Niners Nation: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
New Blog: Voodoo Five for South Florida Bulls Fans!

2008 NFL Draft: 49ers select Cody Wallace, C, Texas A&M

Wallacejersey_medium

With the 107th overall pick, the 49ers select Cody Wallace, Center, Texas A&M.  Eric Heitmann is a guy who struggled coming back from his broken leg, so if Wallace is going to be an NFL center, I suppose this pick would make some sense.  I know you often see offensive lineman getting shuffled around so maybe they'll see what they can do with Wallace along the rest of the line.  Electing to take a center over some of the extremely talented offensive tackles seems to indicate Jonas Jennings is not going anywhere and will be playing the tackle position opposite Joe Staley.  According to MM:

Hmmm, what does this mean for Heitmann and Baas? Wallace (6-4, 295) was Mel Kiper's No. 1 ranked center. Says Kiper, "He's athletic, has some agility for his size, is smart, has sound technique, as well as plenty of experience against quality competition."

New Era did not have much info on him, so I swung over to Scout's Inc and they said:

Strengths: Gets adequate hand placement, locks onto defender's frame and can sustain once in position. Plays with good leverage for a player as tall as him and does an adequate job of getting under defender's pads. Has a mean streak and never stops working . . . Keeps head on a swivel and looks to help guards when no one comes to him . . . Though lacks ideal bulk for an NFL guard has the frame to comfortably add weight and could eventually provide depth there.

Weaknesses: Hasn't shown great lower body strength and is going to have problems driving two-gap defenders off the ball . . .Takes some false steps, isn't quick enough to get into position when footwork is sloppy and can have problems preventing penetration. Doesn't extend arms and frequently bails too early when combo blocking up to the second level . . . Can recognize blitz but gets caught flatfooted when isn't engaged with a defender and has some problems adjusting.

Overall: Wallace is a little too light and his footwork is still inconsistent at this point but he has the strong upper body, frame, tenacity and smarts to develop into an excellent backup or capable starter in time.

I'm not exactly sold on this pick (because clearly the 49ers need to convince me of these things before hand), but this certainly continues this year's trend of slightly off the radar guys.  These are all talented players of course, but they're not guys many of us saw ending up as 49ers.  Of course depending on how these picks work out, in a year, McNolan could be sitting in the same position as us at the draft...at home in our parents basement bitching about the 49ers picks.

Editor's Update 9:45am: Wallace just had a conference call with Bay Area reporters and some interesting info came out of that thanks to Barrows and MM:

MB: [H]e's another guy who fits the 49ers' mold. He's a smart and powerful interior lineman who holds the Texas A&M record with a 740-pound squat lift. Wallace is a Senior Bowl alum who worked closely with George Warhop in Mobile. He also is a two-year captain, which likely endeared him to the 49ers. It's notable that the 49ers have spent two picks on the interior of the offensive line, a huge problem last season. It's also notable that the current center, Eric Heitmann, is entering the final season on his contract.

MM: His father reportedly died in prison when Cody was 8 years old. His mother died when he was 16. His only sibling, Marcus, who is 2 1/2 years old than Cody, is currently serving time on felony drug charges. Wallace was raised by his grandparents.

Wallace said living through those difficult circumstances has conditioned him to deal with challenging situations on the football field. He said he does not stress out about little things.

 

0 recs  |  Comment 1 comment

Story-email Email Printer Print

More from Niners Nation

Golden Nuggets: Clueless

Dec 2009 by Ninjames - 6 comments

Comments

Display:

NIX?!

he’s still on the board i think and he couldve given us good depth at tackle and guard. i get that the DB in round 3 was a value pick and may have been worth passing up pass rushers like crable and davis….but why no nix now? i know hes got character questions but he was projected as a 2nd round pick. in the 4th seems like he may have been worth the gamble.

by sam23 on Apr 27, 2008 9:34 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

The only blog that enjoys VD *and* Crabs!
Start posting about the 49ers »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

Connect_with_facebook

Comcast NFL RedZone Moments from SB Nation

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Small
SB Nation Survey + Chance to donate $500 to a charity of this community's choice
Hats_small
Salary Cap Low Ballin'
Montana_action_150-188_1__small
Official NN User Mock Draft Thread 3.0 (03/14/10)
Dave_small
[LIVE] NN COMMUNITY MOCK DRAFT THREAD Round 2, Thread 2
4897_1011914904142_1413100126_30019698_4941988_n_small
The QB Position, A Comparative Analysis

Recent FanPosts

Feyenoord_small
Scot McCloughan's Job Security: Part II (Plus Questions)
Small
Vernon vs. Joey (Among Other Things)
49ers_small
Someone really wants Chester Pitts on the 49ers??
Small
Would the addition of C.J. Spiller be the start of Niners claiming division title?
Small
Offense Philosophy & Woes
Small
49ers and Lions meet with Pac Man Jones
49ers_small
Singletary Minded Mock Draft??
Small
Would you guys want T.O. back?
Small
other opinion on MCC leaving

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Latest NFL Headlines from SB Nation

Acme Packing Company
Aaron Kampman Wanted To Thank You
Arrowhead Pride
Alabama's Terrence Cody Lining Up Visits With 3-4 Teams
Big Cat Country
2010 Scouting Report: Sean Lissemore, DT, William & Mary

SPONSORS

SBNation.com Recent Stories

Photo link

A Deeper Look At The 2009 Cowboys Running Game

Photo +1 updates

Rams, Redskins Showing Interest In QB Sam Bradford

Photo +3 updates

Trent Baalke Reportedly Taking Over 49ers GM Duties

More from SBNation.com >


Head Ball Coach

Dave_small Fooch

Howtheyscoredcat_small howtheyscored

Editors

Hats_small Andrew Davidson

Assistant Coaches

M_12a62905a0324d2da2f43ddaf62c630f_small Ninjames

Pixies_logo_small Florida Danny

Waiting_small drummer

Pirates_small smileyman

Memento-lies_small urnext

Montana_action_150-188_1__small Drew K

17432_587121611720_29902551_34210276_6144159_n_small Josh Branco

Moderators

Jackalope_card_small wjackalope