Michael Pittman Jr. WR USC

Originally posted by Butter:

How big is the gap between Pittman and Isaiah Hodgins?

Pittman is quite a bit faster and stronger but otherwise they're pretty similar.

Hodgins has a similar build to Tee Higgins (shorter arms though).

Higgins has the best length and ball skills. Pittman is the most athletic of the three. Hodgins is more similar to Higgins but he's a poor man's Higgins.

Originally posted by All22:

Originally posted by genus49:
The thing with the 2nd/3rd tier guys or wherever you rank them is how can you guarantee you get your preference?

Say the 49ers see Pittman as a quality WR and target him. Show of hands who is cool taking him with either first round draft pick?



So then say we're looking at trading down from either pick to acquire day 2 picks with the thought of drafting him there. LOTS of teams with WR needs after 13. What happens if he goes before our pick?

Obviously it's part of the draft process to make your board and drafted based on who you like but you have to also understand where everyone else has players. You don't want to draft a guy likely to go in the 5th round in the first round. But as you work further away from the top guys it's harder to get your favorites.

I guess what I'm saying is someone like Pittman is a tough player to fall in love with if you want him for us because it's so hard to predict where non 1st rounders will go. So unless you're ready to use that 31st pick on him then don't get too attached.

It's also why I like taking the WR at 13. IMO that's likely to be the BPA and you're getting likely the top guy on your board at the position so you get that playmaker and don't have to sweat it out moving forward if you're targeting one of the 2nd/3rd tier guys.

The problem with WR at #13 is no one would be surprised if the Day 2 guys like Mihms, Higgins, Claypool etc are just as good at the NFL level. There's just not THAT big of a gap.

However, the gap between the OL, DB, and DL at #13 vs later is huge.

I get that line of thinking(don't agree with DB though) but thing is at 13 odds are you're looking at the 4th OLman and we have 2 good starters at OT.

Our whole on OL right now is the biggest at RG. That's the spot up for grabs so are you taking that prime pick and then asking the rookie to learn a position he may not have played before in a complex offense? Do you just hand him the starting job and hope for the best?

At WR we have a lot of questions outside of Deebo and Bourne(only under contract for 1 year) you take Ruggs, Jeudy or Lamb and they're pretty much guaranteed to start at some point in the season if not right out of the gate or get serious playing time.

If your OL pick doesn't win the starting job they sit on their ass.

At DL Brown will likely be gone so it's Kinlaw but our DL is a unit. Similar to the OL but unlike the OL one weak link can be covered up with strong studs around them which is what we have. Bosa, X, Armstead, Ford as a pass rush unit won't require player X to be Aaron Donald to be successful. As long as that guy doesn't fall on his ass and knock down another player on the DL we can still do good things with our DL.

WR is basically on an island so at 13 they have the easiest route to major playing time.

I would also say it's fairly common to see guys outside of the first round play well at IOL and IDL positions. Yes you can find excellent WRs later in the draft as well and I'm sure there will be some studs to come out of this class outside the first round but in our situation as long as the player at 13 stays healthy, if it's a WR I'm confident we will not regret that pick. Kyle knows what he wants out of those guys and how to get them the ball.

Originally posted by krizay:
The same is true for an offensive lineman or DB correct?

I kind of skipped your post because I thought All22's post had similar discussion going so check that.

I will add IMO the DB class is also pretty darn deep. I think we can find guys in day 2(assuming we trade down) or even day 3 who can come into our system and play very well with time and our DL and linebackers in front of them.

Outside of Okudah I don't see a corner worth taking at 13. I know people like CJ Henderson but I just don't think he's that great for our scheme and his meh tackling could sour him for our coaches but who knows. Spoon wasn't exactly Ronnie Lott out there but we drafted him...in the 3rd round though.

Who knows how the draft shakes out but I think the following guys could be available at 31 or later

Jeff Gldney
Trevon Diggs
Damon Arnette
Bryce Hall
Noah Igbinoghene
AJ Terrell
Jaylon Johnson
Cameron Dantzler
Michael Ojemudia

And a bunch of developmental guys you could try to coach up day 3
Lamar Jackson
AJ Green
Harrison Hand
Reggie Robinson
Nevelle Clarke
Parnell Motley

Henderson isn't my pick at 13, but he is way under appreciated on this forum. Prospects with his caliber of h/w/s and hip fluidity is extremely rare

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:
Henderson isn't my pick at 13, but he is way under appreciated on this forum. Prospects with his caliber of h/w/s and hip fluidity is extremely rare

The issue is scheme fit and mentality fit. It's one thing to take a guy like Spoon in the 3rd round to see if you can teach him to tackle with a purpose but it's another to use a 13th overall pick on a guy who is soft and is a better fit in a mostly man scheme.

Originally posted by genus49:

The issue is scheme fit and mentality fit. It's one thing to take a guy like Spoon in the 3rd round to see if you can teach him to tackle with a purpose but it's another to use a 13th overall pick on a guy who is soft and is a better fit in a mostly man scheme.

I dont want to muddy pitman's thread, but there is no reason why Henderson can't succeed in any scheme. Sure, there are zone corners who you would never leave on an island in man, but a top notch man corner can usually play zone just as well. He has the potential to be left on an island, and his decision to protect himself is over blown.

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:

Originally posted by genus49:
The issue is scheme fit and mentality fit. It's one thing to take a guy like Spoon in the 3rd round to see if you can teach him to tackle with a purpose but it's another to use a 13th overall pick on a guy who is soft and is a better fit in a mostly man scheme.

I dont want to muddy pitman's thread, but there is no reason why Henderson can't succeed in any scheme. Sure, there are zone corners who you would never leave on an island in man, but a top notch man corner can usually play zone just as well. He has the potential to be left on an island, and his decision to protect himself is over blown.

Forgot which thread I'm in...they've all been kind of blending lately. But what you say isn't always the case. Nnamdi Asomugha went from all pro and in discussions for best corner in the NFL with Revis to being one of the worst FA signings in NFL history.

Originally posted by genus49:

The thing with the 2nd/3rd tier guys or wherever you rank them is how can you guarantee you get your preference?

Say the 49ers see Pittman as a quality WR and target him. Show of hands who is cool taking him with either first round draft pick?



So then say we're looking at trading down from either pick to acquire day 2 picks with the thought of drafting him there. LOTS of teams with WR needs after 13. What happens if he goes before our pick?

Obviously it's part of the draft process to make your board and drafted based on who you like but you have to also understand where everyone else has players. You don't want to draft a guy likely to go in the 5th round in the first round. But as you work further away from the top guys it's harder to get your favorites.

I guess what I'm saying is someone like Pittman is a tough player to fall in love with if you want him for us because it's so hard to predict where non 1st rounders will go. So unless you're ready to use that 31st pick on him then don't get too attached.

It's also why I like taking the WR at 13. IMO that's likely to be the BPA and you're getting likely the top guy on your board at the position so you get that playmaker and don't have to sweat it out moving forward if you're targeting one of the 2nd/3rd tier guys.

This is kinda what you're pointing out


We have no idea when these 2nd tier guys go...also it's not like SF loves every 2nd tier WR anyway

Originally posted by NYniner85:

This is kinda what you're pointing out

Lots of love out there for USC WR Michael Pittman, Jr. Wherever he's slotted in your rankings, push him up. Glowing reviews for him all-around. Football DNA, multi-time special teams player of year, and only getting better.

— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) April 11, 2020

We have no idea when these 2nd tier guys go...also it's not like SF loves every 2nd tier WR anyway

Exactly. Get em while you can basically.

Originally posted by genus49:

Exactly. Get em while you can basically.

Yup, you can't just move down and expect to get so and so.

I don't know why, but it kind of irks me that he's got a YouTube channel. Maybe it's because it reminds me of Marquise Goodwin.

Originally posted by Heroism:

I don't know why, but it kind of irks me that he's got a YouTube channel. Maybe it's because it reminds me of Marquise Goodwin.

He just wants to flaunt his chick

Okay, I'm begging on this Easter Sunday, stop the madness, stop thinking like Trent Baalke. After Jeudy, Lamb, and Ruggs, there is a SEVERE drop off in talent and abilities. You aren't gonna find it in the 5th round lol. You need somebody to replace Emmanuel Sanders NOW, NOT NEXT YEAR,OR TWO YEARS FROM NOW. That's Trent Baalke thinking.

Originally posted by goldlame2013:
Okay, I'm begging on this Easter Sunday, stop the madness, stop thinking like Trent Baalke. After Jeudy, Lamb, and Ruggs, there is a SEVERE drop off in talent and abilities. You aren't gonna find it in the 5th round lol. You need somebody to replace Emmanuel Sanders NOW, NOT NEXT YEAR,OR TWO YEARS FROM NOW. That's Trent Baalke thinking.

No there isn't. There is barely any drop-off from Jeudy to Jefferson who is bigger, has longer arms, and tested as a better athlete. Then there are guys like Aiyuk, Higgins, Mims, Reagor, Hamler, and Pittman who can all contribute (plus Shenault if he's healthy). There are plenty of options at WR who can help out right away and there's a very good chance that one of the guys picked in the second round in this draft outperforms the top WR selected. In a draft this deep at WR, you can get a better value in the 2nd or 3rd round than at 13.

Depending on who is available at 13, we may be forced to go WR but telling people to stop liking other prospects because there is a severe drop-off is ridiculous.