This is the live blog for the NFL Scouting Combine. I’ll update this frequently with information and analysis from my living room.
9:34 Here are the players who have reportedly met with the 49ers:
Keenan Allen, WR, Cal
Jeff Baca, OL, UCLA
Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
Terry Hawthorne, CB, Illinois
Gerald Hodges, LB, Penn St.
Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
Zach Line, RB, SMU
Sio Moore, LB, Connecticut
Zeke Motta, S, Notre Dame
Quinton Patton, WR LA Tech
Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno St.
Shamarko Thomas, S, Syracuse
Melvin White, CB, Louisiana Lafayette
Robert Woods, WR, USC
Here’s a question for you: When will Robert Woods get drafted? He ran an unofficial 4.44 40-yard dash at the Combine. Will the Seahawks draft him at No.25? If Pete Carroll passes on Woods, what does that say about him? If Woods makes it to No.31, will the 49ers draft him? Jim Harbaugh recruited Woods out of high school, and the 49ers met with him a few days ago.
The 49ers met with Keenan Allen at the Combine. Do you expect him to slide to pick No.31? The Rams have two picks in the first round – No.16 and No.22. Could they pass on Allen twice? Do you think the 49ers are considering trading up for Allen? Trading up may be the best option for the 49ers this year.
Trading down could be a good option for the 49ers, too. There could be a run on quarterbacks at the end of the first round and the beginning of the second round. The Chiefs may want to trade up to No.31 to make sure they get Geno Smith. The 49ers could trade the Chiefs Alex Smith and the No.31 pick, and receive the No.33 pick, the Chiefs third round pick and more.
10:26 Trent Baalke has to keep the Rams in mind when building the 49ers. Baalke has no defensive back who can match up with Chris Givens in the slot. Also, the Rams very well may draft Cordarelle Patterson with the No.16 pick. Patterson is a similar athlete to the Falcons’ Julio Jones, who dominated Tarell Brown in the NFC Championship game.
10:39 If the 49ers want to trade up, the Vikings could be a good trade partner. They own the 23rd pick, and they desperately need a wide receiver. They may like three or four receivers equally (Cordarrelle Patterson, Keenan Allen, DeAndre Hopkins and, say, Terrence Williams). They may feel comfortable trading down to pick No.31 because one or two of those guys still will be available. If the 49ers traded up to No.23, they could draft a DL like Datone Jones or Ezekiel Ansah.
11:02 The Packers are interested in signing Ricky Jean Francois, according to Bob McGinn.
2:35 Who is the best wide receiver in the draft, and why? I don’t think there are any premier wide receiver prospects in this draft like Calvin Johnson, but the best one to me is Markus Wheaton. He runs a 4.34, so he’s a deep threat like Mike Wallace. But Wheaton is effective all over the field, not just deep. He can win underneath, over the middle, on the sidelines, on reverses, etc.
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Nice !!!
Hmm, DL players prominent in their absence in that list.
Maybe they really believe in Dobbs.
Still need depth….
That’s what I was thinking too. That they were high on Dobbs.
Wonder if Richard Seymore has anything left in the tank. If so, wonder if he would come cheap.
They have 6 DL signed for 2013, and carried only 7 on the roster last year.
Good point. Still, they should probably draft a DL in the first round if a good one is on the board. Datone Jones probably will be gone, but Margus Hunt should be there.
Like I said yesterday, I get the feeling we are all looking in the wrong direction regarding a DL in round 1.
The call for increased DL depth was there last year as well, and we saw what happened.
They have 6 guys signed, and reports suggest they will be bringing back RJF which will get them to 7, just like last year. This is supposed to be a deep DL draft, and they could get good value later.
Seems to me like the pass rush needs an upgrade, maybe just through depth. The LBs are set, right? So doesn’t that leave the DL? That makes me tend to agree with Grant; 1st or 2nd for the right guy.
I’m reading the speed of this year’s DL/SPR is outstanding, so to Jack’s point, maybe there’s a poor man’s Irwin out there as a mid round sleeper.
Alex Okafor would be a good pick. That was Jack’s original pick. I don’t know why he’s backing off him. He’d be a DE/OLB like Aldon Smith.
I think Hunt would be a good pick because he could be a nickel rusher, a 5-tech and a 3-tech.
Grant,
Isn’t Cam Johnson a defensive end?
Agree on both. Hunt put up some good numbers this week, not just a Frankenstein lumbering around out there. I’m coming around on Okafor too.
It’s not so much backing off Okafor, as it is looking elsewhere.
Their meetings over the next few weeks will be telling, just as they have been the last couple years.
Right now I would say it is either a DB or WR/TE.
Fair enough. If it’s a DB, do you think it could be Jamar Taylor? Or Johnathan Banks? Or Desmond Trufant? Xavier Rhodes will go in the top 15, right?
You scoffed at the idea of the Niners drafting a WR in the first round a few weeks ago. You said that would make Baalke Matt Millen. Do you still feel that way?
This appears to be a draft in which they could truly go BPA. The depth at Dline and Safety leads me to believe that could be the best option at 31, but if they lose Walker, maybe they take Ertz? Or if Allen were to slide due to not working out with the knee rehab, do they look there?
I wouldn’t place a lot of relevance in the interviews. They have interviewed some guys they’ve taken but not all of them. It really depends on how much info they have on a particular player I’m guessing.
They have met with their top round picks, and even most of the lower round guys Rocket. This is just the beginning, the list will be interesting as it grows.
Yes, I don’t expect them to go WR in round 1. Thinking a possible TE there.
I’m guessing the Giants or Bears draft Eifert at No.19 or No.20. If the Giants take Eifert, the Bears could take Ertz. If the Giants don’t take Eifert but the Bears do, I’m guessing the Packers draft Ertz at No.26.
And I don’t think there are any DBs worth drafting at No.31. I think the 49ers should trade up or trade down. Standing pat seems like the worst option.
Jack Hammer says:
February 26, 2013 at 10:23 am
Like I said yesterday, I get the feeling we are all looking in the wrong direction regarding a DL in round 1.
The call for increased DL depth was there last year as well, and we saw what happened.
They have 6 guys signed, and reports suggest they will be bringing back RJF which will get them to 7, just like last year. This is supposed to be a deep DL draft, and they could get good value later.
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Sorry to re-post such a long original but I 100% agree with ya. I too beat the DL drum early but once I looked closer at our roster I discovered that we already have a ton of DL and without knowing how the teams thinks of them I’ll assume we mostly don’t need to spend a high pick on one at the moment.
I think it’s best to wait until the team makes a few moves to try and gauge what they’re going to do in two months. Let’s see what happens with Goldson and Whitner, Walker, Moss because then we’ll start getting a more accurate picture of what the teams needs or maybe wants.
@ Jack:
Please correct me if I am wrong, but the meetings can come in one or more of several different forms, right? Informal discussion at the Senior Bowl, Combine interview, on-campus meeting, visit to 49ers’ facility? Isn’t it also true that not all meetings are publicly known prior to the draft?
Claude,
In 2011 both Smith and Kaepernick were known visits, as were Jenkins and James last year.
Grant, a lot of those players are guys they are reported to have met with at the East West Shrine game and Senior Bowl.
http://www.walterfootball.com/draft2013meetingsteams.php
Did they meet with them again at the combine?
That also doesn’t look like an exhaustive list to me. The 49ers would have met with more players than that at the combine. It would be remiss of them not to talk to any DL.
My mistake. They met with Robert Woods, Zach Ertz and Keenan Allen at the Combine.
It would appear that the 49ers met with Sheldon Richardson.
http://www.ninersnation.com/2013/2/26/4029198/nfl-combine-2013-results-defensive-linemen-linebackers
“I think the 49ers should trade up or trade down.”
With their salary cap situation being what it is, I doubt they will trade up unless it is for a guy they expect to start or contribute significantly.
@ Jack:
Under the current CBA, is there that much difference in the salary cap hit for No. 31 vs. the salary cap hit for No. 26? Or for No. 21?
I also don’t see 13 draft picks making the team, so I sort of expect them to package some picks to move up at least once in the first two days.
Claude,
For comparison, the #15 pick last year was Bruce Irvin and his contract was for $1.698 mil. AJ Jenkins was #31 and was paid $1.263 mil. A small difference, however if they trade back to spots to #33 (Brian Quick) the pay is $979,250, a savings of just under $719k which would pay for a couple of the lower round guys.
Do I see them hanging on to 13 picks? No, but I expect we will see more shuffling around to pick up additional picks in 2014 instead of moving up.
@ Jack:
That’s what I thought. I was hoping that Baalke would use some of the extra picks to go get a player they viewed as a real difference maker if one should come within reach.
Of course, if the acquisition of picks in 2014 puts them in position to draft Jadaveon Clowney, that’s also a win.
Dobbs was effective. Just needs to keep himself out of trouble and get healthy.
I still think the 49ers go DL 1st round, but will depend to some degree on how big a run there is. Way I see it, with a draft class that is so strong at DL, and a need at the position, 49ers should be looking closely at the position.
And I don’t think there are any DBs worth drafting at No.31. I think the 49ers should trade up or trade down. Standing pat seems like the worst option.
I don’t know Grant, I hear the Sandcastle kid is pretty good.
Yeah he kinda reminds me of a corner that played for the 9ers once.
I believe they are planning on raising the salary cap by $3 Million.
@ Grant
Nice live blog. No chance I’ll get much done today. That Sio Moore guy is getting some mention. Also the CB from U Conn.
You never know about the meetings; sometimes a Red Herring. No DLs, eh? I guess they aren’t going that way, LOL!
If I’m not mistaken, the 49ers met with A.J. Jenkins and Aldon Smith and Colin Kaepernick.
They did. The meeting list is the best indicator of where they are leaning.
Grant, I’ve been wanting your feedback on Baca. I was hoping he’d still be around for one of our 6th round picks. What do you think of him since I know he’s one of your boys?
why did Luke Joeckel LT of Texas A&M meet with the 49ers? Isn’t he supposed to be the number 1 pick by Kansas City? Maybe to let him know who his new QB is going to be…
Clearly the Chiefs are going to trade the top pick for Alex Smith.
lollllllllllllll, yeah ok…
If TB pulls that one off I’ll send him my best “Saver” Cab out of my stash!
We have a fine left tackle, plus Alex Boone if need be. What you wrote above makes much more sense:
“The Chiefs may want to trade up to No.31 to make sure they get Geno Smith. The 49ers could trade the Chiefs Alex Smith and the No.31 pick, and receive the No.33 pick, the Chiefs third round pick and more.”
But I still believe they won’t get much for AS mostly because it’s obvious to everyone he is expendable and they have to get him off the payroll.
“why did Luke Joeckel LT of Texas A&M meet with the 49ers?”
Simple, “leave no stone unturned.” Isn’t that one of Harbaugh’s go to lines?
To get the scoop on Damontre Moore or Ryan Swope?
I’m also under the impression that Anthony Davis and Joe Staley played amazing last year. The only hole on the offensive line might be Goodwin because of his cap hit and age but, the offensive line was not what lost the 49ers the Super Bowl…
Maybe he can get them Johnny Footballs autograph?
Jack Hammer says:
February 26, 2013 at 10:26 am
“why did Luke Joeckel LT of Texas A&M meet with the 49ers?”
Simple, “leave no stone unturned.”
———————————————
That would make sense I guess if they were meeting with every single potential first round prospect, maybe. Are they going to talk to every potential first round tackle or just the one they have zero chance of drafting?
Coffee,
Maybe it is an indication that they are looking at OLB Sean Porter.
Jack I wasn’t sure which player they would grill him for so thanks for the heads up but my comment was mostly just poking ya for being so general in the answer. My sense of humor just doesn’t translate well to text.
Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M?!?!?
Why would we have spent any time with him? Are we looking to give away all of our picks or our next couple firsts to draft a left tackle?
homework, that’s why. Poker is another reason. I don’t doubt harbaalke.
Going to convert him to WR
beast mode WR….big dude would be hard to tackle, lol
It seems so far, CB and safety prominent positions.
Here’s the one thing I HATE about this list… NOT one Defensive Lineman.
maybe smoke screens?
Grant,
I tend to think long term sometimes. What’s your opinion of the Niner’s trading VD or PW, two highly paid players for future draft picks. My thought is, NB is widely considered better than PW and VD runs horrible routes and had average hands. We have some players that will need to be signed next year too, CK and Boone. What do you think?
Bowman is not considered better than Willis except by people who don’t realize that its BECAUSE of Willis that Bowman is able to have the success he’s had. This is an Urlacher/Briggs situation. You’d have to be dumb as dogish to consider trading a future HOF player like Willis. It would be like the Ravens trading Ray Lewis, Ray Lewis circa 2000.
And Vernon is a top 5 tight end in the league when a QB actually throws his way, something Kap seemed to have difficulty doing. Do you not remember he tied the record for TDs in a season with Smith throwing him the ball?
If you want this team to revert back to 2007…go ahead, think of trading them both. And ever GM will consider this organization a joke.
That’s two of my projected picks in FS Thomas and G/C/T Bacca that they have visited with.
Thomas looked good ,my guy Darius Slay looked pretty darn good as well.I really hope they give WR Swope a good look.
Swope put up a good 40 time but was said to have not done that well in the other drills by espn, but he was pretty productive on tape.
Swope is obviously fast ,has great hands, will block,etc. great character he is a winner.
Swope’s hands looked terrible in the gauntlet drill.
He has small hands.
To your question Grant, Robert Woods looked like a baller in the same drill. I wouldn’t be mad if he was a 9er. Plus Mayock raves about him as a “football player”.
Swope looked terrible in every WR drill, not just the gauntlet. He may be fast at full pelt, but from what I saw his body is out control at high speed. He can’t maintain that speed while tracking a ball and can’t extend his hands at full speed or close to full speed.
Grimey, Robert Woods looked very good in the drills. Very polished and really knows how to sink his hips into a cut to get in and out quickly.
I would hope 49er fans don’t let Ronald Johnson affect their opinions of Woods. There is no comparison between the two.
Why are you so enamored with Woods?
The other WRs I like (besides Chris Harper) are Rodney Smith FSU(purely height ,weight, speed, although he looked pretty good in drills) and Conner Vernon(savvy rout runner, good hands). Probably both day 3 guys.
@ Grant
You asked about him so I brought him up. I generally don’t like USC players, and I think Marquis Lee is better, but Woods seems like a good player and he just really impressed me yesterday. Plus I think he put up good numbers with Barkley in the line up.
Grimey, if you are after a height/ weight/ speed guy I highly recommend checking out Mark Harrison from Rutgers. He looked very good in the WR drills, and tested very well in the athletic drills.
Rutgers has put out some nice players.
Sorry I saw the response to this later-Yes Swope didn’t do well in the gauntlet,but he ran a 4,34,4th best vertical, and 7th best broad of the combine,Small hands maybe,but check out his game with Bama and his film… in the 4th the kid will be a steal!
Atleast I’m not totally alone on this guy, Brugler at NFLDRAFTSCOUT updated his risers and fallers section today- Swope a riser after the combine.
freeney if price is right could be and answer for pass rush, which was lacking in post season! I see wr, dl, ol,cb,& safety as worth the best player available! Niners cannot get to playoffs again with out good back ups so draft well or pick up really good free agents!
God forbid no more envelope picks! Niners need to pick players that can play immediately or at least half threw the season.
Re: Phillip Thomas, DB, Fresno St
He’s a heck of a player, and someone who I’d like to see the Niner’s take in the 2nd or 3rd round. You listed him as a ‘DB’ though he played safety in college (And performed incredibly as a senior). Is he being looked at as a DB? He’s a bit more natural at safety and is probably too slow to play DB.
…and assuming he is being looked at as a safety, that’s three that they’ve interviewed so far. Based on the sample group, it sure looks like they aren’t expecting Goldson to come back.
Grant what do you think about TE ERTZ of Stanford? Some people think he could be better then fleener but some are scared of his shorter arms? Thoughts?
I like Ertz, but I don’t think he’ll be as good as Fleener will be. Fleener is stronger, faster, and he has longer arms.
Ok Thanks, I have no idea who they will pick but I like what you pointed out was that Coach Harbaugh recruited the USC receiver woods and other players so I do not know if this gives him a heads up but he may know alot about these players with his own dealings with them and does not need to rely just on the scouts oppinions. Seems to be a good draft for depth and back ups but stars may be slower to shine.
I don’t generally follow the pre-draft scene except thru blogs like Grant’s, but when I do, it’s via Matt Waldman site. His piece on Ertz makes me think that maybe Grant may want to transfer his Fleener-crush to this year’s offering from the Cardinal:
http://mattwaldmanrsp.com/2013/01/08/the-boiler-room-stanford-te-zach-ertz/
Great piece Mood! I learned alot and it was great to see some of the routes he ran against USC.
Nice route running by Ertz. A TE that can spin a corner around is impressive.
Ertz is good, but I don’t know if he would complement Vernon Davis. Ertz seems like a traditional Y tight end, not an H-back like Delanie Walker.
He actually was the “move” guy at Stanford. Not the inline TE which is where Vernon plays(although he moves around a lot as well). It’s just an easy link to make because he played at Stanford(kinda like Fleener last year). Also he needs to get better at blocking but so did Delanie at first. I wouldn’t be mad at Ertz, we’ll see if he gets past the Falcons.
http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/42519/321/Zach-Ertz,-Fluid-Mover
Another good report on Ertz.
Wow. I didn’t realize he was so versatile. He would be a great pick for the 49ers, but the Giants or Bears will probably draft him.
That’s what we thought about Fleener last year, and he fell to 33.
Good point. It could see the 49ers trading Alex Smith and the 31st pick to KC for the 33rd pick and taking Ertz, and a third rounder this year or a second rounder next year.
Do you guys like that Notre Dame TE too? He’ll be gone but he looks good.
@Grant
Ertz won’t be a replacement for Walker — but a part of the 4 TE red-zone set that Roman may be scheming for next season :)
Packers could be interested in Ricky Jean-Francois
The Packers can’t be sure right now what, if anything, they’ll get from Jerel Worthy this year.
So they’re already looking at possible replacements, and according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, have “expressed interest” in 49ers defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois.
Jean-Francois is set to be an unrestricted free agent, after backing up at all three line positions for the 49ers. He got significant time when Justin Smith was out with an elbow injury down the stretch.
A former seventh-round pick, he’s hitting the market at a time when the 49ers have some bigger fish to fry (such as safety Dashon Goldson).
Worthy’s status is up in the air after ACL reconstruction after the season, and the Packers need to add depth up front. They’ve also been linked to Chris Canty, along with a number of other teams.
***Warning**** Copied from PFT
All the recent chatter seems to be that they are prepared to let Goldson leave. Balke and Harbaugh always seem to surprise and we are shocked at first but seems to work out in the end, Still concerned over Jenkins but glad he is working hard with CK now. They always have a plan so hope it works out.
I’ve been using http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/ to get contract information but unless I’m looking in the wrong place on there(which is entirely possible) then I don’t think their 2013 cap numbers are up to date because they’re quite a bit higher then what I keep hearing or reading from other articles.
Better source or how do I find the correct figures on there?
@ Cfc:
I have found that the numbers put out by ninercaphell.com are pretty reliable. Assuming my word is not enough, take comfort in the fact that Niners Nation brought Jason Hurley (the ninercaphell guy) on to be their official cap guy.
Fwiw, Hurley is not a fan of the spotrac.com numbers.
Finally, Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com gets his hands on a lot of contracts, particularly the high profile ones. He does a great job of cutting through the b/s that comes with the announcement of a contract signing and laying out the “real” numbers in the contract. He just did it today with the Tom Brady extension. After reading his take, you’ll have a different (and more accurate) understanding of the deal than you would have if you only read what Peter King wrote. It’s not necessarily the source for the information you are seeking, but if two other sources have competing numbers and you are looking to break the tie, I’d absolutely rely on Florio’s numbers.
Sportrac had Jonathan Goodwin listed as a cornerback throughout the offseason. Have they corrected that yet?
The 2012 draft needs were clearly receivers and OLB depth.
2013 not so clear. This draft will hinge on the injury/FA status of Manningham, Williams, Hunter, Walker on offense and Goldson, Dobbs, RJF, Sopoaga, Haralson, Fleming and Cam Johnson on defense.
I would draft on the assumption the aforementioned players were either not on the team or not a significant contributor early in the season.
Makes sense. Also, if a good pass rusher or cover corner falls to your draft spot, snag him no matter what the depth needs are. A team can never have enough of both.
It’s hard for me not to get excited for this year’s draft. With at least 11 or maybe as many as15 picks, the Niners can wheel and deal, package and repackage, glide up and down the draft chart, in a way that will make Belllichick want to strangle himself in his hoodie in envy. However, after my 12-step recovery process from the Super Bowl loss, I’m inclined to believe that the the operative phrase continues to be BPA rather than “position of need”.
You recovered in only 12 steps?
I’m on step 26 and still not recovered.
Robert Alford just made himself some money at the combine. Top 5 in the 40, bench, vertical and broad.
Some of the bigger name safeties didn’t run very well.
It looks like Rd. 2 might be all DBs.
Looks like others agree with you and Grant about DBs falling to the 2nd round.
http://www.nfl.com/combine/story/0ap1000000145377/article/ziggy-ansah-solidifies-status-as-top15-pick-margus-hunt-shines
I actually agree with Grant about something? Weird.
I was looking over the DL position drills. My thoughts are:
- The top DTs looked better than the top DEs. Sheldon Richardson and Shariff Floyd both looked very good, very fast during the drills.
- It was a pity, however, that a number of big names didn’t participate in the drills. No John Jenkins, Jesse Williams, Alex Okafor, to name a few.
- Dion Jordan should be the first 3-4 OLB drafted. I’ve seen comparisons to Julian Peterson, and I can see why. He just looked smooth and fast in everything he did, including when he was put through LB drills
- Ezekial Ansah looked like the best DE prospect. He’s very athletic, just needs coaching. Bjorn Werner, however, did not look that athletic.
- Margus Hunt is an incredible athlete for his size. No surprises there. He should be able to make plays based on his athleticism alone. But he’s currently 10 times the athlete that he is a football player. In every drill he kept his back ram-rod straight, displaying very little ability to sink his hips and no recognition of the need to stay low. At this stage I think he should be drafted by a 3-4 team that uses a 1-gap scheme. I think he’d be better off using his athleticism to penetrate rather than trying to hold up double teams.
- Datone Jones looks top heavy. He’s got a massive upper torso, but lean waist and not very well defined calves. I wonder if he’ll have the lower body strength to hold up as a 2-gap lineman? He looked good in drills for the most part.
- Lavar Edwards surprised me. He is a better athlete than I expected, though he let himself get too high on occasion. He would have been a starter if he played somewhere else.
- Joe Kruger could be an interesting 3-4 DE in the later rounds.
- William Gholston would not. He was very stiff.
- Sylvester Williams is not a good athlete. He had big problems staying front on in the lateral agility drills.
- Jonathan Hankins was not as good an athlete as I expected either.
- Brandon Williams worked hard and showed good but not great athleticism in the drills.
- Montori Hughes, another NT candidate, also looked pretty good.
Thanks for the review!
What impresses me about Brandon Williams is precisely what you you mentioned- he works hard,really like his will to be a winner!
Grant I have read that the 9ers will not use the tag on goldson and are prepared to let him walk if the price is not right. What do you think they will do about him? If he is not resigned then I have to think safety will be the first pick we make, maybe the guy from Florida international or FSU if he is still on the board? Safety could quickly become a huge need if he walks and whitners poor coverage this season
The 49ers may trade back and draft a free safety like Phillip Thomas from Fresno State in the second round.
Might be right. That’ll be anticlimactic; sit through the first round and have them trade down. “Tune in tomorrow…….” lol
Philip Thomas would be a good pick even though he’s a Redskins fan. Tim McDonald was his coach so I’m sure he’ll be ready for what the NFL demands.
I think the 49ers will decide what Goldson is worth – say $7M a year – and let him try to do better. He may not be able to.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8990812/nfl-chiefs-need-alex-smith
“The waiting is the hardest part” and it looks like it may be helping raise the price…
Jeffri Chadiha is obviously related to Alex Smith.
The idea that the 49ers should trade up or down rather than stay at #31 is silly. If there’s somebody there that they think gives excellent value, why in the world would they trade? In general I think they should trade up by combining picks, since they have so many – or trade for a higher round pick in next years draft – say their third rounder for another team’s 2014 second rounder – but there are often great value players available at almost any draft position – #31 no exception – if you can find them.
I’m starting to think Markus Wheaton is the best wide receiver in the entire draft.
I completely agree – he looks the goods. And for some reason he is somewhat under the radar.
I don’t know that there are any sure thing 1st round WR talents in this draft, but the 2nd and 3rd rounds should have some quality. And Wheaton is right up there with the best of them in this draft.
Every mock I see has Woods going before Wheaton. I don’t get it.
Woods gets higher scouting grades from ESPN and NFL network, so that might have something to do with it. While Wheaton is quicker and possibly faster, Woods is a more polished route runner and a more physical blocker.
USC bias. That’s all I can put it down to. Wheaton set school records, looked great at the Senior Bowl, and put up good numbers at the combine.
“2013 Senior Bowl, Wide Receivers, Three up…2. Markus Wheaton, Oregon State. This is probably the North team’s best receiver. He has very good speed (second fastest on this team) and can run routes well, two traits that especially stood out during practices. There was a play Monday where he made a pretty over-the-shoulder catch and another where he adjusted his body to an underthrown ball, making his quarterbacks look a little better on each play. He is also a willing blocker as he got noticed in drills Wednesday. The all-time leading receiver at Oregon State doesn’t have huge size but the 5-11, 183-pound speedster should develop into an effective weapon at the next level.” – Dave Richard, CBSSports.com
Wheaton weighed 189 pounds at the Combine.
And he’s very strong – he repped 225 20 times. A.J. Jenkins had 12 reps last year.
They’re both good but different. USC bias may play into it as Scooter says.
From NFL.com
Woods
STRENGTHS Productive potential number one receiver who can excel on any route on the tree due to good foot quickness and shifty hips. Runs solid comeback routes and uses sharp cuts on skinny posts to free himself. Possesses good vision and a strong burst with the ball in his hands. Flashes the ability to catch passes away from his frame with his hands. Can make catches in traffic and track passes over his shoulder. At times shows the strength and agility to spin out of tackle attempts in the secondary. Willing to go over the middle, take a hit and hang on. Has the speed to run past defenders, but also uses his long arms to create space from defenders downfield. Gives his quarterback a target when plays break down by going deep or coming across the field. Does his job as a downfield blocker on run plays, mixes it up with multiple targets if necessary.
WEAKNESSES Lean upper and lower body builds, strength is an issue when trying to get off the jam, fight for 50-50 balls. Has more than his share of drops in some games, fails to squeeze the ball with his hands to secure it. Settles for body-catches over when high-pointing passes over defenders. Could step in as a kickoff or punt returner in a pinch due to his willingness to run through traffic, but lacks the elusiveness and pure speed most NFL teams covet. Had surgery on his right ankle during the 2012 offseason, did not participate in spring practice.
Wheaton
STRENGTHS His quickness is blatant and dangerous. Whether taking off from the slot or outside, his feet are literally a step ahead of his defender on everything from speed outs, crossers, to jerk routes. Displays the flexibility to grab throws behind him or over his shoulder when running deep. He’ll also extend away from his body to bring in high or wide throws, and will stutter on the sideline to ensure he makes the catch in-bounds. Possesses some thickness to his frame, and is willing to lower his shoulder to get the extra yard – often diving under defenders to get as many as possible. Wheaton also dabbled in track while at OSU, reminding scouts of his elite speed.
WEAKNESSES While he can elude defenders in the open field, he’s not necessarily elite making men miss after the catch. Too often he will let the ball into his frame as opposed to attacking it. Will round off deeper pattern that consist of him coming back to the quarterback. Can be overwhelmed by physical corners in his route, and especially at the line of scrimmage. Inconsistent as a blocker. Willing, but too often will fall off his block, or allow his man to simply overpower him.
We need a Wr that can get off the line an avoid the holding by Sherman and browner. maybe they bring in that Kung Fu guy that used to train Pope. Remember him? They used to do all these hand check/blocking/counter moves before games.
Do you think another WR that is average size is going to help the 9ers RZ woes?
I think the 49ers’ red zone issues are a function of the scheme and playcalling more than the personnel.
I think the Niners need a deep threat to complement Crabtree, and I think Wheaton is the best, most complete deep threat in the draft.
Grant, I hear you but I don’t see the 9ers drafting a WR again this year especially in the first two rounds. Just look at their gap analysis – RZ and sack ratio. I like DW but he doesn’t vastly complement VD. They need a (GEscobar) tall, rangy, hands guy opposite VD. I believe they will draft a DL and TE in the first two rounds . Hopefully they move up and get top guys in each position.
Watching Wheaton in the WR position drills really showcased how quick he is. He accelerates very well. I really enjoyed watching him run routes at the combine because he went full speed and went to the effort of running them as if he was masking the route to the defender. And he was still quicker and more sudden than most guys out of his breaks.
Watching film you can see he eats up the cushion very quickly as well. I’d be stoked if the 49ers got him.
As for red zone, having a 6’4″ Randy Moss didn’t seem to help, so can’t see how having a less talented tall guy would necessarily mean improved efficiency. It might be a case where a taller TE may be a better answer.
Grant Cohn says:
February 26, 2013 at 4:24 pm
I think the 49ers’ red zone issues are a function of the scheme and playcalling more than the personnel.
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Example?
See 1st & Goal from the 7 in their last game as a prime example Coffee.
I’ve heard enough back and forth about that series to say how can you put that soley on Roman? Did Colin have zero part in that series? Didn’t Colin change at least one of those plays, didn’t Coach blow it and call a time out on a very probable TD? But yet that’s all of the “schemes” fault right?
If the Raiders don’t panic and take Geno, they might want to consider Milliner. I know, everybody would think Al D had resurrected, but that’s a rare bundle of talent right there. You can’t buy that, and it doesn’t come around that often in the draft. There are other needs, but still………
Zombie Davis will crawl from his grave and drag his overhead projector to NYC where he will diagram how Reggie’s brains will be eaten if he doesn’t draft Marquis Goodwin in the 1st.
If the 49er braintrust is indeed planning on acquiring the necessary ammunition to secure Mr. Clowney in the 2014 Draft…it would be nothing short of brilliant imho.
If it happened, that would be absolutely amazing.
BTW, I can’t get tired of watching this video clip of Jadeveon Clowney:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC44nP7ClxM
That hit is unreal!
What are his projections and other than that hit, how does he look?
The best tackle that I’ve ever seen.
The tackle and subsequent one hand fumble recovery gives it top billing in my opinion.
Also, that tackle may have earned Clowney an extra 5 mil. come NFL contract time.
Doesn’t picking a WR named Woods in the 1st round scare you?
Yep.
And he’s a USC wide receiver. When was the last time a good WR came from USC? Keyshawn Johnson?
Heh not just Woods but R. Woods it’s like the universe is saying “Go ahead, I dare ya.”
I’m happy they talked to Hawthorne, that guy is one of my sleepers.
Agreed. He would be a good mid-round pick.
Dear Santa:
1. Matt Elam/S/Florida
2. David Amerson/CB/NC St
3. Tyrann Mathieu/CB/LSU
3. Markcus Wheaton/WR/
4. Kwame Geathers, DT, Georgia
5. Kevin Reddick, ILB, North Carolina
6. Dustin Hopkins/FSU/K
Dear Mrs Santa;
+1
I wouldn’t be very impressed with that draft. I don’t think any safety is worthy of a 1st round pick in this draft. Amerson got beat deep a lot last season and didn’t look good against top WRs, and Mathieu’s history is too big a red flag to take in the 3rd.
Wheaton in the 3rd would be a steal, but I would be very surprised to see him slide out of the 2nd.
Elam is quick, tough, aggressive hitter & tackles pretty well, but isn’t he just a younger Whitner with his lack of height?
Looks like the 49ers are getting a 2nd Round pick according to Kawakami.
Umm yea and I have a beautiful bridge for sale and gullible is spelled wrong in the dictionary. Anything else that sounds like something you want to hear that you’ll eagerly and blindly just copy and paste to sound relevant?
We’ll see…
Boob
Don’t denegrate boobs. Boobs are great. Now focus, hahaha!
Nice one Razor.
grant last year you were bonkers about Fleener and he did absolutely NOTHING. You have zero draft credibility.
Leeroy must be AJ’s cousin, LOL.
Grant name ONE of your draft predictions last year that was even remotely true beyond Jenkins? Fleener was a zero; Stephen Hill had ONE good game and then disappeared the rest of the season. Luke Kuchley who at first you didn’t even think would be a first round pick and then argued that he didn’t deserve to be at top ten pick ended up winning Defensive Rookie of the Year?
So why when you talk about Wheaton being the best receiver or how the 49ers might do this or that, why the hell should we listen to you? You don’t know anything about the draft and your picks have proven it.
Prove me wrong, name one player you were absolutely correct about in last years draft?
To be fair to Fleener, he recorded the 12th most receptions of any rookie and was the 2nd leading rookie TE receiver (behind his team mate Dwayne Allen). He wasn’t amazing, but he was hardly bad either.
Fleener is not bad, but definitely a moot subject since he is not a 49er.
The sentiment with Fleener is that he could have made a better choice for us than A.J. Jenkins, and no one could argue that after A.J’ goose egg last season.
But A.J. can still be a productive player when he learns the playbook. Harbaugh/Baalke believe that he has the capability to be good player in the near future.
A.J. get’s one more year (in my opinion) to prove his worth. I’ll give him a free pass for last season.
But he better come strong in 2013!
According to Grant he was going to be better then Gronkowski so just being not bad isn’t all that good.
OK so since no one ever knows when I’m kidding I’ll save the time and go ahead and say now that I’m paraphrasing. Grant never actually said the words that he’d be better then Gronk.
He did however develop a serious a disturbing man crush on the kid and I was halfway expecting him to start picking out his & his towels for the two of them.
Grant,
I noticed that you had three WR’ that the 49ers had interviewed early yesterday morning.
I’m sure that there will be more WR’ being interviewed leading up to the draft. One WR that I like is Da’Rick Rodgers from Tenn. Tech.
He comes with baggage, but he also is the type of WR that can pose a difficult match up for DB’ because of his physical style of play and good size.
He may may be available in the 2nd rd. especially if the 40ers can broker a deal with KC and have two 2nd rd. picks.
*49ers, sorry didn’t have on my reading glasses (lol).
Like last year, SF is picking so late that any 1st round pick will be a second round talent. So if some team falls in luv with a guy and offers us to move back only a few spots from #31 into the upper 2nd that would probably be cool. For the Niners purposes this draft can be ‘won’ in rounds 2-4.
Now it’s time to focus on free agency to start building the roster before selecting needs and wants from the draft board.
Brotha, the more I think about it, the more a trade back into the early 2nd becomes attractive. There just seems to be a lot of decent talent that is going to be available, as you said, in rounds 2-4. 49ers could end up in a position to gather picks in those rounds and get some quality players. 49ers just need teams like the Chiefs, Jags, Eagles, Lions, Bengals, etc. to fear losing a player they covet at #31 and want to move up.
Russ Lande’s report on DBs who had good workouts at the Combine:
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/NFP-breaks-down-the-DBs-who-shined-Tuesday-at-Combine.html
In summary, he gives good marks to the following players.
Cyprien S (Fla. Int’l)
Milliner CB (Alabama)
Mathieu CB (
LSUThe Street)Reid S (LSU)
Simon CB (LSU)
Slay CB (Miss. St.)
Sweeting CB (Ga. Tech)
Taylor CB (Boise St.)
Webster CB (USF)
Wren-Wilson CB (UConn)
After everyone talked up the safety class so much, I am somewhat surprised that only 2 safeties made his list. Maybe expectations were too high?
And on the flipside, Lande claims that the following DBs did not do well at the Combine. For the most part, the problems seem to relate to poor movement skills.
Banks CB (Miss. St.)
Bushell CB (Louisville)
Poyer CB (Oregon St.)
Rhodes CB (Florida St.)
Staffiord S (Nebraska)
Trufant CB (Washington)
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/NFP-breaks-down-the-DBs-who-struggled-Tuesday-at-Combine.html
Sorry, that’s Stafford from Nebraska. That extra “i” in his first name sneaked in while I was typing his last name.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday on “NFL Total Access” that the Cardinals are interested in Smith, but they are extremely pessimistic a deal with the Niners will happen because they share the same division.
The Cardinals — like the rest of the football world — believe the Kansas City Chiefs are the frontrunners to land Smith. That won’t stop Arizona from inquiring. One source told Rapoport: “Nothing to lose.”
Rapoport has been told the Cleveland Browns also are “in the picture.”
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I guess it’s not so crazy after all to assume the 49ers don’t want to send Smith to someone in their own division.
I’m gonna really give ya all the big ‘told ya so’ if it ends up being Cleveland )
I absolutely think he will end up in Cleveland. I think it’s better suited for him too.
Warning to Cleveland, get ready for high percentage, low turnover, low scoring games. With a sprinkle of many sacks.
Trufant was stiff in his upper body on backpeddle and track drills, but with his riding on the wind speed, he can recover while he works on his technique.
Trufant played a lot of press man coverage in college. So its not surprising that he hasn’t mastered the art of backpeddling. I think he’ll be alright in the pros.
Interesting board by Mr. Chavous:
http://www.draftnasty.com/football/position_list/?list=FULL&year=2013
Interesting alright-he has Margus,Datone,J williams in the third..hmmm!?
WTH? Milliner, Mingo & D.Jordan in Rd#2? Only 11 guys mentioned for the 1st Rd? I don’t get it I guess.
He has a unique formula he uses in his grading process. Notice Eifert graded out first round.
Jay Glazer is reporting that Alex Smith trade to KC is a done deal
RapSheet: Source confirms @JayGlazer report of Alex Smith-Chiefs trade: “He’s going to be a Chief.” Source says it’s for at least a 2nd rounder.
Nailed it!
http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2013/2/27/4036030/alex-smith-trade-chiefs-49ers
@timkawakami
An NFL source says that the framework of the deal is that the 49ers will get a No. 2 pick this year and a similar pick in the 2014 draft.
Dang two seconds? What a haul
With the 49ers agreeing to the deal this early suggests to me it is a 2nd Round pick or at the very least a 3rd. No way would a deal be done this soon for a 4th or 5th pick imho.
Also being reported by NFL. That early 2nd round pick just gave the 49ers some real ammunition to be big time players in this draft.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000145687/article/san-francisco-49ers-agree-to-trade-alex-smith-to-chiefs
You guys are on it, any debate if it is just a second rounder which is almost gold because they have the first pick in the second round, or do you think their is a conditional pick in 2014? Reading the tea leaves it appears Alex wants KC also thinking of the dinner and Andy REED is also good with quarterbacks so they do not appear to be driving up any prices! Good for every one!
The mention of Alex allegedly reworking/extending his contract to make KC’s commitment more sensible could also speak to the early resolution. KC’s got the guy they want at the deal (trade & contract) they want, so they lock it in as best they can. Let’s do this, let’s get to work. Lets get Alex & family settled in new digs. Alex gets a bit more security and can buckle down to work. Win+Win+Win. A high 2nd and a conditional? Fine.
But still waiting for that confirmation…………..
Razor…. The comments on that site are priceless. The Star Wars picture is the best one. They sound like this board did 3 2 seasons ago. Bright side for chef fans….. The won’t turn the ball over and I think they have a good kicker.
This story has some legs of its own, so I’ll hold off two weeks before counting any chickens. (Is that too many metaphors in a short sentence?)
@Spaceborn
Or next years circus we bring in the Clowney!
Alex could finally pay back the Niners for those first 6 years by being himself, losing 15 games next year, and handing the Niners the #1 pick in the 2014 draft.
Another thought on how early this deal is done might have to do with trading for Revis? I hope not.
LOL. Good one Tuna
Given the restricted market for AS, Reid must be DESPERATE if he is willing to give up his second round pick, plus a conditional pick next year. I still don’t believe it. Typically, Reid has ice in his veins. Here’s what that Arrowhead Pride website had to say: “The compensation on the deal is not yet known but rumors have been anywhere from a second round pick to a fifth round pick. The Chiefs could have an extra third round pick due to compensatory choices . . . .”
@ George:
Who says the market was restricted?
Here is my reasoning:
1. Everyone knows they have to trade or release him.
2. I assume that if they trade him, it will be to a team he approves of.
If the above is true, it should be a buyers market, not a sellers.
Add to this the fact that Reid is pretty skilled at negotiating.