We are getting closer to the NFL Draft, and I thought it would be fun to look back at some former San Francisco 49ers players draft profiles to see if you can guess which player it is. Scouting reports are odd. I went to get South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw’s information, and one line in Kinlaw’s “strength” section said “explosive first step.” In his “weakness,” section was “slow to get off the ball.” Oh, scouts.
Let’s go through four scouting reports from current 49ers that are on the team, and see if you can guess the player—a lineman on each side of the ball, a wide receiver, and a defensive back.
Offensive line
Strengths: Good snap-and-step quickness. Maneuvers to gain positioning. Good mobility — gets out of the chute quickly as a puller and demonstrates nice body control. Good awareness. Energetic and aggressive temperament. Durable, 49-game starter. Vocal team leader with outstanding intangibles.
Bottom-line: Adequate-sized, smart, experienced, competitive center who commanded the offensive line, made all the calls, and was a team leader. At worst, should stick as a backup but has developmental value and starter potential in a zone scheme.
Poll
Which 49ers’ offensive lineman is it?
This poll is closed
-
11%
Tomlinson
-
55%
Richburg
-
14%
McGlinchey
-
18%
Brunskill
There are a couple of key words in there that will throw you off.
Defensive line
Strengths: Comes out of track stance and fires into blockers with knee bend and good pad level. Uses leverage and tremendous power at the point of attack to rock offensive linemen who let their pads get too high. Able to set a strong edge. Attacks and stresses the seam of double team blocks with power in his legs. His coaches rave about his leadership and work in the film room.
Bottom-line: Highly decorated four-year starter. His strength at the point of attack should not be discounted. He’s a base end in a 4-3 who might be able to add extra weight and get a look inside as a three-technique thanks to his toughness and strength.
Poll
Which DL is it?
This poll is closed
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26%
Armstead
-
27%
Blair
-
9%
Bosa
-
36%
Thomas
A versatile player that can play inside and out. A leader with tremendous power? Hmm.
Wide receiver
Strengths: Good athlete. Can play outside or from the slot. Natural pass catcher. Impressive short-area quickness. Natural pass-catcher. Eludes first tackler and hits his top gear quickly.
Bottom-line: Really good with his routes. He was better last year. He’s not incredibly fast.
I had to edit a lot of this because most of the wide receivers’ scouting reports are obvious. There are enough hints here for you to guess correctly.
Poll
Which WR is it?
This poll is closed
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35%
Pettis
-
35%
Deebo
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25%
Taylor
-
3%
Hurd
Defensive back
Strengths: Known as a hard worker on field and off. Extremely confident. plays with a chip on his shoulder in coverage. Tenacious tackler. Open field vision like a running back to weave free of danger.
Weakness: Aggression turns to grabbing and tugging on jerseys when backed up near end-zone. Frequently turned around in coverage.
This player didn’t have a bottom line, but this is the toughest one. Who do you think it is?
Poll
Sherman
This poll is closed
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27%
Witherspoon
-
18%
Moseley
-
23%
Reed
-
29%
Ward
The answers
The offensive lineman was Weston Richburg. I remember interviewing him at the Senior Bowl. He was an ideal fit in a zone-scheme, and had a lively personality. If you missed, I bet you were thrown off by “durable.”
The defensive lineman was Ronnie Blair. The 49ers have large humans on the defensive line, so defensive line was tough to. The four-year starter line eliminated Bosa and Armstead.Ford was never going to play inside, so that left you with Blair. In hindsight, how crazy is it that Buckner was the Duck that had to go back for his Senior year?
The wide receiver was Pettis. I had to take out some of the special teams info in there, or that would have given it away. Once I saw “eludes” that narrowed it down to Pettis or Samuel, though Hurd was a former running back. Then “not incredibly fast” was your Deebo eliminator.
Lastly, the defensive back was D.J. Reed. In college, Reed was terrific. The “confident” and hard worker” may have thrown you off, but at Kansas State Reed was one of the top defensive backs in the country.