Every year when free agency starts, I usually dig up videos of the San Francisco 49ers’ previous drafts for us to see some of those picks. The greatness that is modern technology lets us look back and laugh at analysts’ praise of future duds or their ridicule of future gems.
Youtube user Marvin49 collects the drafts every year and posts the videos up for everyone to see. This week, we’ll look at 2012.
But as anyone will tell you, the 49ers didn’t have a draft in 2012. The 2012 draft doesn’t exist. It’s a figment of our imaginations, placed within our brains to ensure the live ecosystem of the NFL never had any missteps...
...at least, that’s what I still wish I could tell you. It happened, and it really didn’t do the 49ers any favors. Looking back now it may be the draft that signaled maybe Trent Baalke isn’t cut out for the job.
In 2011, the 49ers’ biggest need was obvious: wide receiver. The NFC Championship loss was held largely in part because the team had nobody to throw to. With the departure of Josh Morgan (who was injured for the second half of the season) a wide receiver was even more crucial. Doubters on Michael Crabtree’s potential as a legit number 1 receiver grew in number and with the exception of Vernon Davis, the 49ers passing game was poor at best.
With the 30th pick the 49ers went for A.J. Jenkins, an immediate head scratcher. It wasn’t awful (cue the comments flaming me) but with Alshon Jeffery available and the fact Crabtree hadn’t done anything to separate himself, the Jenkins pick seemed a bit unnecessary. According to Mel Kiper he felt Jenkins would go early in the second round, which didn’t make it too obnoxious, but when you sit and say “Who’s that guy?” after the pick, that’s never a good sign.
In the second round the 49ers took LaMichael James, a speedy star out of Oregon, but someone many feared lacked the size to play snaps at running back in the NFL.
From there, I think most of us can go to sleep. The best I can do at describing this draft class is say that it’s not only that none of these guys are on the 49ers today, but the majority of them are out of the NFL entirely.
As always, the DMCA biscuits from the NFL have this thing flagged, so many of you will have to go to YouTube to watch the video. Sorry, they just don’t like us showing free film that isn’t available. By any other means.
Picks:
1 (30) - A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois
2 (61) - LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
4 (117) - Joe Looney, OG, Wake Forest
5 (165) - Darius Fleming, OLB, Notre Dame
6 (180) - Trenton Robinson, FS, Michigan State
6 (199) - Jason Slowey, OL, Western Oregon
7 (237) - Cam Johnson, DE/OLB, Virginia