2020 49ers Draft Grade & Analysis

Originally posted by Jubwub88:
We need some corners badly. I'm worried about sherm covering speedsters. We got exposed in the playoffs and If our pass rush is worse we're gonna get torched repeatedly.

The only think I can thing of is using our 2021 draft picks to get a DB trade going. Other than that, we're stuck with what we have on hand - I think there are some promising players on the team, but I just don't have the confidence in the coaches - that I do on the offensive side - to develop these guys to at least playoff caliber players.

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:

Originally posted by Jubwub88:
We need some corners badly. I'm worried about sherm covering speedsters. We got exposed in the playoffs and If our pass rush is worse we're gonna get torched repeatedly.

I agree about the corners but I think our pass rush will be better. Kinlaw is better at rushing the passer than Buckner who is better at stopping the run. Not saying Buckner can't rush the passer but Kinlaw is a huge disrupter and is about 30 lbs heavier. I expect Bosa to be better even though he was terrific last year and DJ and a healthier Ford should make this unit a real handful for offensive lines.

I agree.

Originally posted by Giedi:

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:

Originally posted by Jubwub88:
We need some corners badly. I'm worried about sherm covering speedsters. We got exposed in the playoffs and If our pass rush is worse we're gonna get torched repeatedly.

I agree about the corners but I think our pass rush will be better. Kinlaw is better at rushing the passer than Buckner who is better at stopping the run. Not saying Buckner can't rush the passer but Kinlaw is a huge disrupter and is about 30 lbs heavier. I expect Bosa to be better even though he was terrific last year and DJ and a healthier Ford should make this unit a real handful for offensive lines.

I agree.

Me, too.

This statement is total nonsense: "Kinlaw is better at rushing the passer than Buckner who is better at stopping the run."

I think we did what we could with the resources we had. It was inevitable that there were going to be positions that we didn't address in this draft. We'll have a chance now to see what we have in some players, and also measure the development of others.

CB: Can UDFA Acy challenge for a spot? Harris looked promising but was an IR stash with a non-serious injury. Could he be a future contributor? Was Verrett just rusty or is he truly done?

LB: Can Al-Shaair improve? Does he make the team? Can Jonas Griffith steal a roster spot over a veteran?

S: Can Mayden or Perkins show the skill and versatility to knock off Marcell Harris?

NT: With Jullian Taylor unlikely to be healthy enough to start the year, could Darrion Daniels snag a spot as the backup NT?

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
I think we did what we could with the resources we had. It was inevitable that there were going to be positions that we didn't address in this draft. We'll have a chance now to see what we have in some players, and also measure the development of others.

CB: Can UDFA Acy challenge for a spot? Harris looked promising but was an IR stash with a non-serious injury. Could he be a future contributor? Was Verrett just rusty or is he truly done?

LB: Can Al-Shaair improve? Does he make the team? Can Jonas Griffith steal a roster spot over a veteran?

S: Can Mayden or Perkins show the skill and versatility to knock off Marcell Harris?

NT: With Jullian Taylor unlikely to be healthy enough to start the year, could Darrion Daniels snag a spot as the backup NT?

Yeah, I think they did about as well as they could with the resources they had along with finding out their all-pro LT was calling it quits the week of the draft.

I STILL prefer going Lamb/Blacklock and having our 4th/5th, but if Kinlaw turns into a pro-bowler, I'll forgive them

as far as our UDFAs...I can see one of the two RBs making the team. I also wouldn't be shocked if Mayden get's on the squad as well. Acy is meh too me.

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

I think we did what we could with the resources we had. It was inevitable that there were going to be positions that we didn't address in this draft. We'll have a chance now to see what we have in some players, and also measure the development of others.

CB: Can UDFA Acy challenge for a spot? Harris looked promising but was an IR stash with a non-serious injury. Could he be a future contributor? Was Verrett just rusty or is he truly done?

LB: Can Al-Shaair improve? Does he make the team? Can Jonas Griffith steal a roster spot over a veteran?

S: Can Mayden or Perkins show the skill and versatility to knock off Marcell Harris?

NT: With Jullian Taylor unlikely to be healthy enough to start the year, could Darrion Daniels snag a spot as the backup NT?

Yeah, I think they did about as well as they could with the resources they had along with finding out their all-pro LT was calling it quits the week of the draft.

I STILL prefer going Lamb/Blacklock and having our 4th/5th, but if Kinlaw turns into a pro-bowler, I'll forgive them

as far as our UDFAs...I can see one of the two RBs making the team. I also wouldn't be shocked if Mayden get's on the squad as well. Acy is meh too me.

Yeah my early prediction is that Mayden makes it. Hybrid DB who can play both safety spots as well as CB if asked, similar to Ward and Moore.

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Yeah, I think they did about as well as they could with the resources they had along with finding out their all-pro LT was calling it quits the week of the draft.

I STILL prefer going Lamb/Blacklock and having our 4th/5th, but if Kinlaw turns into a pro-bowler, I'll forgive them

as far as our UDFAs...I can see one of the two RBs making the team. I also wouldn't be shocked if Mayden get's on the squad as well. Acy is meh too me.

2 things.

1. If Kinlaw was gone, the 49ers preference (according to Shanahan and Lynch themselves) was to move down and draft Aiyuk.

2. Kinlaw is 6'5/6'6 and 315 (or 324). Blacklock is 6'3 290. That's a 25 to 30 pound difference. The 49ers were looking to get bigger at DT. Not sure they'd look at him.

I loved Buck...still do. He was was a true hero.

But somehow, i think maybe around game 4, maybe 5, good as our DL was last yr...i just have a feeling i am going to like this DL better. Call it a better fit, call it bigger, stronger, faster...whatever.... a quarter way thru season, i think this front 7 is going to be something nobody wants to play.

Jennings might be that big slot WR. We will it. Big sLots!! Lol

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
I think we did what we could with the resources we had. It was inevitable that there were going to be positions that we didn't address in this draft. We'll have a chance now to see what we have in some players, and also measure the development of others.

CB: Can UDFA Acy challenge for a spot? Harris looked promising but was an IR stash with a non-serious injury. Could he be a future contributor? Was Verrett just rusty or is he truly done?

LB: Can Al-Shaair improve? Does he make the team? Can Jonas Griffith steal a roster spot over a veteran?

S: Can Mayden or Perkins show the skill and versatility to knock off Marcell Harris?

NT: With Jullian Taylor unlikely to be healthy enough to start the year, could Darrion Daniels snag a spot as the backup NT?

All great questions, OTC.....but here's another...

What team(s) in the NFL have no questions at any positions?

Answer: None.

Originally posted by FL9er:

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Yeah, I think they did about as well as they could with the resources they had along with finding out their all-pro LT was calling it quits the week of the draft.

I STILL prefer going Lamb/Blacklock and having our 4th/5th, but if Kinlaw turns into a pro-bowler, I'll forgive them

as far as our UDFAs...I can see one of the two RBs making the team. I also wouldn't be shocked if Mayden get's on the squad as well. Acy is meh too me.

2 things.

1. If Kinlaw was gone, the 49ers preference (according to Shanahan and Lynch themselves) was to move down and draft Aiyuk.

2. Kinlaw is 6'5/6'6 and 315 (or 324). Blacklock is 6'3 290. That's a 25 to 30 pound difference. The 49ers were looking to get bigger at DT. Not sure they'd look at him.

That is a great point, FL9er... Kinlaw is simply a different player than Buck (or Blaylock).... Buck is great in many ways (character, effort, pass rushing, etc) but isn't big enough to just be a wall in the middle. Kinlaw is....and he can rush the passer too. Once Kocurek gets his mitts on him, he's gonna be a beast..

Originally posted by longterm9erfan:
That is a great point, FL9er... Kinlaw is simply a different player than Buck (or Blaylock).... Buck is great in many ways (character, effort, pass rushing, etc) but isn't big enough to just be a wall in the middle. Kinlaw is....and he can rush the passer too. Once Kocurek gets his mitts on him, he's gonna be a beast..

Buckner was a very good run stopper, especially when he was at 3-4 End, which imo is his natural position. Speaks to his versatility that he essentially played three different spots on the dline during his time in here, and excelled in all three.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Hiya, fellas. Well, the dust has settled after Draft Weekend, and it's about time I busted out the annual draft grade and pick evaluation. After that, I'll give you my selections as if I had been running the draft and had been fully aware as well that Joe Staley wasn't returning. Let's get started.

1. Javon Kinlaw-DT-South Carolina / Pick Grade: A
I really can't complain too much about this pick. He was arguably the best DT in the class this year, and he was only one slot behind Lamb on my board. He will be an immediate starter for us and is a perfect fit in our scheme. While he may not be an all-star right out of the gate, I expect the talent around him in Jones/Bosa/Ford/AA to help give him opportunities to showcase his playmaking ability early on in 1 on 1 matchups. Overall, not a bad pick at all.

1. Brandon Aiyuk-WR-Arizona State / Pick Grade: B
He was neck and neck with the other receivers on the board at this point, so while I didn't grade him as a top 25 pick, I also have been keen to express that I see the ceiling is quite high, especially in our system. His raw talent make me feel like his "best case scenario" could be something on the level of OBJ, but as I've said elsewhere, a safe bet seems to be somewhere around the Stefon Diggs trajectory which make the late 1st to early 2nd seem appropriate for where he should've gone. Yes, Aiyuk wasn't my favorite receiver in this class, but I don't think we got a bad value here at this spot.

5. Colton McKivitz-OL-West Virginia / Pick Grade: A
Having already selected a WR and DT, our next highest need was most certainly OL, and we took one here. Keith Ishmael and Nick Harris were two OL prospects still on the board but I would NOT have taken either of them here. In fact, I'm not sure I would've touched either until the 6th or 7th round at least. McKivitz' was not a guy I had had a chance to watch but after reviewing his film, his tape was clearly superior to the two previously mentioned players. I also think he was a better prospect than Prince Tega Wanogho -- a player who is a waist-bender, slow out of his stance and whose movement looks rather sloppy at times. Jon Runyan Jr could've been an option here, but I don't think he'd offer true OT capability in the NFL and certainly don't think he is a viable swing tackle candidate like McKivitz might be. So, after thorough review, I think we actually made the right pick here. Kudos, Shanalynch.

6. Charlie Woener-TE-Georgia / Pick Grade: C
At this point, I really wanted us to look as pass rush depth because I'm not a fan of trusting players with injury histories like Blair and Ford, and even to an extent Bosa before he got to the NFL. I know Derek Tuszka went late in the 7th, but I thought he was worth more than that, and would've picked him here instead. I know he's a phenomenal blocker, but there were several other TEs on the board that went later or undrafted that I think might've offered more collective value to us.

7. Jauan Jennings-WR-Tennessee / Pick Grade: B+
While he had talent well above the 7th round grade, his character questions stemming from lack of emotional control were the level of an undraftable player. If he has put all that behind him, he has the raw potential to greatly outplay his draft position and be a potential steal for us. He was worth a flier in the 7th, and definitely should provide healthy competition and insurance to a WR group that needs more talent, toughness, and durability.

Summary & Overall Draft Grade: B+
I think overall, despite that lack of picks, we did a really nice job. I have my nitpicks, but can't really complain too much about this class. Could I have done better? Hmm. Maybe. I'll share what I would've done now.

If I ran through the draft and went off my personal board/BPA while knowing Staley was retiring, these would've been my picks:

Round 1, Pick 14: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
Round 1, Pick 31: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State
Round 4, Pick 117: James Lynch, DT, Baylor
Round 5, Pick 153: Darnell Mooney, WR, Tulane
Round 6, Pick 190: Jon Runyan Jr, OL, Michigan
Round 7, Pick 217: Charlie Taumoepeau, TE, Portland State

Notes: As evidenced here by it being missing, I definitely would've traded pick 156 and next year's 3rd for Trent Williams as well. I graded Lamb and Gross-Matos as first round talents. Lynch, I graded as a 2nd-3rd round talent and I think he could've started at 3T. Mooney a 3rd round talent. Runyan a 5th, and Taumoepeau a 5th-6th. So all would've been value picks at those spots to me. I think we could've easily addressed our WR depth, pass rush depth, IOL depth, and TE depth by going my route, but time will tell if I was right.

I think it's safe to say, the 49ers would not be in the dreadful position they are now if they had selected the players that I would have... Can you imagine a WR corps of Lamb-Deebo-Mooney-Bourne? How about Gross-Matos to fill the gap at DE since we knew Ford was an injury risk? James Lynch has more sacks than Kinlaw so far, and Sunday Night was his first game active. Runyan is the primary backup at both guard spots in Green Bay.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Hiya, fellas. Well, the dust has settled after Draft Weekend, and it's about time I busted out the annual draft grade and pick evaluation. After that, I'll give you my selections as if I had been running the draft and had been fully aware as well that Joe Staley wasn't returning. Let's get started.

1. Javon Kinlaw-DT-South Carolina / Pick Grade: A
I really can't complain too much about this pick. He was arguably the best DT in the class this year, and he was only one slot behind Lamb on my board. He will be an immediate starter for us and is a perfect fit in our scheme. While he may not be an all-star right out of the gate, I expect the talent around him in Jones/Bosa/Ford/AA to help give him opportunities to showcase his playmaking ability early on in 1 on 1 matchups. Overall, not a bad pick at all.

1. Brandon Aiyuk-WR-Arizona State / Pick Grade: B
He was neck and neck with the other receivers on the board at this point, so while I didn't grade him as a top 25 pick, I also have been keen to express that I see the ceiling is quite high, especially in our system. His raw talent make me feel like his "best case scenario" could be something on the level of OBJ, but as I've said elsewhere, a safe bet seems to be somewhere around the Stefon Diggs trajectory which make the late 1st to early 2nd seem appropriate for where he should've gone. Yes, Aiyuk wasn't my favorite receiver in this class, but I don't think we got a bad value here at this spot.

5. Colton McKivitz-OL-West Virginia / Pick Grade: A
Having already selected a WR and DT, our next highest need was most certainly OL, and we took one here. Keith Ishmael and Nick Harris were two OL prospects still on the board but I would NOT have taken either of them here. In fact, I'm not sure I would've touched either until the 6th or 7th round at least. McKivitz' was not a guy I had had a chance to watch but after reviewing his film, his tape was clearly superior to the two previously mentioned players. I also think he was a better prospect than Prince Tega Wanogho -- a player who is a waist-bender, slow out of his stance and whose movement looks rather sloppy at times. Jon Runyan Jr could've been an option here, but I don't think he'd offer true OT capability in the NFL and certainly don't think he is a viable swing tackle candidate like McKivitz might be. So, after thorough review, I think we actually made the right pick here. Kudos, Shanalynch.

6. Charlie Woener-TE-Georgia / Pick Grade: C
At this point, I really wanted us to look as pass rush depth because I'm not a fan of trusting players with injury histories like Blair and Ford, and even to an extent Bosa before he got to the NFL. I know Derek Tuszka went late in the 7th, but I thought he was worth more than that, and would've picked him here instead. I know he's a phenomenal blocker, but there were several other TEs on the board that went later or undrafted that I think might've offered more collective value to us.

7. Jauan Jennings-WR-Tennessee / Pick Grade: B+
While he had talent well above the 7th round grade, his character questions stemming from lack of emotional control were the level of an undraftable player. If he has put all that behind him, he has the raw potential to greatly outplay his draft position and be a potential steal for us. He was worth a flier in the 7th, and definitely should provide healthy competition and insurance to a WR group that needs more talent, toughness, and durability.

Summary & Overall Draft Grade: B+
I think overall, despite that lack of picks, we did a really nice job. I have my nitpicks, but can't really complain too much about this class. Could I have done better? Hmm. Maybe. I'll share what I would've done now.

If I ran through the draft and went off my personal board/BPA while knowing Staley was retiring, these would've been my picks:

Round 1, Pick 14: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
Round 1, Pick 31: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State
Round 4, Pick 117: James Lynch, DT, Baylor
Round 5, Pick 153: Darnell Mooney, WR, Tulane
Round 6, Pick 190: Jon Runyan Jr, OL, Michigan
Round 7, Pick 217: Charlie Taumoepeau, TE, Portland State

Notes: As evidenced here by it being missing, I definitely would've traded pick 156 and next year's 3rd for Trent Williams as well. I graded Lamb and Gross-Matos as first round talents. Lynch, I graded as a 2nd-3rd round talent and I think he could've started at 3T. Mooney a 3rd round talent. Runyan a 5th, and Taumoepeau a 5th-6th. So all would've been value picks at those spots to me. I think we could've easily addressed our WR depth, pass rush depth, IOL depth, and TE depth by going my route, but time will tell if I was right.

I think it's safe to say, the 49ers would not be in the dreadful position they are now if they had selected the players that I would have... Can you imagine a WR corps of Lamb-Deebo-Mooney-Bourne? How about Gross-Matos to fill the gap at DE since we knew Ford was an injury risk? James Lynch has more sacks than Kinlaw so far, and Sunday Night was his first game active. Runyan is the primary backup at both guard spots in Green Bay.

I'm with this. I had either CeeDee or Wirfs, Ruiz, ER or CB next, and then 35 OL picks after that. LOL. Buy a cheaper 3T in FA to plug the Buckner hole. 3T's aren't going to affect a game unless they're top 5 interior pass rushers. You're seeing that already and Kinlaw looks pretty solid.