2011 NFL Draft Grades: 49ers Picks Likely Leading To Mixed Analysis

I can live with the Kaepernick pick and I understand why we had to trade up to get him. Dude is an athlete, is versatilve and has a rocket arm. As far as the negatives, Harbaugh can fix the kid’s long delivery and it’s pretty easy for a pro team’s workout regimen to fix those skinny legs.

The Culliver pick? That skewed my grading. I’m not a fan of this guy – especially with Brandon Harris still available. He must already know he’s not going to prove himself at a position because, according to Matt Barrow’s quote, he’s okay with being shuffled around:

“I feel like they’re not going to let me fail, and if I fail at that position I guess they can always let me go (to safety),” Culliver said. – Sac Bee

I feel like we’ve chosen arguably decent project guys over the first two days, but we’ve missed out on the best players at the positions we’ve drafted.

Would it make a difference if we knew that Aldon Smith would have 12.5 sacks and be defensive rookie of the year?

1. Yes Aldon Smith does have a lot of potential but that doesn’t mean he’s a project. If you watch his games he has amazing inside moves are well amazing. The reason people say he has so much potential is because of all of room he has on his body.
2. Outside of Kaepernick throwing motion is there anything wrong with him? Harbaugh even said that the throwing motion is good. The lockout needs to end now. He is a smart guy and lives near the team facility. Even then he still plans on staying there a few days. Given the chance to compete I wouldn’t be surprised to see him start day 1.

Baalke and the scouts are running this draft and I respect them for that. Every draft pick made the roster last year and I didn’t like some of those picks.

Yeah, sang is gonna be “That Guy” again…

I hate that all of our first 3 picks are not day 1 starters, or even likely impact players. We know Kaep will probably sit and that’s OK with me, but a raw, developmental OLB (can’t play much except on passing downs) and a raw 80+ pick reach of a DB who’s coming off a serious injury and doesn’t know which position he plays better (S or CB?) are just bad, bad choices. In the both the first and third, better players were left on the board.

It’s only my opinion and I’m not an expert scout (caveat!) but I think this draft has been 66.6% suck so far. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong (and I’ll be happy if that’s the case!) but right now I see little reason for optimism.

I really hope and pray that Being at Stanford made Coach H. a freaking mad Genius

I had none of these players on my big board at least last year we got two of my guys. Get me Taiwan or little Mathews

NT Powe, LB Carter, RB Rodgers (or RB Jones or RB Helu), QB Yates (or QB Taylor), WR Salas (if he falls far enough), K Forbath, C O’Dowd.

Doubt we could get all of these (I think the first 3 go in the 4th alone) but some of these are certainly possible. :)

Look at the Anthony Davis, Mays, and Bowman pick. All guys that were very raw, and still needed time to develop. Iupati was the only safe pick in that draft. It seems like Baalke and Harbaugh are drafting projects with really high upside. This is just my opinion, but could they be looking at the team thinking that there is enough there to at least win the division, while they develop these young guys for the future.

If not some of these picks have been really puzzling to me.

Had he played the entire year and not benn injured, his draft stock would have been higher, but get injured get forgotten. Gore was 1st round talent but a busted knee dropped him to the 3rd and he was a year removed from the knee injury. Culliver tore his pectoral and so there isn’t concern abvout how it will affect his running, like a knee injury will do. Culliver is the 2nd most athletic CB in the draft and the fact that he was listed as a saftey and the pundits didn’t really know what position he would play is the reason he was dropped so low. Mayock had him rated in the 6th round, but Mayock didn’t draw up the boards for all 32 NFL teams. Some teams had Culliver as a 3rd or 4th round prospect.

Smith is the ultimate tweener, too slow for outside LB(4.80) to small for down lineman. They better put 30 lbs on him. The QB in round two is ok. The third round pick was a complete disaster.

Baalke is mediocre at best.

to tank the season and get LUCK in next year’s draft

I like the trade up for Kaepernick, who was probably the QB I wanted most this draft. I also like the priorities we’ve established (pass rushing OLB, QB, CB). I’m just a little uncertain about the guy we took as a CB.

eg, if these guys aren’t really going to be ready for a year, does that just mean we’re drafting higher next year (relative to if we drafted more polished guys)?

There’s more risk in guys who have more development to do, and that’s a real concern. And as much as I know that everyone wants a playoff berth now, the goal is to build a contender. If the choice is between a guy who can start game one with a 80 ceiling and a guy who might be a year or two away with a 95 ceiling, isn’t the latter the right choice?