Draft 2023: How'd we do?

Day 2 was awful.

Day 3 was a lot better.

Originally posted by brodiebluebanaszak:
This is the least successful draft i have seen by us for positional need. These picks can turn into contributors, but we have not used the draft to enhance our ability to pressure the opposition quarterback or protect our quarterback.

After the way our dline faded last year and jimmy brock and our backup got clobbered, these tasks should have been job 1 imo.

Unless there's some magic trick up their sleeve, i cant understand what our brain trust is thinking. It seems bizarre, really.2 bkup tight ends? A top 100 kicker? A wide receiver? We have the best wr room in the nfl. Really?

Im sure some of these guys will work out. But as a team we didn't move forward the way we need for a deep run in 2023. My 2c.

Maybe they did not see a starting caliber online or dline player available to them in the 3rd,5,6,7th round, or that they thought could beat any starter for their job. If you wanted them to trade up for a 2nd or 1st you have to have a team willing to trade with. Plus if they did have team's willing to trade it most likely would have left them with one 2nd and a 6th or 7th combo of some sort,so 3-4 guys total while addressing only one of your concerns on the lines.

Next year they will have their full spread of picks from 1-7 plus some, and will go after a higher percentage of success/upgrade on o & d linemen if they are there when their pick comes up,or care to trade up for.

For what they had to work with I say it was a good draft, but no one will know until any of these draft picks play, the full year and beyond, how each team's draft grade pans out for the 23 class.

Originally posted by NC49er:
Maybe they did not see a starting caliber online or dline player available to them in the 3rd,5,6,7th round, or that they thought could beat any starter for their job. If you wanted them to trade up for a 2nd or 1st you have to have a team willing to trade with. Plus if they did have team's willing to trade it most likely would have left them with one 2nd and a 6th or 7th combo of some sort,so 3-4 guys total while addressing only one of your concerns on the lines.

Next year they will have their full spread of picks from 1-7 plus some, and will go after a higher percentage of success/upgrade on o & d linemen if they are there when their pick comes up,or care to trade up for.

For what they had to work with I say it was a good draft, but no one will know until any of these draft picks play, the full year and beyond, how each team's draft grade pans out for the 23 class.

With all due respect to our brain trust, it seems like bull s**t that teams don't draft horses late round on either side of the line. There were 13 lineman drafted in the 7th round this year, at every position on both sides of the line. (Way) over 1/3 of the picks taken in that round. That's probably typical of how other organizations prioritize line men.

Anyway, I think competition for Burfurd was a reasonable, perhaps important, priority. Same for Kinlaws knee and Jackson's adjustment to pro life.

How is it even possible to give a grade until they play?

Originally posted by Bluesbro:
How is it even possible to give a grade until they play?

9ers have drafted an all pro in 4 of their 6 drafts. That alone makes those drafts As regardless of the other picks.

Originally posted by brodiebluebanaszak:

Originally posted by ImRicky:

Originally posted by brodiebluebanaszak:
This is the least successful draft i have seen by us for positional need. These picks can turn into contributors, but we have not used the draft to enhance our ability to pressure the opposition quarterback or protect our quarterback.

After the way our dline faded last year and jimmy brock and our backup got clobbered, these tasks should have been job 1 imo.

Unless there's some magic trick up their sleeve, i cant understand what our brain trust is thinking. It seems bizarre, really.2 bkup tight ends? A top 100 kicker? A wide receiver? We have the best wr room in the nfl. Really?

Im sure some of these guys will work out. But as a team we didn't move forward the way we need for a deep run in 2023. My 2c.

Uhm. Come again? Lol

We have 2 All Pro caliber players, third and juan, and ray ray who made several clutch plays for us. Who's room is better?

If it's just WR, I'd take Cincys group: Chase, Higgins, Boyd.

This draft was a disappointment, punctuated by the Latu selection in the 3rd round which was the biggest reach of the entire draft. I give this a C. Here's what I wrote in another thread...

S Ji'Ayir Brown Penn St. 5'11" 203

Plain and simple, Brown is a playmaker. He has a natural feel for the game, plays with his hair on fire, yet under control, and is a magnetic leader. He's got all the qualities of a potential Pro Bowl Safety except...he's got a very average athletic profile. Brown gets by on instincts which allows him to play faster than his 4.58 speed. You have to wonder whether his lack of physical gifts will hold him back in the NFL though Hufanga's success provides some reason for optimism. I would've preferred the Niners stayed put to grab him at 99, but clearly the organization loved him. I do wonder if they could've gotten far more bang for their buck by drafting someone like Jay Ward, Brandon Hill or Jordan Howden on Day 3...I guess we'll see in a few years.
Grade: B+

K Jake Moody Michigan 6'1" 209
Across the board Moody was considered the top K in the draft and by all accounts he's a stone cold killer with a big leg. But I still cannot wrap my head around using a top 100 pick on any specialist, particularly when there were plenty of starting caliber OLs (Saldiveri, Freeland, Warren), DEs (McGuire, Abdullah, Horton) and CBs (Ringo, Bennett) on the board. Yes the Patriots took another kicker about 10 picks later, so maybe Moody wouldn't have lasted, but honestly, who cares? I don't believe the delta between Moody and Zane Gonzalez is worth a top 100 pick. Let's put it this way, would the Eagles or Chiefs ever use a premium pick on this position? No, they're too busy drafting beasts on both lines and in the secondary. I get the need, but this is horrific value, plain and simple.
Grade: C-

TE Cameron Latu Alabama 6'4" 242
He can't run (4.78 40 and his 1.66 10 yard split would've been the slowest at the combine), he can't catch (11.1% drop rate) and he can't block, but besides that Latu is great! This pick is utterly dumbfounding. Yes, I know the 49ers were looking for a #2 TE, but Latu was the biggest reach of the draft. Most analysts expected him to go in late 5th / 6th round, and instead the Niners grabbed in round 3. What?!? I would die to know what the front office sees in this guy. Last year, I was similarly dismayed by the Ty Davis-Price pick and here's what I wrote then: "He was a fine RB at LSU, but never had a season where he averaged over 4.8 yards per cary. He's not particularly elusive, not particularly big and doesn't have any one special trait. So what did the Niners see here?" Once again, the Niners reached badly for an incredibly middling player. If the Niners wanted a well-rounded TE, why not opt for Josh Whyle who went nearly 50 picks later to Tennessee. If they wanted a good blocking TE, why not Payne Durham or Davis Allen who both went more than 70 picks later. If they wanted to bet on traits, then Will Mallory (162 overall), Elijah Higgins (197 overall ) or Zack Kuntz who's an absolute freak (7th round would've all been superior choices. Instead this team once again passed on a bunch of talent at CB, DE and OL to grab someone whow will be lucky to play out his rookie deal.
Grade: F

CB Darrell Luter Jr. Southern Alabama 6'0" 189
By far the best pick of the draft. Luter Jr. is long, explosive and sticky in coverage. He allowed comically low completion % and QBR and the only question he faces is quality of competition though he performed very well at the Senior Bowl. Luter reminds me of a more traits-y Emmanuel Moseley and he figures to eventually be a very solid #2 CB. The only reason this pick isn't an A is because I feel like there were some high upside players still on the board including CBs Cory Trice Jr and Terell Smith and DEs Nick Hampton and BJ Thompson (who both went shortly after to Rams and Chiefs, respectively). Overall, I feel the Niners may have another 5th round steal on their hands with Luter Jr.
Grade: A-

DE Robert Beal Jr. George 6'4" 247
When you look at Beal and his athletic profile, you think slam dunk first rounder. He's incredibly long, with over 34" inch arms, and he posted absurd 40, 10-yard split and broad jump numbers. But despite all these physical gifts he never cracked Georgia's lineup and failed to produce consistently. Beal doesn't have a refined pass rushing repertoire or much (any?) feel for the position. He also lacks strength, putting up only 14 reps on the bench. He'll need time in an NFL weight room and plenty of instruction, but he should be able to contribute as a pure, situational pass rusher where he comes screaming off the edge. Personally, I would've loved the 49ers to target Nick Hampton, BJ Thompson earlier, or even considered Jose Ramirez or Lonnie Phelps instead of Beal. This is a high risk / high reward bet that I like the Niners taking late in the 5th.
Grade: B

LB Dee Winters TCU 5'11" 227
Winters is blur at LB. With 4.49 speed, he's is the quintessential sideline-to-sideline LB and had great success on blitzes. He's definitely on the smaller side but has decent arm length. In addition he was a team captain at TCU and a special teams standout; I imagine he may have been one of the Niners' scouting departments gold helmet guys. He'll play a key role on ST next year and I suspect the Niners will start grooming him to replace Dre Greenlaw in two years.
Grade: B

TE Brayden Willis Oklahoma 6'3" 241
Willis a high-effort player who's a good blocker in space and willing to stick his nose in-line as well. He's not refined receiver by any stretch, but he's good after the catch and shows some burst in the open field. All in all, I think he's at least as good a prospect as Latu though I don't anticipate either will be the long-term solution at TE; the difference of course is that Willis was taken ~150 picks later.
Grade: B

WR Ronnie Bell Michigan 5'11" 191
Bell is an intriguing prospect who won't wow you in any one dimension but he does everything well. He's a natural route runner, tough as nails, has good short-area quickness and has some explosiveness to boot (38" vertical). He also has some value as a kick-returner. I expect him to challenge for a roster spot this year and he could even push for playing time. Bell is a football player.
Grade: A-

LB Jalen Graham Purdue 6'2" 221
Graham is a long, physical LB who plays with a ton of energy and has strong instincts. It'll be tough for him to make the 53-man roster given the depth the Niners have at LB, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him push for a roster spot in a year or two.
Grade: B-

Summary:
For the second year in a row, you really have to wonder what the 49ers' decision making framework is for the draft. As teams like the Eagles, Seahawks, Chiefs load up on elite talent at DL, OL, CB and key skill positions, the Niners are taking Kickers and reaching for TEs and RBs with valuable top 100 picks. Besides Brown who should be a solid playmaking S and future starter, the rest of the 3rd Round is laughable. Passing on potential starting OTs like Nick Saldiveri and Blake Freeland and CBs like Keelee Ringo for a K and likely #3 TE is criminal. The Niners made up for it slightly later in the draft, betting on toolsy players at important positions with Luter Jr. and Beal Jr. but the Latu pick in particular sticks out as the worst in recent memory. I fully expect Willis - who was taken nearly 150 picks later to outplay him; this is going to ben exactly like Trey Sermon vs Eli Mitchell. We'll see if Latu can make it to year 2. While their biggest rivals were busy loading up, Niners brass were cracking jokes about taking a kicker in the 3rd. The hubris of this front office is stultifying and portends very badly for a team that desperately needs to replenish talent at key positions to maintain the competitive balance of power. Despite not drafting until late on Day 2, the Niners had plenty of opportunities to add key depth and talent in important positions; time and again they failed to do so. This makes me very worried about the fate of this roster beyond the 2023 season.
Final Grade: C-

Originally posted by 9ers4eva:

Originally posted by Bluesbro:
How is it even possible to give a grade until they play?

9ers have drafted an all pro in 4 of their 6 drafts. That alone makes those drafts As regardless of the other picks.

Agree, and hitting on a franchise QB (potentially) in the last pick in the 7th round is like winning the lotto. That's basically the 1979 draft all over again, if Purdy comes back 100%. Three best drafts of the 49ers was the 1979, 1986, and possibly the 2022 drafts. Those drafts are potentially triple AAA Plus plus plus grades in my book.

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Personally I thought it was at least a B. While I'm not a fan of Brown at S, he does fill a need at minimum for depth/special teams.

I do like both linebackers and tight ends we took and one of the two at each position should be contributors this year.

We needed a kicker and not having a 4th round pick somewhat forced our hand a little in reaching. I'm OK with it since Moody was the consensus #1 there.

We needed a legit speed rusher and I think we went out and got the highest upside player available at the time (and arguably, among the highest ceilings in the draft IMO when you consider the athletic profile).

We addressed our need for corner depth with a quality pick at the spot we selected as well.

Overall, the 49ers draft went about the same as it does most years for me: A guy I don't want, a bit of a reach for a need, and then it gets better. I thought we added playmakers on offense and defense while address vingirtually every need we had. Once we got to UDFA, we rounded out the rest of the competition with some of the best developmental prospects that I felt were out there still at OL.

Again, at least a B. I'd have to love every single pick to say a perfect "A" so while it wasn't that, I think we got a great haul and nice overall value on the collective class for where we were picking this year.

This is a really good draft when you consider where we were picking. I agree.

+1

Based upon the gold mine of talent that sprang from the 2022 draft, I'd give Shanahan and Lynch an A PLUS PLUS PLUS.

Originally posted by lp1986:
This draft was a disappointment, punctuated by the Latu selection in the 3rd round which was the biggest reach of the entire draft. I give this a C. Here's what I wrote in another thread...

S Ji'Ayir Brown Penn St. 5'11" 203

Plain and simple, Brown is a playmaker. He has a natural feel for the game, plays with his hair on fire, yet under control, and is a magnetic leader. He's got all the qualities of a potential Pro Bowl Safety except...he's got a very average athletic profile. Brown gets by on instincts which allows him to play faster than his 4.58 speed. You have to wonder whether his lack of physical gifts will hold him back in the NFL though Hufanga's success provides some reason for optimism. I would've preferred the Niners stayed put to grab him at 99, but clearly the organization loved him. I do wonder if they could've gotten far more bang for their buck by drafting someone like Jay Ward, Brandon Hill or Jordan Howden on Day 3...I guess we'll see in a few years.
Grade: B+

K Jake Moody Michigan 6'1" 209
Across the board Moody was considered the top K in the draft and by all accounts he's a stone cold killer with a big leg. But I still cannot wrap my head around using a top 100 pick on any specialist, particularly when there were plenty of starting caliber OLs (Saldiveri, Freeland, Warren), DEs (McGuire, Abdullah, Horton) and CBs (Ringo, Bennett) on the board. Yes the Patriots took another kicker about 10 picks later, so maybe Moody wouldn't have lasted, but honestly, who cares? I don't believe the delta between Moody and Zane Gonzalez is worth a top 100 pick. Let's put it this way, would the Eagles or Chiefs ever use a premium pick on this position? No, they're too busy drafting beasts on both lines and in the secondary. I get the need, but this is horrific value, plain and simple.
Grade: C-

TE Cameron Latu Alabama 6'4" 242
He can't run (4.78 40 and his 1.66 10 yard split would've been the slowest at the combine), he can't catch (11.1% drop rate) and he can't block, but besides that Latu is great! This pick is utterly dumbfounding. Yes, I know the 49ers were looking for a #2 TE, but Latu was the biggest reach of the draft. Most analysts expected him to go in late 5th / 6th round, and instead the Niners grabbed in round 3. What?!? I would die to know what the front office sees in this guy. Last year, I was similarly dismayed by the Ty Davis-Price pick and here's what I wrote then: "He was a fine RB at LSU, but never had a season where he averaged over 4.8 yards per cary. He's not particularly elusive, not particularly big and doesn't have any one special trait. So what did the Niners see here?" Once again, the Niners reached badly for an incredibly middling player. If the Niners wanted a well-rounded TE, why not opt for Josh Whyle who went nearly 50 picks later to Tennessee. If they wanted a good blocking TE, why not Payne Durham or Davis Allen who both went more than 70 picks later. If they wanted to bet on traits, then Will Mallory (162 overall), Elijah Higgins (197 overall ) or Zack Kuntz who's an absolute freak (7th round would've all been superior choices. Instead this team once again passed on a bunch of talent at CB, DE and OL to grab someone whow will be lucky to play out his rookie deal.
Grade: F

CB Darrell Luter Jr. Southern Alabama 6'0" 189
By far the best pick of the draft. Luter Jr. is long, explosive and sticky in coverage. He allowed comically low completion % and QBR and the only question he faces is quality of competition though he performed very well at the Senior Bowl. Luter reminds me of a more traits-y Emmanuel Moseley and he figures to eventually be a very solid #2 CB. The only reason this pick isn't an A is because I feel like there were some high upside players still on the board including CBs Cory Trice Jr and Terell Smith and DEs Nick Hampton and BJ Thompson (who both went shortly after to Rams and Chiefs, respectively). Overall, I feel the Niners may have another 5th round steal on their hands with Luter Jr.
Grade: A-

DE Robert Beal Jr. George 6'4" 247
When you look at Beal and his athletic profile, you think slam dunk first rounder. He's incredibly long, with over 34" inch arms, and he posted absurd 40, 10-yard split and broad jump numbers. But despite all these physical gifts he never cracked Georgia's lineup and failed to produce consistently. Beal doesn't have a refined pass rushing repertoire or much (any?) feel for the position. He also lacks strength, putting up only 14 reps on the bench. He'll need time in an NFL weight room and plenty of instruction, but he should be able to contribute as a pure, situational pass rusher where he comes screaming off the edge. Personally, I would've loved the 49ers to target Nick Hampton, BJ Thompson earlier, or even considered Jose Ramirez or Lonnie Phelps instead of Beal. This is a high risk / high reward bet that I like the Niners taking late in the 5th.
Grade: B

LB Dee Winters TCU 5'11" 227
Winters is blur at LB. With 4.49 speed, he's is the quintessential sideline-to-sideline LB and had great success on blitzes. He's definitely on the smaller side but has decent arm length. In addition he was a team captain at TCU and a special teams standout; I imagine he may have been one of the Niners' scouting departments gold helmet guys. He'll play a key role on ST next year and I suspect the Niners will start grooming him to replace Dre Greenlaw in two years.
Grade: B

TE Brayden Willis Oklahoma 6'3" 241
Willis a high-effort player who's a good blocker in space and willing to stick his nose in-line as well. He's not refined receiver by any stretch, but he's good after the catch and shows some burst in the open field. All in all, I think he's at least as good a prospect as Latu though I don't anticipate either will be the long-term solution at TE; the difference of course is that Willis was taken ~150 picks later.
Grade: B

WR Ronnie Bell Michigan 5'11" 191
Bell is an intriguing prospect who won't wow you in any one dimension but he does everything well. He's a natural route runner, tough as nails, has good short-area quickness and has some explosiveness to boot (38" vertical). He also has some value as a kick-returner. I expect him to challenge for a roster spot this year and he could even push for playing time. Bell is a football player.
Grade: A-

LB Jalen Graham Purdue 6'2" 221
Graham is a long, physical LB who plays with a ton of energy and has strong instincts. It'll be tough for him to make the 53-man roster given the depth the Niners have at LB, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him push for a roster spot in a year or two.
Grade: B-

Summary:
For the second year in a row, you really have to wonder what the 49ers' decision making framework is for the draft. As teams like the Eagles, Seahawks, Chiefs load up on elite talent at DL, OL, CB and key skill positions, the Niners are taking Kickers and reaching for TEs and RBs with valuable top 100 picks. Besides Brown who should be a solid playmaking S and future starter, the rest of the 3rd Round is laughable. Passing on potential starting OTs like Nick Saldiveri and Blake Freeland and CBs like Keelee Ringo for a K and likely #3 TE is criminal. The Niners made up for it slightly later in the draft, betting on toolsy players at important positions with Luter Jr. and Beal Jr. but the Latu pick in particular sticks out as the worst in recent memory. I fully expect Willis - who was taken nearly 150 picks later to outplay him; this is going to ben exactly like Trey Sermon vs Eli Mitchell. We'll see if Latu can make it to year 2. While their biggest rivals were busy loading up, Niners brass were cracking jokes about taking a kicker in the 3rd. The hubris of this front office is stultifying and portends very badly for a team that desperately needs to replenish talent at key positions to maintain the competitive balance of power. Despite not drafting until late on Day 2, the Niners had plenty of opportunities to add key depth and talent in important positions; time and again they failed to do so. This makes me very worried about the fate of this roster beyond the 2023 season.
Final Grade: C-

Latu was a reach, but he's not a bad player at all. He was solid at Alabama and had almost 800 yards with 12 TDs the last two seasons as like a 5th receiving option. He also had a big game in the National Championship game. He's also a good blocker. Some of you act like he didn't do anything. Some kind of deep personal hatred for him because they didn't take Saldiveri.

Also, Beal did crack Georgia's starting lineup and lead the team in sacks (more then Travon Walker) in 2021.

Originally posted by lp1986:
This draft was a disappointment, punctuated by the Latu selection in the 3rd round which was the biggest reach of the entire draft. I give this a C. Here's what I wrote in another thread...

S Ji'Ayir Brown Penn St. 5'11" 203

Plain and simple, Brown is a playmaker. He has a natural feel for the game, plays with his hair on fire, yet under control, and is a magnetic leader. He's got all the qualities of a potential Pro Bowl Safety except...he's got a very average athletic profile. Brown gets by on instincts which allows him to play faster than his 4.58 speed. You have to wonder whether his lack of physical gifts will hold him back in the NFL though Hufanga's success provides some reason for optimism. I would've preferred the Niners stayed put to grab him at 99, but clearly the organization loved him. I do wonder if they could've gotten far more bang for their buck by drafting someone like Jay Ward, Brandon Hill or Jordan Howden on Day 3...I guess we'll see in a few years.
Grade: B+

K Jake Moody Michigan 6'1" 209
Across the board Moody was considered the top K in the draft and by all accounts he's a stone cold killer with a big leg. But I still cannot wrap my head around using a top 100 pick on any specialist, particularly when there were plenty of starting caliber OLs (Saldiveri, Freeland, Warren), DEs (McGuire, Abdullah, Horton) and CBs (Ringo, Bennett) on the board. Yes the Patriots took another kicker about 10 picks later, so maybe Moody wouldn't have lasted, but honestly, who cares? I don't believe the delta between Moody and Zane Gonzalez is worth a top 100 pick. Let's put it this way, would the Eagles or Chiefs ever use a premium pick on this position? No, they're too busy drafting beasts on both lines and in the secondary. I get the need, but this is horrific value, plain and simple.
Grade: C-

TE Cameron Latu Alabama 6'4" 242
He can't run (4.78 40 and his 1.66 10 yard split would've been the slowest at the combine), he can't catch (11.1% drop rate) and he can't block, but besides that Latu is great! This pick is utterly dumbfounding. Yes, I know the 49ers were looking for a #2 TE, but Latu was the biggest reach of the draft. Most analysts expected him to go in late 5th / 6th round, and instead the Niners grabbed in round 3. What?!? I would die to know what the front office sees in this guy. Last year, I was similarly dismayed by the Ty Davis-Price pick and here's what I wrote then: "He was a fine RB at LSU, but never had a season where he averaged over 4.8 yards per cary. He's not particularly elusive, not particularly big and doesn't have any one special trait. So what did the Niners see here?" Once again, the Niners reached badly for an incredibly middling player. If the Niners wanted a well-rounded TE, why not opt for Josh Whyle who went nearly 50 picks later to Tennessee. If they wanted a good blocking TE, why not Payne Durham or Davis Allen who both went more than 70 picks later. If they wanted to bet on traits, then Will Mallory (162 overall), Elijah Higgins (197 overall ) or Zack Kuntz who's an absolute freak (7th round would've all been superior choices. Instead this team once again passed on a bunch of talent at CB, DE and OL to grab someone whow will be lucky to play out his rookie deal.
Grade: F

CB Darrell Luter Jr. Southern Alabama 6'0" 189
By far the best pick of the draft. Luter Jr. is long, explosive and sticky in coverage. He allowed comically low completion % and QBR and the only question he faces is quality of competition though he performed very well at the Senior Bowl. Luter reminds me of a more traits-y Emmanuel Moseley and he figures to eventually be a very solid #2 CB. The only reason this pick isn't an A is because I feel like there were some high upside players still on the board including CBs Cory Trice Jr and Terell Smith and DEs Nick Hampton and BJ Thompson (who both went shortly after to Rams and Chiefs, respectively). Overall, I feel the Niners may have another 5th round steal on their hands with Luter Jr.
Grade: A-

DE Robert Beal Jr. George 6'4" 247
When you look at Beal and his athletic profile, you think slam dunk first rounder. He's incredibly long, with over 34" inch arms, and he posted absurd 40, 10-yard split and broad jump numbers. But despite all these physical gifts he never cracked Georgia's lineup and failed to produce consistently. Beal doesn't have a refined pass rushing repertoire or much (any?) feel for the position. He also lacks strength, putting up only 14 reps on the bench. He'll need time in an NFL weight room and plenty of instruction, but he should be able to contribute as a pure, situational pass rusher where he comes screaming off the edge. Personally, I would've loved the 49ers to target Nick Hampton, BJ Thompson earlier, or even considered Jose Ramirez or Lonnie Phelps instead of Beal. This is a high risk / high reward bet that I like the Niners taking late in the 5th.
Grade: B

LB Dee Winters TCU 5'11" 227
Winters is blur at LB. With 4.49 speed, he's is the quintessential sideline-to-sideline LB and had great success on blitzes. He's definitely on the smaller side but has decent arm length. In addition he was a team captain at TCU and a special teams standout; I imagine he may have been one of the Niners' scouting departments gold helmet guys. He'll play a key role on ST next year and I suspect the Niners will start grooming him to replace Dre Greenlaw in two years.
Grade: B

TE Brayden Willis Oklahoma 6'3" 241
Willis a high-effort player who's a good blocker in space and willing to stick his nose in-line as well. He's not refined receiver by any stretch, but he's good after the catch and shows some burst in the open field. All in all, I think he's at least as good a prospect as Latu though I don't anticipate either will be the long-term solution at TE; the difference of course is that Willis was taken ~150 picks later.
Grade: B

WR Ronnie Bell Michigan 5'11" 191
Bell is an intriguing prospect who won't wow you in any one dimension but he does everything well. He's a natural route runner, tough as nails, has good short-area quickness and has some explosiveness to boot (38" vertical). He also has some value as a kick-returner. I expect him to challenge for a roster spot this year and he could even push for playing time. Bell is a football player.
Grade: A-

LB Jalen Graham Purdue 6'2" 221
Graham is a long, physical LB who plays with a ton of energy and has strong instincts. It'll be tough for him to make the 53-man roster given the depth the Niners have at LB, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him push for a roster spot in a year or two.
Grade: B-

Summary:
For the second year in a row, you really have to wonder what the 49ers' decision making framework is for the draft. As teams like the Eagles, Seahawks, Chiefs load up on elite talent at DL, OL, CB and key skill positions, the Niners are taking Kickers and reaching for TEs and RBs with valuable top 100 picks. Besides Brown who should be a solid playmaking S and future starter, the rest of the 3rd Round is laughable. Passing on potential starting OTs like Nick Saldiveri and Blake Freeland and CBs like Keelee Ringo for a K and likely #3 TE is criminal. The Niners made up for it slightly later in the draft, betting on toolsy players at important positions with Luter Jr. and Beal Jr. but the Latu pick in particular sticks out as the worst in recent memory. I fully expect Willis - who was taken nearly 150 picks later to outplay him; this is going to ben exactly like Trey Sermon vs Eli Mitchell. We'll see if Latu can make it to year 2. While their biggest rivals were busy loading up, Niners brass were cracking jokes about taking a kicker in the 3rd. The hubris of this front office is stultifying and portends very badly for a team that desperately needs to replenish talent at key positions to maintain the competitive balance of power. Despite not drafting until late on Day 2, the Niners had plenty of opportunities to add key depth and talent in important positions; time and again they failed to do so. This makes me very worried about the fate of this roster beyond the 2023 season.
Final Grade: C-

DiSCLAIMER: I didn't write this. Although I eerily experienced deja vu as I read each line since they directly reflected my thinking, but with greater articulation.

The hubris part especially hit home.

Originally posted by Rathof44:
If it's just WR, I'd take Cincys group: Chase, Higgins, Boyd.

ok. You're right. Cincy is better. We are number 2.

This justifies a useless indulgent wide receiver pick how?

We should be grading 2022 draft instead

Originally posted by brodiebluebanaszak:
ok. You're right. Cincy is better. We are number 2.

This justifies a useless indulgent wide receiver pick how?

Which elite pass rusher or OL did they pass on at pick 250whatever?