Our 2022/23 Draft Classes: Worried Yet?

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by zugschef:

Startable rookie oline and cb players are usually gone in rounds 1 and 2. They would've needed to get lucky to find real help at these positions.

The best rookie OL went in the 4th round this year. Last year Seattle found pretty good CBs in the 4th and 5th rounds. Meanwhile the 49ers used 3rd round picks on a kicker and a project TE that didn't look close to being ready to play and they have one good CB and 4/5ths of the OL is a mess.

This team wastes way too many draft picks on non-contributing players and the cracks are starting to show.

I think sometimes we've been too careless with picks and resources. They should be asking the Jed York question for every pick: "Will he (or can he) be a difference maker?"

I'm not opposed to moving up more often when the answer is "yes" to that. Then again, their trades up have more often than not blown up in their face too.

I don't know what the answer is, but they need to figure out why they've been missing so badly so often in rounds 1-3 for years now.

Originally posted by BP13:
pretty crazy that they built up so much goodwill by finding Purdy in the 7th, to overcome Trey Lance and 2 bad draft classes. They better start winning before the flashlight gets brighter

IMO, if we didn't get Purdy then the FO would be on the hot seat (if not fired). Most front offices that trade up with that many picks and get a bust are gone 3 years after that mistake.

I remember thinking when Harbaugh was here that guys like tank, Jenkins, and lamichael James just needed more time because our roster was stacked. Hopefully the new guys pan out better than the past.

I'm not worried, Brown wasn't gonna start right away, Gipson was the FS and is the FS, Moody will bounce back. The rest were drafted as depth, it sucks Latu got hurt, can't say for sure that Beal & Luter are out for season, we'll see what happens, still 9 weeks left, plus playoffs, this is a SB roster whether or not ppl see it, or agree, but that's my opinion, and by most pundits we have one of, if not, the best roster in the NFL, we just need to better execute. Some players were never gonna play on offense or defense, like Bell, Winters, Graham unless injuries, even Beal & Luter likely would have been inactives or ST players. Just is what it is when you have such a loaded roster that we have, so many big name big salary players, these 3rd-7th rd picks were never gonna unseat anyone, but again just my opinion.

Not worried yet. Few things i'd like to point out

1. Way too early to judge this class. If Brown and Luter turn into starters we should consider this class a win
2. three of the top 5 picks are injured. Thats not really anyone's fault
3. We didnt have a lot of roster turnover from the year before. Very hard for rookies to start over experienced veterans. Especially those drafted outside of top 100 picks
4. On average most draft classes give you just 3 starters. Not picking to late round 3 drops your chances in getting those 3 starters
5. I think this draft class was for the 2024 season. I dont think the organization planned for anyone outside of Moody to get significant playing time.

I think Brown will be starting for Gipson next year and hopefully Luter will be good enough to start outside and kick Lenior to nickel. Bell seems like he belongs and could take over the #3 WR spot if Jennings leaves via free agency.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by zugschef:
Startable rookie oline and cb players are usually gone in rounds 1 and 2. They would've needed to get lucky to find real help at these positions.

The best rookie OL went in the 4th round this year. Last year Seattle found pretty good CBs in the 4th and 5th rounds. Meanwhile the 49ers used 3rd round picks on a kicker and a project TE that didn't look close to being ready to play and they have one good CB and 4/5ths of the OL is a mess.

This team wastes way too many draft picks on non-contributing players and the cracks are starting to show.

I think sometimes we've been too careless with picks and resources. They should be asking the Jed York question for every pick: "Will he (or can he) be a difference maker?"

I'm not opposed to moving up more often when the answer is "yes" to that. Then again, their trades up have more often than not blown up in their face too.

I don't know what the answer is, but they need to figure out why they've been missing so badly so often in rounds 1-3 for years now.

Drafting is a crapshoot. Success runs in cycles and sometimes you hit on the mid or late round picks and miss on the early ones. Then it can turn and be just the opposite. It doesn't really matter where you get your players as long as you put a good team on the field. The only issue is the salary cap. You pay more for free agents so draft picks are the best way to build the team. Unfortunately as we all know that doesn't always work out.

but let's factor, part of this draft was Lance and CMC, if I am not mistaken

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Man... After really looking at our team now, I came away baffled at how we could be sitting here with so many glaring holes on this supposed Super Bowl roster.

Our 2022 class has zero contributors outside of Purdy and Burford, and the latter is among the worst starting guards in the NFL right now

Going over our personnel was beyond enormously frustrating. Beyond last year's picks, NONE of the picks we made this year have made any significant positive impact either. ZERO.

1) FS Jayir Brown - backup

2) K Jake Moody - did contribute to the win against LA, but has played a role in each of the past three losses. Significant role in the first two of those.

3) TE Cameron Latu - Injured, out for the season. And according to Lynch he didn't even make the team. Essentially lucked out getting injured so he could attempt to earn a spot next year.

4) CB Darrell Luter - Injured. Likely out of the season.

5) DE Robert Beal - injured. Likely out for the season.

6) LB Dee Winters - Backup who has seen little to no playing time.

7) TE Brayden Willis - fourth string TE inactive all year.

8) WR Ronnie Bell - Next to zero time on the field outside of the game against the Giants where he had a couple good plays. Nonexistent otherwise.

9) LB Jalen Graham - inactive all year.

Does anyone else feel like with 9 picks, we should've done more to move around to get more impactful players? We seemed so confident in our incumbents, that we decided to prepare for 2024-25 instead of making sure we were shored up with higher quality depth for this year.

All that said, I understand the jury is still out, but things don't seem promising early. We have 11 picks in the 2024 draft right now. It would be inexcusable to fail to get several impact players in that class, considering we are expecting significant turnover over the next few years.

I really think this draft class will look better in a year or two. Jayir will probably take over for Gibson next year. I think Moody will be okay in the long run. As for the other picks? We may need Ronnie Bell to be the third receiver next year if we can't afford to retain Jauan, and Winters and Graham may show some value down the line, should we get to the point where we have to say goodbye to Greenlaw and or Burkes.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by zugschef:
Startable rookie oline and cb players are usually gone in rounds 1 and 2. They would've needed to get lucky to find real help at these positions.

The best rookie OL went in the 4th round this year. Last year Seattle found pretty good CBs in the 4th and 5th rounds. Meanwhile the 49ers used 3rd round picks on a kicker and a project TE that didn't look close to being ready to play and they have one good CB and 4/5ths of the OL is a mess.

This team wastes way too many draft picks on non-contributing players and the cracks are starting to show.

I think sometimes we've been too careless with picks and resources. They should be asking the Jed York question for every pick: "Will he (or can he) be a difference maker?"

I'm not opposed to moving up more often when the answer is "yes" to that. Then again, their trades up have more often than not blown up in their face too.

I don't know what the answer is, but they need to figure out why they've been missing so badly so often in rounds 1-3 for years now.

Have been wondering the same thing, finding talent ready to contribute sooner than later in rounds 1-3. The OL and CB positions for this team in particular. And the bold (Phoenix's point)...have to agree, unfortunately.

We'll see what they get from this most recent draft class but so far not much, Maybe they haven't shown enough yet to earn Kyle's trust for playing time?

Originally posted by AB81Rules:

I'm not worried, Brown wasn't gonna start right away, Gipson was the FS and is the FS, Moody will bounce back. The rest were drafted as depth, it sucks Latu got hurt, can't say for sure that Beal & Luter are out for season, we'll see what happens, still 9 weeks left, plus playoffs, this is a SB roster whether or not ppl see it, or agree, but that's my opinion, and by most pundits we have one of, if not, the best roster in the NFL, we just need to better execute. Some players were never gonna play on offense or defense, like Bell, Winters, Graham unless injuries, even Beal & Luter likely would have been inactives or ST players. Just is what it is when you have such a loaded roster that we have, so many big name big salary players, these 3rd-7th rd picks were never gonna unseat anyone, but again just my opinion.

With all due respect, AB, I have to strongly disagree. And I don't know why people keep saying this. It's like everyone forgot where some of our biggest stars and other starters were selected.

Purdy - 7th and last overall
Warner - 3rd
Kittle - 5th
Lenoir - 5th
Hufanga - 5th
Greenlaw - 5th
Burks - 3rd (GB)
Ch. Ward - undrafted (DAL)
Gipson - undrafted (CLE)
Hargrave - 3rd (PIT)
Burford - 4th
McKivitz - 5th
Jennings - 7th

There are countless other examples on other teams too. Where we are picking is really no excuse, IMO.

Originally posted by GorefullBore:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Man... After really looking at our team now, I came away baffled at how we could be sitting here with so many glaring holes on this supposed Super Bowl roster.

Our 2022 class has zero contributors outside of Purdy and Burford, and the latter is among the worst starting guards in the NFL right now

Going over our personnel was beyond enormously frustrating. Beyond last year's picks, NONE of the picks we made this year have made any significant positive impact either. ZERO.

1) FS Jayir Brown - backup

2) K Jake Moody - did contribute to the win against LA, but has played a role in each of the past three losses. Significant role in the first two of those.

3) TE Cameron Latu - Injured, out for the season. And according to Lynch he didn't even make the team. Essentially lucked out getting injured so he could attempt to earn a spot next year.

4) CB Darrell Luter - Injured. Likely out of the season.

5) DE Robert Beal - injured. Likely out for the season.

6) LB Dee Winters - Backup who has seen little to no playing time.

7) TE Brayden Willis - fourth string TE inactive all year.

8) WR Ronnie Bell - Next to zero time on the field outside of the game against the Giants where he had a couple good plays. Nonexistent otherwise.

9) LB Jalen Graham - inactive all year.

Does anyone else feel like with 9 picks, we should've done more to move around to get more impactful players? We seemed so confident in our incumbents, that we decided to prepare for 2024-25 instead of making sure we were shored up with higher quality depth for this year.

All that said, I understand the jury is still out, but things don't seem promising early. We have 11 picks in the 2024 draft right now. It would be inexcusable to fail to get several impact players in that class, considering we are expecting significant turnover over the next few years.

I really think this draft class will look better in a year or two. Jayir will probably take over for Gibson next year. I think Moody will be okay in the long run. As for the other picks? We may need Ronnie Bell to be the third receiver next year if we can't afford to retain Jauan, and Winters and Graham may show some value down the line, should we get to the point where we have to say goodbye to Greenlaw and or Burkes.

It's not the fault of the front office that so many players are hurt. Iactually wonder sometimes if teams use injuries as way to hide players from other teams. Practice squad players can be picked up but not injured guys.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by zugschef:
Startable rookie oline and cb players are usually gone in rounds 1 and 2. They would've needed to get lucky to find real help at these positions.

The best rookie OL went in the 4th round this year. Last year Seattle found pretty good CBs in the 4th and 5th rounds. Meanwhile the 49ers used 3rd round picks on a kicker and a project TE that didn't look close to being ready to play and they have one good CB and 4/5ths of the OL is a mess.

This team wastes way too many draft picks on non-contributing players and the cracks are starting to show.

Good point...I think we were good scouting in the later rounds in previous drafts however unfortunately that changed. I would like to see if Ilm Manning is ready to grow into a right tackle. Then at least we would have something to show.

Good thing we traded for CMC and Trent Williams.

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by zugschef:

Startable rookie oline and cb players are usually gone in rounds 1 and 2. They would've needed to get lucky to find real help at these positions.

The best rookie OL went in the 4th round this year. Last year Seattle found pretty good CBs in the 4th and 5th rounds. Meanwhile the 49ers used 3rd round picks on a kicker and a project TE that didn't look close to being ready to play and they have one good CB and 4/5ths of the OL is a mess.

This team wastes way too many draft picks on non-contributing players and the cracks are starting to show.

I think sometimes we've been too careless with picks and resources. They should be asking the Jed York question for every pick: "Will he (or can he) be a difference maker?"

I'm not opposed to moving up more often when the answer is "yes" to that. Then again, their trades up have more often than not blown up in their face too.

I don't know what the answer is, but they need to figure out why they've been missing so badly so often in rounds 1-3 for years now.

Drafting is a crapshoot. Success runs in cycles and sometimes you hit on the mid or late round picks and miss on the early ones. Then it can turn and be just the opposite. It doesn't really matter where you get your players as long as you put a good team on the field. The only issue is the salary cap. You pay more for free agents so draft picks are the best way to build the team. Unfortunately as we all know that doesn't always work out.

This is kind of my point a few posts up. We've found lots of quality players in the later sounds.

There's many who say our recent drafts haven't done much because of where we were picking, and I feel like that's totally false.

It's not where we picked, it's always about who we picked.

There's an abundance of evidence that starting caliber guys were available where we selected the past couple years. We simply missed, and at best, wound up with the very very bottom of the roster fringe guys for the most part.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by AB81Rules:
I'm not worried, Brown wasn't gonna start right away, Gipson was the FS and is the FS, Moody will bounce back. The rest were drafted as depth, it sucks Latu got hurt, can't say for sure that Beal & Luter are out for season, we'll see what happens, still 9 weeks left, plus playoffs, this is a SB roster whether or not ppl see it, or agree, but that's my opinion, and by most pundits we have one of, if not, the best roster in the NFL, we just need to better execute. Some players were never gonna play on offense or defense, like Bell, Winters, Graham unless injuries, even Beal & Luter likely would have been inactives or ST players. Just is what it is when you have such a loaded roster that we have, so many big name big salary players, these 3rd-7th rd picks were never gonna unseat anyone, but again just my opinion.

With all due respect, AB, I have to strongly disagree. And I don't know why people keep saying this. It's like everyone forgot where some of our biggest stars and other starters were selected.

Purdy - 7th and last overall
Warner - 3rd
Kittle - 5th
Lenoir - 5th
Hufanga - 5th
Greenlaw - 5th
Burks - 3rd (GB)
Ch. Ward - undrafted (DAL)
Gipson - undrafted (CLE)
Hargrave - 3rd (PIT)
Burford - 4th
McKivitz - 5th
Jennings - 7th

There are countless other examples on other teams too. Where we are picking is really no excuse, IMO.

I think the logic makes sense at our deepest positions, LB, WR, Running back, and so on.

Where that logic doesn't make sense is at corner. We're desperate for cornerbacks, and solid 3rd-5th round pick corner could start on this team immediately.

Originally posted by Waterbear:
I think the logic makes sense at our deepest positions, LB, WR, Running back, and so on.

Where that logic doesn't make sense is at corner. We're desperate for cornerbacks, and solid 3rd-5th round pick corner could start on this team immediately.

Ringo instead of Moody would've been preferable.