Raji?

by 5-0 on Feb 26, 2009 10:39 AM PST

Should the 49ers draft B.J. Raji? in my opinon i think that htey should draft Raji because he is a big line controlling NT and i think that we could really use that on our defense right now also i think that he could make an impact right from the start because of his size alone. if you don't think we should draft Raji please post who you think the niners should draft that will make an imediate impact.

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Depends, but...

I would draft either Smith, Monroe, or Curry, ahead of Raji and not think twice.
If it were between him and Orakpo, or him and Jenkins, I’d be less clear, but it’d be easier to pick him up—Orakpo because of the injuries and because there’s opportunities for pass rushers later in the draft, and Jenkins because FS is less of a need area.
If Oher was still on the board with Raji and the rest of the guys I’ve mentioned were gone, I’d probably pick Raji, and not feel too bad about it.

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by grantmp on Feb 26, 2009 11:20 AM PST reply actions

Immediate impact?

If the 49ers REALLY wanted an immediate impact at #10, they’d be best taking one of the top four OTs, as they’re probably some of the safer picks in the draft. This is especially true if the 49ers get the guy to play RT (which makes little sense, considering said player would be paid more than Staley, the starting LT, is).

As for Raji, I believe it’s possible he can truly play the nose. However, people have said that Haynesworth is too much of a penetrator to be a good NT, but isn’t Raji about the same? His TFL numbers seem pretty high for someone who should be occupying blockers, but I guess that stat could lie.

I think that the best players available that aren’t offensive tackles at #10 will not be ready to make an immediate impact. Why? Because DE/OLB (Brown/Orakpo), NTs (Raji), and FS(Jenkins) all take time to develop. Those are the primary positions I’m seeing will be available around the #10 pick. Heck, the only player in the top 10 (not an offensive tackle) I would think can have an immediate impact is Crabtree, and even then WRs notoriously take a while to develop sometimes.

I think the 49ers shouldn’t necessarily look for an “immediate” impact more than a player who will more than likely be an “impact” player in the next two to three years. Long-term outlook is the best way to look at building a team, as short-term production could almost always be put together by a short-term deal with a veteran.

by sfgfan on Feb 26, 2009 11:24 AM PST reply actions

If you look at what Amobi Okoye did for the Texans in his rookie season, you’d see immediate impact. However, his second season was lackluster. Okoye was the 10th pick in 2007 draft, a DT. The fact that he came in and made an impact was impressive. If he can bounce back in his third season, his second will have proven to be an abberation.

Another guy drafted early was Haloti Ngata, the 12th pick by the Ravens in 2006. He’s flourished since coming into the league, and has been steady with the Ravens. This guy had no question marks coming out of college though, in terms of motor or work ethic.

In other words, draft a DT early on can be an impact right away. However, Raji could be another Reggie McGrew (sorry) for all we know.

by Andrew Davidson on Feb 26, 2009 11:45 AM PST up reply actions

True.

There will always be players who can make an immediate impact, but the simple truth of the matter is that most players don’t. Even more specifically, the 3-4 NT is probably one of the toughest positions to play (or learn to play), so it’s hard to expect someone to be able to make an immediate impact here. For every Ngata (who I really liked that year, but also benefits from having a solid rotation mate at NT), there are a bunch of guys who turn out to be late-bloomers or never-bloomers.

I’m not flat out saying Raji can’t make an immediate impact, but I’m more inclined to believe that the odds are stacked against him.

by sfgfan on Feb 26, 2009 12:10 PM PST up reply actions