B

2010 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

DRAFT PICKS

The 49ers needed to upgrade their offensive line and moving up to grab tackle Anthony Davis was a good move.  I had Bulaga rated slightly higher than Davis because worst case he could be kicked into guard and be solid there, while I don't see that same option for Davis.  However, Davis does have a higher upside at tackle.

Mike Iupati was the top -rated guard in the draft.  While he topped my list as well, I did so more on the reports I read from others than what I saw Senior Bowl week where, to my eye, he struggled.  Therefore, good move to help fortify their line, but I want to see it to believe it. 

Forget the critics.  Taylor Mays is going to be a stud.  While he played free safety in college, I believe he will be best suited as a strong safety in the NFL, and he was my top rated strong safety in the draft with a first round grade.  He is a tremendous athlete, very fast, very strong and will be a terror on special teams until he gets a starting gig.  This was a great pick by the 49ers.  By the way, Mays was on my list of players who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.  He could be the next Rodney Harrison!

When Manny Lawson was drafted I thought he was going to be a stud as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.  Finally last year he showed some of that ability.  Between him and Haralson the 49ers could get solid or spotty play.  NaVorro Bowman offers an alternative if their play continues to be spotty.  Bowman has good pass rushing skills but is more Haralson than Lawson athletically.

Anthony Dixon is a big back who I had a fourth round grade on.  He has acceptable speed and athleticism for a big back who could be effective as a one-cut runner.  Dixon could also play fullback and is the type of player who will develop into a valuable backup.

Nate Byham is an excellent blocker.  In fact he is more run-blocker than receiver.  To stay on the roster long term he will need to develop more as a receiver.

After adding receiver/returner Ted Ginn Jr., the 49ers are deep at receiver.  Look at past write-ups to see how much I like Zeigler and Hill, neither of whom start.  Williams was drafted more as a returner than receiver, which is good for Williams since he would have a hard time making the roster as a receiver (not that it's a sure thing as a returner).  

Adams is an end of the draft type of player.  He has a chance to stick as a backup and special teams player.  However, corners like A. J. Jefferson, David Pender and Devin Ross have more upside in my opinion.  Personally, I would have drafted quarterback Zac Robinson at this spot.  I'm not sold on Smith, Carr or Davis and Robinson has the look of a solid long time NFL backup quarterback, one who could help a good team win.

 COLLEGE STREET FREE AGENTS

Quarterback Jarret Brown was a nice get by the 49ers in free agency.  I had a fifth round grade on him.  He is a natural athlete who has the arm and skills to be a solid NFL quarterback.  However, he needs refinement and development.  If brought along well on the practice squad, he will graduate to some team's roster down the line.

I had a late round value grade for Kevin Jurovich.  Jurovich is a smart receiver who could land on the 49ers practice squad.  He has some Zeigler in him.

Matt Kopa is a former defensive tackle whose transition to offensive tackle was going well before he got hurt.  I had a 7th round/FA grade on him but he is worth a look in camp and could be as good practice squad candidate.

Lambert was a great college free agent signing. He's fast, quick and athletic and will be a better NFL player than he was a college player.  Worst case he will become a core special teams player.  However, I expect hom to be a solid nickel corner in time.

Keaton Kristick has good quickness and acceptable speed but does not have a great role in the 49ers' 3-4 defense.  He is more WILL in a 4-3.  He could be a very good special teams player, but will need a defined backup role to have a chance to stick.

Patrick Stoudamire is yet another candidate as a returner and special teams player.  His best attribute is his quickness.

Senior Bowl practice comment

Senior Bowl Game

East West Shrine Game

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

B

2009 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

The 49ers' draft was saved by the signing of three high quality college street free agents, Lambert, Mitchell and Sheets.  Outside of that they had one reach, Coffee and one good get late, Jean-Francis.

DRAFT PICKS

What can you say about the 49ers selection of Crabtree except, lucky for you.  Crabtree fell to San Fran at #10 and despite having some good young talent at wide receiver, they did the right thing and drafted him.  Crabtree, Morgan, Hill, and yes, even Zeigler form one of the best young receiving corps in the NFL.

The 49ers had Coffee rated higher than I did.  At running back I had Andre Brown, Goodson, Ringer and even Kory Sheets rated much higher than Coffee.  In addition to those backs, I would have drafted CB Lewis, SS Vaughn, or FS Bruton over Coffee.

McKillop was a nice selection in round five.  Long term he could settle in next to Willis.  McKillop has very good instincts and makes a lot a tackles.  He is also a better athlete than he appears.

Nate Davis saw his value decline as the draft approached.  He has a learning disability, poor technique and is not the athlete that he was thought to be.  Personally, I would have drafted Lewis in round three, running back Javon Ringer here and signed Nathan Brown as a free agent.  I like Hill and do not believe Davis will be able to beat him at at any point in the future.

Pascoe is an intriguing prospect.  He is a good blocker and has excellent hands.  His speed is suspect, but he is the type of player that despite his lack of speed will make the occasional play downfield.  He will be a good backup tight for the 49ers for a long time.

Taylor has good size and is a good athlete, and will help on special teams but has a limited upside in the base defense.  For me, C. J. Spillman of Marshall would have been a more intriguing pick here, he is a better athlete and has a bigger upside.

Ricky Jean-Francis was very good value late.  Here is the case of player who looked very good at time on film, but didn't show the athleticism or quickness expected of him during workouts.  The only player I might have grabbed instead of him was Khalif Mitchell who the Niners signed as a free agent.

 COLLEGE STREET FREE AGENTS

Boone is a big, strong kid who is an ideal practice squad candidate where he will have to show a good attitude, stay out of trouble, and perform consistently to get a call up to the active roster.  Boone could be a steal as a free agent or be out of the league in a hurry.

Egboh has the size and quickness to play play end in the 49ers' 3-4 defense.  He has a chance to stick as a backup this year.

Howard will have to play guard to make it in the NFL.  He needs work but has some skills and could land on the 49ers' development squad.

Lambert was a great college free agent signing. He's fast, quick and athletic and will be a better NFL player than he was a college player.  Worst case he will become a core special teams player.  However, I expect hom to be a solid nickel corner in time.

Mitchell is one of those rare players who has the strength to play inside in a 3-4 and the quickness and athleticism to play outside at end as well.  He will need coaching to bring out his best, but I expect him to be a valuable, versatile sub for a long time in the league.  And it wouldn't surprise me if he develops into a starter on the nose.

Sheets is a better runner than Coffee.  I look for Sheets to be Gore's primary backup.  Only his temperament can hold him back.  He is a very talented player.

Thomas is a cover-two corner who will have a hard time making this club.  However, he was solid at South Carolina.

Word-Daniels is a strong, athletic kid who will be a standout on special teams if he can show enough on defense to also be a backup corner or strong safety.  He lacks speed.

While the 49ers could have used a right tackle in this draft, I didn't see a missed opportunity and they accumulated good talent.  They also brought in some quality college street free agents.

DRAFT PICKS

Balmer a defensive tackle in college,  is ideal for end in the 49ers's 3-4 defense.  He will become a quality starter there sooner than later.  He is very strong and has good lateral movement and will be solid playing the run.

Rachal, a guard in college, could be looked at as a starter at both left guard and right tackle.  While I know he will be a good starting guard, I'm not sure if he can be an every down starter at right tackle, although he is athletic enough to make the switch.

Smith can play corner or safety.  His best attributes are his quickness, change-of-direction skills and athleticism.  At corner, I thought he would be best served in a cover-two or zone defense, although he could cover slot receivers well on a team with a good pass rush.  As a safety, he has requisite physical skills, and that may be his best long term position in the NFL.  In the short term, Smith copuld be an asset in the 49ers nickel defense and on special teams.

Wallace was excellent value in round four and is an impressive athlete for a center.  He is also a tough kid and a hard worker.  He does need to play with more consistency, but could be a long term starter at center for the 49ers.

Morgan is an interesting prospect.  He has a nice mix of speed, size and athleticism.  However, he dropped some balls in college and the Niners will have to determine if it was because of lack of concentration or bad hands.  

Grant was a player that went a bit under-valued by me during my draft prep because I looked at him solely as an outside linebacker.  However, in retrospect, he has the strength, speed and quickness to transition inside in a 3-4 defense despite being a little undersized for the position.  Grant should develop into a solid backup and good special teams player for San Fran. 

COLLEGE STREET FREE AGENTS

Finley has good size and showed good hands at the East West Shrine Game.  He needs work in the weight room to become a better blocker if he wants to stick as a backup tight end.  He is an ideal practice squad candidate.

Holmes was defensive end in college who has the quickness and athleticism to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.  However, he had only 2 sacks his senior year.  Holmes is another practice squad candidate.

I like Robert Jordan.  While very slight, he is a tough kid with good hands and speed.  He needs to put on weight but is the type of receiver who could do well in the slot in a Mike Martz offense.  His odds of making the team may be long, but he'll be fun to watch in early preseason games.

 Parker has the look of a long-term NFL backup safety who excels on special teams.  It wouldn't surprise me if he captures one of the final roster spots.

B+

2005 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

I was in the minority, I had a slightly higher grade on Rodgers than I did on Smith.  I am confident that Rodgers will be a solid starting quarterback, despite the Tedford-factor.  Smith may have a higher upside than Rodgers because of his athletic skills, but there is also a better chance that he will fail.  He will need to add bulk to his frame or may be literally knocked to injury list as he scrambles.  He, also, was in a system, against less-athletic players, where he could use his athletic ability to excel.  In the NFL, the defensive ends and pass-rushing linebackers will be on him much quicker and the corners will stay with his receivers better.  So the question is, can he maintain his skills in the NFL, or will the league catch up to him, or at least close the gap enough, to render him an average quarterback?  The answer to that question will determine if he far exceeds Rodgers and becomes a top-flight NFL quarterback, or if he falls way short.  Obviously, we know what the 49ers (and most of the league) thinks.  They very well may be right.  Remember, I said he was a riskier pick than Rodgers, so I had Rodgers rated higher, not that he won't be the better NFL player.  In round two the 49ers drafted one of my favorite players in the draft.  I had a first round grade on Baas.  He will be a Pro Bowl player before all is said and done.  Gore, Gore, Gore, what to say about Gore.  The 49ers drafted him where I had him graded, in round three.  He is another risky pick.  He has shown great talent in college but has had torn ligaments in both knees.  If he comes all the way back, the 49ers could have a player with feature-back skills.  If not, he should be a reliable reserve.  However, I think Marion Barber III would have been a better pick at this spot.  Unfortunately, Barber was drafted by Dallas to backup Julius Jones, so he is now officially the next LaMont Jordan (destined to be a long-term backup who shows great flashes) so it will be a long time before he gets to show he wears as a feature back proving me right or wrong.   Snyder was a good pick in round three.  I had him with a high fourth round so getting him late in round three is within his value range.  He can play guard or tackle, but he is better projection as a starter at guard.  He plays with a real mean streak, and is better on the field than he is working out.  Fields is a big man who, if he goes to the gym to increase his strength, can be a major run-stuffer.  Hey, let him room with Sopoaga, he was one of the strongest players in last year's draft.  He has the size and skills to be an effective nose tackle in the 49ers new 3-4 defense.  In fact, both Sopoaga and Fields project as better long term nose tackles than Adams, who may be better as a 3-4 end.  Marshall was a college quarterback, who was drafted as a wide receiver.  He has the quickness and athletic ability to make the transition.  I had a fourth round grade on him as a receiver.  He could be a pleasant surprise for San Fran.  I had similar grades on both Johnson and Holley.  However, they are very different players.  Johnson could develop into a reliable starter, or could be a tail-end of the roster guy.  He is well worth a shot in round six of the draft.  Holley, however, will probably never be a starter, but he will be a valuable member of the team.  Holley is ideal as a nickel corner playing the slot receiver.  He is a brash, confident player with tremendous speed.  He can also serve as an explosive return-man.  He is a seventh round steal.  Maxwell, Estes, and Bajema all made my board as late round value players.  Maxwell, has an excellent size/speed ratio, but had little college production.  He is certainly worth a look in camp.  Estes and Bajema will battle it out for the third tight end job behind Johnson and Walker.  Estes is big and strong and was Heath Miller's backup at Virginia so you certainly can't hold it against him that he didn't get big numbers in college.  Bajema also has nice size and is one of the smarter players in the draft (37 in the Wonerlic).  He looked good at the Gridiorn Classic, but some may not have noticed because of the explosive performance of wide receiver Jerome Mathis.  If you 49er fans are looking for an interesting training camp battle, the one between Bajema and Estes should be fun to watch.  My guess - if they want more of a blocker it will be Estes, if they want more of a pass catcher it will be Bajema.

College street free agents of note: DE Tony Ficklin has excellent speed, strength, and athletic ability.  While, he doesn't have the size to play defensive end in the 49ers new 3-4 defense, he is a former linebacker and could make their roster as backup outside.  Moving college defensive ends to linebacker is a trend in the NFL, and that is what the Niners will do with Ficklin.

Jay Goldberg of 90FootballLinks.NET reports: 
major need         need position         possible need, depth needed    no real need

Key UFA: Heard S, Murphy G, Conway WR, Peterson K, Peterson LB, Jackson RB
Key RFA: Kozier OL (7th), Heitmann G (7th), Wilson WR, Williams CB
NOTE - RFA COMPENSATION AT MINIMUM TENDER

QB: The 49er staff likes Rattay.  They also like Dorsey.  Go figure.  I say they need a starter, with Rattay being the backup.  Then they also need a young player to develop.
RB: Barlow will not become an upper echelon starter in the league.  Hicks is a nice backup.  Another position where the 49ers need help.
WR: WR: Woods may develop.  He has upside, as does Hamilton.  Wilson and Conway are free agents who should be allowed to leave.  They are blocking the progress of Woods, Hamilton, Battle and Lloyd.  If the 49ers add a receiver, it has to be a player with the potential to be a dominate number one.  Otherwise they should stay fairly pat.
TE: Johnson had a big year.  walker is a good backup.
OL: OL: Between free agents and lack of talent, the 49ers need to address their offensive line in the offseason.  
DL: DL: The 49ers' line screams for a big-time sack-machine at end.  Carter and Engelberger have disappointed.  Engelberger, however, could benefit from the planned switch to a 3-4.  Inside, Young isn't (young), and Adams is a good young player, but would be better if there was a dominate player playing alongside him. This is a major need area for the Niners.
LB: If Peterson is tagged or resigns, then this is the 49ers strength.  Smith and Ulbrich could be a good inside tandem, while Peterson and Windborn can be dominate outside backers in  a 3-4.  Depth is needed.
DB: Plummer and Spencer should be fine at corner.  However an upgrade is needed in the nickel.  At safety, Parrish keeps plugging along, but Heard is an UFA, and is replaceable.
ST: ST: Peterson is an UFA, so kicker will need to be addressed.  Lee is an okay punter, who can improve.  Battle has potential as a return-man, but drafting another player to compete with him is advised.

A-

2004 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

B+

2003 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD