.) I'm expecting worst-to-1st, and I don't care what anyone says. The arrival of one Jimmy Garoppolo put this team in the class of high offensive potency and has accelerated this team to serious competitor status. Teams will have a hard time getting our offence off the field before we score. So the way I see it I think this will be a defense-leaning draft for the 49ers, in particular the LB and secondary. As usual, this mock won't reflect trades. And frankly I honestly don't expect us to be that aggressive moving up. I just don't think we need to, we filled a bunch of needs with FA's. Plus, there's just no way to predict them. But I will say that I am more bullish of trading back this season than in past drafts. Also, I don't base my mocks full of "BPA" players that may not even fit our schemes. Given the scheme-specific coaching staff that Shanny & Co. have already shown themselves to be I don't think "BPA" picks will be applied. I fully expect Shanny & Lynch to draft players that fit the scheme. Plus, just MHO, I think it's a bit lazy. The football coach and scout in me just won't let me. I at least attempt analysis based on the team needs and team system. So this season it's gonna be fun for me to read mock drafts not littered with BPA's.1st
Roquan Smith, ILB, Georgia, 6-1, 236lbs, 4.51 40
Gotta replace Foster and his on-the-field production. That's this guy. If you don't know what this guy brings you haven't been paying attention.
*Item: Sideline to sideline speed
*Item: Very good in the run and pass game – 4 down LB
*Item: Brings the wood, legally too
*Item: Handles blockers very well, in spite of his size
*Item: Extremely instinctive but plays with high discipline
*Item: Very good blitzer
*Item: Butkus Award winner
Every box gets checked with this kid. With the likely QB frenzy coming in the top 10 he's likely gonna be there for us at 9. I honestly don't expect Foster to be in the NFL, I just don't. With the reports out on the injuries he caused the woman – e.g. busted eardrum that'll result hearing loss in that ear – I cannot envision any scenario in which Foster is NFL in the coming months. (Yes, I know there's a report that the victim may not cooperate.) In any event, Lynch and Shanny need to operate as if Foster won't be on the roster at the very least in the 2018 season. If Roquan is gone we take Tremaine Edmunds. One or both should be there for us though and worth
2nd
Duke Ejiofor, DE/EDGE, Wake Forest, 6-4, 264lbs
After Ejiofor the talent level for EDGE rushers really falls off a cliff. This is why many feel he's not gonna see the 3rd round, and neither do I. I have a mid 2nd, late 3rd grade on him. Due to recovery from a torn labrum Duke sat out the combine, though invited. This guy had consistent production. He's is a real disruptive force for Wake Forest, very high motor, uses his hands extremely well – violently even. He has a good repertoire of moves to get to the QB. He predominately played the exact same LEO position at Wake, so scheme-wise he's a real fit. He dominated 1-on-1 battles. And given the other guys along our front 4 (Buckner, Thomas/Armstead, Mitchell) Duke will see a lot of 1-on-1. But he dealt with the double teams adequately as well. He'll be a 3-down guy because he's a real benefit, not liability, in the run game. My only negative on him is his availability. If he can stay healthy, my goodness, this front 4 will be extremely dominant.
3rd
Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame, 6-5, 214lbs, 4.4 40
If you wanna scheme fit for Shanny's offense then here it sits! This kids check most, if not all, of the boxes that we all believe that Shanny wants. This is a very smart kid, is a better than decent rout runner (though like all WRs coming out he needs to be more consistent), more of a hands catcher, can handle the jam, and most importantly HE HAS SPEED. In the open field he separates. Trust me, I prefer the heavier, more physical WR types. But looking at what Shanny has used and what it appears he likes St. Brown fits really well. It don't really appear to me that Shanny puts a high value on big physical WR's unless they have the speed he likes and can run decent routs. Shanny's offense WR's don't need to be Megatron. Plus, the one element missing in our WR corps that was painfully obvious is the red zone threat. St. Brown would be a red zone threat along with being a real threat to blow the top off a defense. And I think going up against Sherman in practice will harden him a bit. Besides, I don't think he'll be jammed much though. Most teams played off-coverage on him due to his speed. My biggest critique is that he needs to be more consistent with running his routes, and he could use a few more pounds of muscle to his rather lean frame.
3rd
Shaquem Griffin, LB, UCF, 6-1, 227lbs, 4.38 40
Trust me, this kid will not get out the 3rd round. I remember watching some if his games and stating that if he had two hands he'd be a mid-late 1st. Remember, speed is the theme; well here it is! One hand and all, this kid is the real-deal. His game is scheme neutral, and in the 4-3 he's an ideal WILL, but can play the MIKE. Plays with a high, tenacious motor. In spite of his physical limitations he is surprisingly good in coverage. Proved himself to be very durable, and took no plays off. Energetic tackler. On video he delt with blockers surprisingly well. His football IQ is as high as his character. And with that speed and tenacity he'll be a ST ace for years, if nothing else. I really see no downside to drafting this kid. He'll definitely push starters for playing time, especially average starters. The only negative is that he'll need to add some girth, which is a need for pretty much everyone coming into the NFL.
4th
Davontae Harris, CB, Illinois St., 6-0, 200, 4.43 40, 22 bench
Height, weight, speed, and strength cannot be denied. This kid has a high ceiling, so he has a bunch of room to learn and grow. He will benefit from NFL coaching and watching Sherman. Harris fit the mold that this coaching staff is looking for, has similar skill-sets applicable to the scheme. More natural at pressing, decent in off-man, but needs to work at straight zone. Really plasters WR's down field. Didn't see him get burned much. His strength will allow him to punish WR's at the LOS. Very aggressive tackler. A 3 year starter and team leader. This kid will just need some time to develop. With that speed and strength, and with the right coaching this kid can be a real star.
5th
DeShon Elliott, FS, Texas, 6-2, 206, 4.5 40
A smarter Dashon Goldson who'll definitely be the intimidating center fielder I know Lynch would appreciate, and with better ball skills, athleticism, and football IQ than Adrian Colbert (not that Colbert is trash). Quick to diagnose plays. Another high motor guy. Can definitely play that Earl Thomas role we're looking for, one who can quarterback the defensive secondary. Will not get over powered covering TE's. I really didn't like how he was used at Texas; was asked to play in the box too much as the coaches were relying on him heavily. While he can play in the box, quite effectively, he's much better keeping the whole field in front of him in single-high. He's a perfect for this scheme. Will need to learn to be a bit more fluid, especially when the base is spread out. I liked what I saw on this kid, and given the defensive depth this season he'd be a solid 3rd rounder in most drafts.
6th
Desmond Harrison, OT, West Georgia, 6-6, 292lbs
Looking towards the future here. Joe Staley is in the twilight of his career so the future needs to be planned. With Trent Brown likely to take oved at LT when Staley is gone we gotta start grooming a guy who can hit the ground running at RT. Desmond Harrison completely dominated everyone put in front of him. I mean, it's just laughable watching his highlights. Granted, it was against lessor talent than the larger conferences, but at least he dominated at his level and that's what you wanna see. Freakishly athletic with very light feet; moves very well, which is a perfect fit for Shanny's scheme. Plays the game with real attitude and physicality. Real nasty, mean streak, especially in the run game. In the pass game guys simple disappeared, and that mean streak imports from the run game. This is not a guy defenses want in the 2nd level. This guy is a 2nd round talent, but character concerns will drop him. Was dismissed from U. of Texas for failed drug test. Getting him here won't be a big risk. His contract can be incentive-laced to protect the team. Plus, he'll need time to develop anyway, so we won't need to rely on him right away. So I think it's worth the pick. If he can stay clean this would be a steal.
7th
K.C. McDermott, OG/OT, Miami, 6-6, 311lbs
Gotta get an OG out of this draft, though given the signing of Richburg (a signing I did not see coming at all), and with the return of Garnett (who I see having a very good season), and with the depth already on the roster, I cannot see us spending more than a 6th or 7th on a OG. Watching McDermott play you see why he translates to OG in the NFL than at OT. Really good feet for Shanny's zone scheme at OG, but not good enough for OT. Latches and drives well. Better than adequate at the point of attach with the strength to move his man of the spot ( think: interior zone). And he'll give us more flexibility during injuries. Given the bodies in from of him he'll have time to develop, at the very least on the PS.
7th
DeAndre Goolsby, TE, Florida, 6-4, 240, 4.7 40
I still think the TE position could stand upgrading and competition. If nothing else this this kid will provide that. In the Delany Walker mold in that he'll be a major matchup nightmare. Very good hands and dangerous in the open field. Won't go down after first contact, so he'll be good in the YAC department. Though he ran a 4.7 he plays much faster than that. While not a deep threat he's gets open in the better-than-med-range routs – deep digs, shallow & skinny posts, drags, etc. – where average SS, average LB's, and some slots will have to cover. Not much of an in-line blocker, but Shanny's scheme don't have much of those types of TE's. Shanny is a speed & matchup schemer when it comes to play designed. But still, he's gonna have to embrace blocking if he's going to make, and stay on a roster.
Again, scheme fit and speed, both of which Shanny has placed great emphasis. This is a defense deep draft, which is another reason I see this to be a defense heavy draft for us. Offensively, I really don't think we need that much. We addressed real needs in FA, in particular the O-line. As stated, I expect even the league's top defenses to have a hard time getting our offense off the field or keeping this offense out the endzone. I expect the O-Line to be much better than last season, and we saw what Jimmy G. did with that. Imagine how lethal this Shanny offense is gonna be in the hands of Jimmy G. with an even better O-line, not to mention a healthy Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin! So I see the defense getting a sure up in a big way. Being able to score points while having a rested defense that gets off the field is a hard reality to game plan around. Overall, up and down my mock I have what Shanny covets on both sides of the ball – speed, with a lot of guys with high motors. And this team will have that in spades if we draft like this. Oh, did I mention I'm excited about this upcoming season?
Thoughts?
[ Edited by 9ersLiferInChicago on Apr 24, 2018 at 12:28 PM ]
Watch the player for yourself.