. We passed up a lot more sure things to get these guys. I'm indifferent to the Moore pick, but all of the other picks (except Brown) were reaches. Grade: C+.

We also traded a 4th round pick for a 28 year old #1 WR for a division rival. Grade: A+

Overall, the first 3 picks did not disappoint, but the 4th - 6th rounds produced a lot of question marks. If they become quality backups and role players or produce a starter, the grades will improve.

I'm happy with our draft, but I'm also sorta unhappy that I'm not happier.

Bring back Eddie D.

by nostocksjustbonds on Apr 30, 2007 1:16 PM PDT 0 recs

Sure things

If you're projected in the 3rd round or later you're not a sure thing or even somewhat of a sure thing. Obviously we'd like to hit on every single pick, but as I said before, I'm open to giving them the benefit of the doubt.

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by Fooch on Apr 30, 2007 1:31 PM PDT up 0 recs

I'd say...

... Soliai is a pretty sure thing if all you're looking for out of him is a 1st and 2nd down space eater.

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 1:39 PM PDT up 0 recs

Soliai

has just as many busts clouds floating around his head as Branch. Like Branch his motivation seems less than ideal. He's got the tools but he is far from a sure thing and that's why he slipped so far.

by methodrampage on Apr 30, 2007 3:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

Yeah.

I'm slowly accepting the reasoning behind Nolan's choices. It seems to me that Nolan puts a lot more emphasis on "red flags" if those red flags have to do with motivation and drive to work.

It makes sense though. You can provision against a player causing trouble, and maybe even keep him out of trouble. You can't teach someone not to be lazy though.

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 3:18 PM PDT up 0 recs

compromise

And if Soliai ends up in the Pro Bowl and Moore is out of the league within a year I'll print a BIG HUGE RETRACTION of all positive Moore comments!

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by Fooch on Apr 30, 2007 3:26 PM PDT up 0 recs

Damn Raiders

That pick should have been used on Bush. Then you too would have nothing to quabble about.

by methodrampage on Apr 30, 2007 3:47 PM PDT up 0 recs

No sure things

I didn't mean to imply that there were "sure things" that we passed up for these guys, but I'm trying to say that these picks were a lot riskier than I'd prefer and why pick a guy in the 4th round when you can get him in the 5th or 6th or in undrafted free agency That's the definition of a reach. Of course, you never know for sure.

Really, I was hoping for less risk-taking in the later rounds, though I do understand the "upside argument" which is why I like the Brown pick, I just am not sure that some of these other guys have that much upside (like Goldson, projected to be a backup db/special teamer). I thought this was a good chance to add a bunch of depth, considering the number of picks we had in the 4th and taking more chances on guys there may pay off, but its less likely. Of course, if you hit, you can hit big.

So, while I do trust Nolan, I was hoping for a more conservative draft on day 2, so I'm disappointed in that respect, but of course hoping for the best.

Bring back Eddie D.

by nostocksjustbonds on Apr 30, 2007 4:37 PM PDT up 0 recs

In my opinion...

late round picks were made for reaches.

Every late pick is a gamble, so might as well go for the biggest upside (especially since our major needs have been addressed to a reasonable extent this offseason). Like Fooch, I trust that Nolan and Co. have a lot more information then we do regarding character issues, and trus that they made smart gambles.

And the DJax trade was an absolute steal. Our WRs are suddenly very respectable.

by Call It The Throw on Apr 30, 2007 1:44 PM PDT up 0 recs

Fox Sports

gave us an A+. Gotta love a write-up like that!

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6752446

by Call It The Throw on Apr 30, 2007 1:53 PM PDT 0 recs

Re: Prisco

He's a tool. He, like many (or most) other sports "analysts" are really good at bandwagon jumping and regurgitating someone else's views.

I agree with you Fooch: the Staley pick and the Indy trade should be viewed as a combo-package. Think of the 49ers trading down a few spots in the 1st round next year to move up in the second round this year. So technically, Staley is a high second rounder. I'd say he presents great value considering he's regarded as the 3rd best OT (a true LT) in this draft, and maybe in the top 5 offensive linemen (in a very talented group).

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 2:36 PM PDT 0 recs

Very OT, but awesome

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 2:39 PM PDT 0 recs

Very awesome

Oh yea that is very awesome...The Warriors are one win away from the biggest upset in playoff history. Just amazing how well they're playing right now and how deep inside Dallas's head they are. UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE!

Niners Nation - The premier 49ers blog on the Internet!

by Fooch on Apr 30, 2007 2:41 PM PDT up 0 recs

UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE, but

WE BELIEVE!

I like how feisty they are. They're fighting for extra possessions all night long. I especially liked JRich's steal off of Terry toward the end of the game. He straight up said, "here, let me dribble that for you."

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 2:48 PM PDT up 0 recs

BTW

Dare I say Charles Barkley is the NBA's equivalent to Joe Morgan?

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 3:19 PM PDT up 0 recs

Sir Charles

You know I think people take him with a grain of salt...He's an ass at times, but I think people realize this where as people just don't like Joe Morgan. I found myself laughing at what Barkley was saying just because he was so over the top.

Keyshawn tried to pull that off on Saturday during the draft and just came off horribly.

Niners Nation - The premier 49ers blog on the Internet!

by Fooch on Apr 30, 2007 3:25 PM PDT up 0 recs

Joe Morgan

is just retarded. Barkley is a pompous asshat that I find amussing.

I like how Barkley said that as a city Golden State sucked. I really had no idea Golden State was a city.

by methodrampage on Apr 30, 2007 3:44 PM PDT up 0 recs

Game #6

Do you have season tickets Fooch? Or did you get the playoff tickets (if I recall you went to both Friday and Sunday, no?) after the fact? You gonna be at the Oracle if there is a game 6?

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 3:47 PM PDT up 0 recs

Work

Actually, on the weekends I work part time for the Arena's concession company counting cash. The busy stretch is in the first half and after the game so that leaves plenty of dead time to catch a good chunk of the game. So it's a good way to make money and see the games.

Niners Nation - The premier 49ers blog on the Internet!

by Fooch on Apr 30, 2007 4:17 PM PDT up 0 recs

I don't think that Morgan knows he's an idiot.

Barkley gets paid well to the be an idiot.

by jjham15 on Apr 30, 2007 4:25 PM PDT up 0 recs

more like the NBA's Michael Irvin

except small nostrils.

Bring back Eddie D.

by nostocksjustbonds on Apr 30, 2007 5:00 PM PDT up 0 recs

Nostrils

It's the drugs that cause Irvin's nostril size

Niners Nation - The premier 49ers blog on the Internet!

by Fooch on Apr 30, 2007 7:15 PM PDT up 0 recs

11 years ago...

... the 49ers took a talented/gifted linebacker out of Syracuse in the second round of the NFL draft. His name was Kevin Mitchell. That draft also included Bryant Young, William Floyd, and Lee Woodall. The 49ers saw these youngsters step up and become solid contributors to that year's Super Bowl team.

The news is that he passed away today at the age of 36. No cause of death has been publicly announced.

Source: Redskins.com

by sfgfan on Apr 30, 2007 4:09 PM PDT 0 recs

Mitchell died in his sleep.

Good linebacker, sounds like he was a good guy off the field also.

Link: http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-fbn--obit-mitchell0430apr30,0,7199986.story?coll=dp -headlines-virginia

by jjham15 on Apr 30, 2007 4:31 PM PDT up 0 recs

He was a good 49er

very sad.

Bring back Eddie D.

by nostocksjustbonds on Apr 30, 2007 5:02 PM PDT up 0 recs

Dr. Z's grade on SI.com

"49ers -- B+

Another trade-up, this one involving their No. 1 next year, but it brought them Joe Staley, an LT type. I assume this means that Jonas Jennings or somebody will move to the right side, currently manned by Kwame Harris, who is a WGSK (Will Get Somebody Killed) tackle. On the first pick they got Patrick Willis, a LB who can laser in on the ball carrier with 4.51 speed. The third round brought them their fastest player (Jason Hill -- 4.32) since Skeets Nehemiah, remember him? And I like their other third rounder, Ray McDonald, a defensive end-tackle tweener, relegated to this level in the draft because of two ACL operations, but a real battler. Don't forget that former Seahawks WR Darrell Jackson is part of the draft. Cost 'em a No. 4 he did."

As much as I love my "Houshamazilly....Championship" sig, I'm strongly leaning toward changing it to "Kwame Harris...a WGSK(Will Get Somebody Killed) tackle".

Houshamazilly.....Championship

by gatling on Apr 30, 2007 5:45 PM PDT 0 recs