John Lynch on the No. 2 pick: “We’ve gotten to a point where there’s consensus.”

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SANTA CLARA

This is the transcript of John Lynch’s pre-draft press conference courtesy of the 49ers P.R. department.

Opening statement:

“Welcome to where we’ve been spending our lives here for the last couple of months. This is an exciting week for me and everybody involved with this organization, everybody in this league. It’s the culmination of, for me, when I was hired right before the Super Bowl, we immediately went to work. Really, the first thing that we did when I was in, I think after Super Bowl, that next week scouts were in and we really started this process. It had been started by scouts long before. I’m real proud of the process. I think as you look at our process, it included a collaboration of a lot of different disciplines. Number one, me just trusting my instincts and where my eye gravitates towards. Obviously, [vice president of player personnel] Adam Peters’ involvement, having been a college scouting director and very involved in the process with the Denver Broncos, him going back to the New England Patriots, we brought in ideas from there and then of course [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan], bringing in what he’s comfortable with from the various places he’s been and sometimes dating back to what he saw his dad do at the Denver Broncos and we really melded that into our philosophy. We’ve relied a lot on our scouts who’ve done exhaustive work on these guys. We’ve also included our coaching staff. I felt like it was critical in our first year to include our coaching staff in the evaluation process to properly evaluate these players but also so our scouts and our front office got a great feel for exactly what we’re looking for at the various positions. So, I’m proud of the process. I’m proud of the discipline. There’s a lot of people and a lot of assumptions being made. I feel real confident that those are exactly that, assumptions, because nothing has left this building. It’s that time of year. I’m aware of that and so there’s going to be a lot more from Monday until it’s go-time on Thursday. I’m really excited. I’ve always prided myself on preparation as a player, as a broadcaster, just in life in general and I can say that we and I feel real, real good about that preparation. Also know that it’s going to remain fluid and we’ll be working right up until our first pick and all the way through.”

 

You said you feel confident that nothing has left this building. Obviously there are plenty of reports about who you like and just this morning NFL Network said you’re strongly considering a quarterback. Where is that stuff coming from if you think it’s not leaking out of here?

“Well, I use the word assumptions. It’s what people do. They try to gather, but I know that, I don’t know obviously, but like I said I think the discipline out of this building’s been excellent. And so, I think that’s what they are, they’re assumptions rather than, I think in each situation it says sources. I don’t know who those sources are because there’s only a few people that know and so we feel real good about that.”

 

You have a minicamp this week. How much will that sort of help you sharpen, hone your draft board?

“We have a good understanding of where we are and what we’re looking for. But, I think you’re allowed this with a new regime and we were going to take advantage of it. In terms of just getting a look real quick, and whether that will change our mind on anything, but you would hate not to give guys an opportunity to go show what they are doing before you went out and did that. So, we’ll use it for what it’s worth. I don’t know how much value. I think more than anything our coaches are just really excited to get guys out on the field, so we’ll use it as such. We’ve got a couple players in here on a tryout basis and so we’re happy for that, to see if we can add some things. But, we’ll evaluate but continue to work on the draft process as well.”

 

Have any of the trade talks intensified to the point where something might happen soon or it might be more of a draft day situation?

“I can tell you with number two, there have been calls. There’s been interest. But, I think nothing specific. It’s coveted. When you have a pick that high, I think that’s natural. Again, my first time doing this, but we have received calls and I can tell you that we feel really good about where we’re at with the number two pick in terms of us narrowing down options and feeling really good about where we’re at. But, I’ve been very transparent from the beginning that we’ll listen. I think that will always be the case and it certainly is. We’re going to listen right up until draft day, but otherwise we’re going to pick a player at two that we feel is a cornerstone for this franchise for years to come and we’ll be very passionate about that pick and what that player can do for us moving forward.”

 

Do you have it narrowed down to about two, three guys that you’re settled on?

“I would say that’s fair. I think the, what I’m real proud of the process is that it probably started much bigger than that. I think we tried to create an environment that’s collaborative, where people can be confident in sharing their opinions, and we had strong opinions, and they didn’t always agree, but we’ve gotten to a point where there’s consensus. Ultimately, it will be Kyle and I together making those decisions and that’s kind of where we are this week.”

 

Would you consider taking a quarterback at two?

“Yeah. I think we’ve stated from the beginning that a franchise quarterback is something we believe is essential to winning in this league. We hope that [QB Brian] Hoyer and [QB Matt] Barkley come in, and they were both brought in for a reason, but we feel like we’ll continue, always continue, to try to improve ourselves at that position. And so, I think the answer is yes.”

 

How hard is it for you, you talk about trading down and there’s some teams that are interested, how fearful are you to trade too far down that you might miss out on your targeted two or three players that you’re looking into?

“Well, I think a lot of things can be construed a number of different ways. What we’ve said, and the truth of the matter is, we’re willing to listen. But, like I just told you, we’re very comfortable that we can get to the point where there’s a direction we can go where we’ll be ecstatic and we’ll be passionate about that player.”

 

Is CB Rashard Robinson a penciled in starter heading into the draft?

“We believe in competition. We believe that all these guys have got to come show us. Tomorrow will be that first opportunity for him. They obviously, some guys like that have some film out there. But, this is a new regime and all these guys, one of the things that Kyle has been very clear in pointing out to them, is that everyone is competing. I think that’s no different for him.”

 

With this draft, here in this free agency period, would you consider not drafting a position knowing that a player could hit free agency next year that you might try to go after then? Or is that too much of a risk, if a player is going to be hitting free agency, is it too much of a risk knowing that they could get hurt or something like that?

“Yeah, I think in a general sense, you take everything. I think one thing I’ve learned on the process, there is so much that goes into every decision that you make. There’s so many different factors that you’re weighing. And so, you take everything into account, things like that, and then ultimately you make the best decision that you can possibly make given all the circumstances. I think, one of the things we set out to do and I think the volume spoke to this that we had in free agency, is that we set out with a goal of filling some places where we felt like we had holes, so that we didn’t have to. We could really, I think people get in trouble as I’ve seen over years and you study is when they reach because they have needs. And, when you’re 2-14, you’re going to have a lot of needs. We addressed some of those in free agency, but there’s still a lot of holes on this roster and we’re hoping to come out of this draft with a nucleus of players that are going to represent the type of players we feel can get us back to being a team that’s competing for championships on a consistent basis.”

 

This organization has publicly stated before that character is very, very important, winning with class is the phrase. How much is that guiding your whittling of the selection? Are recent developments of some of the top prospects affecting your choices?

“Yeah, that will always be a guiding principle. I think one of the things we really have done a good job is kind of forcing ourselves, we’ve gone through a lot of exercises to really put down on paper, to articulate what it is that we’re striving for, what it is we’re looking for, what that 49er-way as we hope to reestablish I, how you do that. And I think the one thing to know is, and I’ve learned from playing and from this process, is a lot of people have issues just like a lot of people in life have issues. So, if you’re looking for a bunch of choir boys, it’s not going to happen. It’d be hard to fill a team, but we believe in football character. Do they love football? Are they dependable? Are they accountable? Those type of things. And so, I think each circumstance, each player, deserves and will get looked at in a unique and thorough way and that’s what we’ll do there.”

 

You’ve never been immersed in this process as deeply as you are this year. What’s been the steepest part of the learning curve for you?

“Probably that you’re looking for perfect, you’re looking for assurance. You’re looking for someone who fits every one of those criteria. It doesn’t happen, it’s not reality. I’m sure there were a lot of questions about me when I came in the league, but you try to grow comfortable. So, I think that everyone thinks it’s easy, you can go find them, they are out there. And they are out there. You just have to work exhaustively and I think that’s been the biggest challenge. That’s also what makes it fun. You work really hard to try to take all the risk and reward into account and that’s our job. If we do it well, we’ll be successful. If not, we’ll struggle to be. I like at least the process. That’s what we’ve focused on. I think we feel very positively about the process we’ve gone through to arrive at that.”

 

In that same vein, how valuable have Adam Peters and senior personnel executive Martin Mayhew been?

“They’ve been awesome. Those were great hires. I felt when we were able to secure them, and I can tell you as we sit here along with Kyle throughout these meetings, they’ve both been invaluable to me and they will continue to be. That won’t stop at this draft. I brought them in here for a reason. We brought them in here for a reason and each in their own way have just been, I wouldn’t have wanted to go through this without them. So, I’m very thankful to them and they’ll play a big role in this thing as well.”

 

Did Adam bring scouting reports from Denver? How did the scouting system work? Did you merge some of former 49ers general manager Trent Baalke’s stuff? I’m just curious how that worked.

“Yeah, so when we first brought scouts in right after the Super Bowl we were kind of working off the old grading system. But, what helped was the grading system that they use in Denver, which kind of derived from one that was developed in New England, was also one that Kyle was familiar with in Atlanta because [Atlanta Falcons general manager] Thomas Dimitroff had been in New England. So, it was a natural fit to move to that. So, in these last three weeks of draft meetings we moved over to that grading scale. That’s the answer there. That always helps that there’s, but I think also, having some different backgrounds has been, I feel, I’ve always been someone who thinks you should listen to multiple opinions and we’ve been very collaborative. I believe in strong opinions. Someone once told me, ‘strong opinions, weakly held.’ So, are you open to different thoughts and someone makes you think, but ultimately someone’s got to make decisions.”

 

So, people were standing on the table and it was getting crazy?

“I don’t know about standing on the table, but so to speak, yeah. People had strong opinions and stood up for guys and I think it was really good. That’s part of the job. Behind those screens is our board. Up on this, digitally, they’ve got a beautiful room in here, the John McVay Draft Room. Our board is finished, if you looked behind there there’s still ‘watch more’ on certain segments of that board and so we’ll continue to that as the week’s gone on. But, most of the work is done.”

 

Are you guys going to have this room open for cameras on draft day? Not for our cameras, but like an NFL Network type. That’s something that hasn’t been the case the last five years, so–?

49ers vice president of communications Bob Lange: “We’ve had the camera. NFL Network has had a camera and they go on when we go on the clock. Whether they use it or not is up to them.”

 

Given that it’s your first, I know you’ve been in some draft rooms before with executive vice president of football operations/GM John Elway, but the whole comprehensive scouting process. I’m curious to hear how you’ve analyzed the different levels of play and styles of play in each conference around the country. For example, the ACC, SEC, has been popular in the past. You’re a Pac-12 guy, or a Pac-10 guy. The Big 10. Stylistically, what do you see?

“I know there’s a lot of good players in the Southeastern Conference. I figured that one out. I mean, the obvious, there’s good players everywhere and that’s the fun part of this process. The real fun part of it is when you’re watching a tight end from Ashland, who’s a really good player and those things are fun. The problem is those aren’t secrets anymore. I think in today’s world you think you’ve got a diamond in the rough and then you find out other people know about him as well. I think that’s tougher and tougher. That’s been fascinating to me. Stylistically, I do think one of the themes, and I’ve said this before, I think where Kyle has been excellent and his staff, for instance, spread football is throughout this country right now in the football world at the lower levels, high school and college. So, oftentimes you truly are making projections because you aren’t seeing receivers run routes that you’re going to see them run at the next level. So, what they’ve done is come in and said, ‘These are the athletic traits. Can they get themselves in this position? Do you see this on tape?’ And, that’s a really valuable way of being able to project more accurately, because you just simply aren’t going to see it, so you’ve got to find other ways and that’s been very effective for us.”

 

Is there a theme to the official 30 that you brought in here? Were you mostly looking at younger guys because you had questions about them and wanted to learn more whereas a senior you’ve got more tape to go off of?

“Yeah, I think a lot of people bring in on the 30 people that they had questions about. Maybe character or a specific issue. That’s not what we did. Ours was kind of a compilation of things. Sometimes, we just wanted to feel a guy’s presence one more time. We saw him at the combine, but 15 minutes, does that give you enough time to really get the feel of a person? When you bring them in for a visit, your coaches have an opportunity to sit down, watch film. We get an opportunity, lots of times in the draft meetings, we’d be here and Kyle and I would leave and go in there for 10 minutes and sit down with the player. And I think those interactions, just the more you can see and feel these players, I think the more valuable it is and ultimately, you’re still guessing a little bit, but you get a better feel on people.”

 

You’ve gone through that process when you’re doing television, you’re doing production meetings, you’re sitting down one-on-one with a guy and things like that. Did that help you in terms of diagnosing even how a guy operates?

“I think one thing I learned [NFL Network reporter] Steve [Wyche], when you’re working with highly driven, successful people, quarterbacks, head coaches, I never wanted in the broadcast world to waste their time. So, you better come in prepared and you better know the type of questions that people find stimulating and the type of questions that, I’ve always believed you ask a dumb question, you’re going to get a dumb answer and you’re going to get a dumb response. And so, I never try to do that. I think from that sense, it really helped me. It helped me just, I believe in preparation to be great at anything. You better put your work in and I worked really hard at that. So, I watched a ton of film on every side of the football as well and even though it’s through a difference lens, I think it was extremely helpful. It also gave me kind of a global outlook on the league. The one thing I would tell you, I hadn’t watched as much college football because I was so focused on my NFL job other than watching a team up north here that I have a great affinity for. I’ve watched them a lot when possible. So, this was just more about diving into the film. And at some point, we’ve got just under 200 players on our draft board, that we see as draftable players on our board. We’ve been exhaustive. I’ve been exhaustive. My family’s not here. They’re down in San Diego finishing school. So, I’ve been spending a lot of time in here and it was needed this year because I had a lot of catch-up to do. I can tell you that just last night I finally got to the point, I always knew as a player like, ‘OK. I’m ready.’ That moment was yesterday for me where I said, ‘OK. I’m ready. I’m ready to go on this thing.’ That’s a good feeling.”

 

Regarding you can’t get all choir boys; obviously you have to take some risks with character. At some point, maybe this is a dumb question, but would you be more apt to maybe take those risks later down the road and try to establish a locker room culture with guys you know are going to be your type of guys, at least in your first year?

“Yeah, I think that’s not a dumb question, [San Francisco Chronicle reporter] Eric [Branch]. I think that’s part of growing this nucleus of players that kind of fit and embody what we’re all about because I think the more players you have, and I think free agency for us was trying to develop that some on the limited knowledge that we had. Get rid of some people that we didn’t feel, sometimes were more talented, but we didn’t feel embodied what we wanted to be all about and bring in people that do represent that and I think what I’ve found is when you have a locker room that is strong, maybe you can bring some people in that have seven of the 10 qualities but three of them aren’t there. When you surround them with great examples of what you’re looking for and that’s a lot more doable. Are we there yet? No. We’re not there yet. So, I think that’s fair that in the future we’d feel much better about doing that. That’s what we’re striving for. But, I think even then, you always want to stay true to what you’re about. And when you do that, I think the organizations in this league that have done that are successful.”

 

You mentioned Tampa Bay and former NFL head coach Tony Dungy and what he said initially. You knew a guy like former Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Derrick Brooks and former NFL RB Warrick Dunn. Sorry to single a guy out, but former NFL DT Warren Sapp, there were issues. He fell down the draft board. People may not look at him in the same light as a Derrick Brooks, but does he have what you would term football character or did he have football character?

“I can tell you this about Warren Sapp is that that guy loved football. I never wanted to play without him. My job was a lot harder when I played without him. He was dependable. Those are the type of things. While he’s had some issues, one of the things Kyle talks about a lot is protect the team, and I felt that most of the time Warren protected the team. No one’s perfect. I think that’s an example. He’s a great friend. So, I think very highly of him. Never been short for opinions as we just learned with [Texas A&M DE] Myles Garrett.”

 

You talk about the character of the locker room and being able to absorb certain things. You added some high-character guys like WR Pierre Garçon and RB Tim Hightower. Do you think if you brought in a young quarterback, especially a guy who had to play, that you have a locker room of character who can help support a guy when he goes through the highs and lows?

“You know, I do. Pierre’s a great example. Pierre’s not a big rah-rah guy. He’s not a guy who’s going to give speeches before the game. But, you turn on the film and his type of play is contagious. He fights for extra yards. He plays with great physicality. He’s productive. Those were the type of guys we were looking for. So, not only could you bring in at the quarterback position, can you bring in players anywhere. I’ve always found that those types of players, that’s contagious to your entire team, to your culture. And so, that’s what we’ve been striving to do and we’ll continue to do so.”

 

In talking about pass rushers, specifically looking at measurables, certain teams favor certain measurables. So, some teams favor the 10-yard split. Others, the three-cone drill. When you look at players out of this upcoming draft, there’s players like Tennessee DE Derek Barnett, but he ran a 6.96 three-cone drill which is better than Oakland Raiders DE Khalil Mack who ran a 7.8. How much emphasis do you take into account the explosiveness off the line of scrimmage with the three-cone drill as opposed to the 10-yard split?

“You take all of that into account. You really do. I think you look at Derek Barnett, one skill he has is he’s got a tremendous get-off and that’s important. It really is. You take a look, I think people give analytics and research and development a bad name, but really what it helps you do is kind of define, OK, people who have been successful at this position, here’s the characteristics they’ve shared. So, that’s helpful to me. I think you’re a fool if you don’t look at some of that. So, that’s been part of the process as well. I’ve heard someone say we’re an analytics driven team. That’s not true, but we’ve got a group back here that I think are hardworking, really intelligent people. I think we’d be foolish not to include them. It hasn’t been a huge part, but they have played a role. It’s just like that, are we missing something? Is there anybody that we’re missing? Is there something that we’ve overlooked? So, it’s another way to cross-check yourself.”

 

Have you guys made a decision on DB Jimmie Ward and his fifth-year option?

“No, we haven’t yet. So, that doesn’t speak to any confidence or lack thereof that we have. Just to be perfectly honest, we obviously have to conduct business, but we’ve been pretty focused in here and free agency and we’ll get to a lot of that stuff. I’ve been saying that on a lot of things. ‘I’ll get to that after the draft.’”

 

Is it a necessity to add a young quarterback to this roster at some point in the draft?

“I would not say that. We’ve got two. Kyle typically likes going to camp with two. That’s in an ideal world if you have the right guys. But, there’s no absolutes there either.”

 

Going back to Jimmie. You’ve had a couple weeks with Jimmie in the classroom. Do you have any direction at all about what you’re going to do with him specifically?

“I think we’re going to work him at both spots, but we would like to give him an opportunity to see if, we feel like there’s a match with his skills and what he can do to the free safety position that we’re going to have in this system. Like anyone else, he’ll compete. But, we want to give him that opportunity. I don’t think just because some other things that have transpired and there’s a need at corner, we’re going to deviate from that plan. We want to give him that opportunity and I think that’s the plan right now, to work him a little at both. In this camp, starting tomorrow, he’ll have that opportunity.”

 

Head coach, GM, Owner, who gets the tie break vote?

“It’s a good question. It’s one that we forced ourselves to talk about and discuss. I’m not trying to cop out, but it’s going to be collective. Kyle and I made a commitment early on that we’re going to come into this thing and we figured out our own way to have our tie breaker. It’s not something that we’ve just kind of put aside and come Thursday night like, ‘What do you want to do?’ ‘I don’t know. What do you want to do?’ We’ve got a plan. I can tell you that.”

 

This being your first time in charge, is there any danger of being too safe in your picks because you don’t have the established reputation that other guys might have?

“That’s one thing that frankly I grew real comfortable as I started to get involved, and the process happened quick, but when I started to admire Kyle, I always felt like a great quality, you can’t play scared. I think in life and I think in this league in particular, you’ve got to play smart but you can’t play scared. And so, I hope that’s a quality that you’ll see from us that we’re never going to do things because they’re safe. We’ll try to do things because they’re smart, they’re well thought out. But, I think if you’re doing things because you’re scared, you’re already behind the eight-ball. So, I think when you think of Kyle Shanahan, at least me, I think of someone who’s smart and intelligent but aggressive and that’s how we want to act in this draft as well.”

 

You mentioned the school a couple miles up the road. There’s a prospect from there bopping around the top-five. Can you admit or deny you’d be overtly biased to a Stanford man?

“You know, sometimes you have to recuse yourself and make sure other people are seeing it like you are. And so, I think they’ve got a number of good players. We all have our allegiances. Kyle’s a Texas guy. Adam’s a UCLA Bruin. Martin’s a Florida State guy. [chief executive officer] Jed’s [York] a Notre Dame guy. So, we’ve got a lot of people that have their allegiances, but we also know that whenever you make decisions, you’ve got to have the organizations, a real smart man in this league told me at the beginning of this that if every decision you make, you say, ‘Is this what’s best for our organization?’, you’ll do a great job. And so, I think that’s something that you keep in mind with situations like that, and others.”

 

How in-tune do you stay with what the Browns are doing because there’s been reports back and forth the last few days with what they want to do at one? How confident are you in knowing what they might be doing?

“Well, I think you prepare for every scenario and the reality is this entire draft, we’re going to be right behind them in most situations and other teams are going to be right behind us. So, that’s what’s going to be fun. I remember when I spent time with the Broncos, one of the most fun things, and it’s also a really valuable exercise we’ll start tomorrow and later today, is actually going through mocks. Different people draw different names and you go through those things. So, those exercises are invaluable. You take a lot of mocks that are averages of where guys are supposed to go. You do all that. You start putting yourself in scenarios and we’ll be doing that the rest of this week.”

 

You used to do mocks, you said. You haven’t done any yet on your own for fun?

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been doing a lot. I’ve been putting myself in a lot of scenarios.”

 

Are some mocks more valuable than others? Which mocks are the ones that you’re really going to focus on?

“Well, I think all of them because I think what you want is, one thing I think sometimes we scoff at these people and assumptions that are being made, but I know there’s a lot of people that talk to a lot of people in this league and there’s people in my role who go to people for information. So, those aren’t completely misguided. So, you get a general sense by looking at all of them and obviously, the ones that have shown to be reputable. You kind of take averages there. I’ll tell you one thing, not to give guys plugs but like [NFL Network analyst] Mike Mayock, that sucker, every pro day I was at, he was at. He’s out there doing the work. Probably someone who’s showing up and doing the work, you tend to listen to guys like that a little more.”

 

Do you do a dress rehearsal on the clock this week?

“Yeah. We’ll put ourselves in that situation as we do scenarios. We’ll also do it with trade scenarios that might arise. So, I think that’s one thing you learn as a player and coaches are very accustomed to, you try and walk through everything. This won’t be any different. We haven’t done it yet.”

 

The trade scenario you mentioned, we didn’t talk much about that today. That gets into a whole different because you’ve talked about player eval. Then you get into playing poker?

“Right.”

 

So, how much is that part of your training?

“I think there’s some reality to that, but I think, one of my mentors in this game is Tony Dungy and I think he always felt like those things were a little overrated and if you just be transparent, sometimes that’s the best poker you can play. People would be like ‘Is this guy for real?’ That’s what I’ll try to do. Again, I’ll always keep the best interest of this team, but there’s not going to be a whole lot of shenanigans coming from us and that’s how we have operated in our first couple of months and that’s how we plan to operate moving forward.”

This article has 441 Comments

    1. I think they’re telling the truth — consensus is we’re stuck with the pick so we may as well make the best of it…

    1. I gotta think cleveland. They get the top 2 picks and we get a kings ransom. Or, like with Eli Manning, we draft Mitch Trubiski and trade him to another for a load of picks.

  1. ” I think in each situation it says “sources.” I don’t know who those sources are because there are only a few people who know.”
    —————–
    Each time I come across a quote claiming to have either direct or indirect information pertaining to a GM’s draft board I always say something along the same lines as Lynch’s quote. The draft board’s protection is about the most important thing there is to a GM this time of year. There are lots of stories of security being placed outside office rooms at night to protect what’s written on the white boards within. One way GM’s protect this information is by generally allowing only a small group of individuals access to it’s information. If there was an actual leak of a GM’s board that GM would almost certainly know who it was or be able to find out in short notice and I just don’t believe anyone smart enough to gain that level of information is also stupid enough to jeopardize that position by giving it away.

  2. ” I think in each situation it says “sources.” I don’t know who those sources are because there are only a few people who know.”
    —————–
    Each time I come across a quote claiming to have either direct or indirect information pertaining to a GM’s draft board I always say something along the same lines as Lynch’s quote. The draft board’s protection is about the most important thing there is to a GM this time of year. There are lots of stories of security being placed outside office rooms at night to protect what’s written on the white boards within. One way GM’s protect this information is by generally allowing only a small group of individuals access to it’s information. If there was an actual leak of a GM’s board that GM would almost certainly know who it was or be able to find out in short notice and I just don’t believe anyone smart enough to gain that level of information is also stupid enough to jeopardize that position by giving it away.

    1. oops, not sure how that happened, only hit submit once but anyway please delete this second post.

      1. Yea, there’s usually only three people that know who the final pick will be. That’s why all these source reports are worthless….

      1. Paraag’s role has already been marginalized as evident by the lack of leaks coming out of that building.

  3. Is Lynch’s lack of commitment to Ward at FS a tipping of the hand or subtle chicanery?

    1. I read it as : “If any of you folks think that you can rule out Niners’ drafting Adams, think again”. I do like the way he continues to stir the pot.

    2. They have been pretty non committal on that throughout, saying he’ll get looked at at both positions and haven’t decided anything yet. Only ones that have been touting it as fait accompli are the media and then us fans.

      1. Scooter

        ** I’d suggest it means we’ll all know, when the D
        takes the field on Aug. 11th against KC Chiefs…..

    3. Kyles has tried to keep it up in the air but Lynch was pretty straight forward about it:

      ” according to 49ers beat writer Eric Branch. The new GM said Ward is a “good scheme fit for what we’re doing at the free safety position.” Lynch said this was based entirely off the film they have watched, but they think his traits and skills translate well to the Earl Thomas role.

      I wouldn’t call that non-committal.

      1. Sure, and if they didn’t believe that he would never be getting a look at the position. But he has always said he would also be looked at at CB. Never has he said he was now a FS. Unlike Saleh who was committal on Reid as a SS in this system.

        1. “Eric is going to be more of a box safety for sure,” Saleh said

          C’mon Scooter you’re trying to say that one sentence is more of a commitment to that player playing the position then what Lynch said about Ward? Lynch does everything except say that Ward is the starter but that’s literally the only thing he left out.

          Find me a quote other then the one above where Lynch says he’ll try Ward at both positions? I’ve looked, I can see a couple instances where Kyle says it but not Lynch. Lynch’s only statement until today on the subject was to basically say Ward was who they envision as the Free Safety.

          1. Absolutely it is more of a commitment. One guy says a player has the traits that fit a position, the other said a player will be playing a certain position. Massive difference.

            Context is also very important. Lynch made sure he was very clear to say it is a projection, and they want to try him there to see if it is a fit. With Reid, Saleh didn’t equivocate. Said he was more a box safety.

            1. No, just me feeling the definition of commitment is just that – something you commit to. Equivocating is not committing.

  4. Can you say “I ain’t telling you nothing!”

    As a rookie GM with a rookie HC they really need to not make a mistake in the draft as an entirety and most importantly not with the #2 choice in the draft. They need to play it smart and conservative and go for the players the team thinks are the BPA.

    1. Agree. That interview came off to me as an actor who listened to 1000 GM interviews and was playing a part. Looking forward to Lynch getting some experience and comfortable in his new role so we can hear a more authentic interview with him.

      1. Prime, did you see the emphasis he put on improving the QB position? Wonder if he will go with a Super Bowl QB, who might return because he left the door open in a very positive way.

          1. Prime, I did not declare anything. Just idly speculating. Glad to see you worked up enough to start hurling epithets and insults.

            1. Oh no it’s called speculation? Haha!
              I think that’s what you call foot in the mouth!

              1. No, Prime, you are the master of the foot in mouth disease.

                Sure am glad Lynch is leaving every option open. Why, if he re signs Kaep, he might drive you away from this site.

          1. Cassie, sure am glad your daddy is not running the draft this year.

            Sounds like they are being respectful, and allowing the coaches to have input. Sounds like they will have a collaborative effort, and just like my previous post said, lynch will make it a consensus selection.

            1. There is that bravado and pompous attitude.
              Is it really that lonely for you Seb?

              1. Prime,
                You’re the one sniffing his jock. You’re so predictable and chase Seb all over the board. What’s with that infatuation?

        1. No, amusing, but we’re all aware of your desperate last straw and also how you enjoy perversely needling certain of the more emotional posters on this blog. However, the blunt fact of the matter is that when Lynch pointedly made mention of the primary necessity of having “a franchise QB in this league” was when he ruled your football hero out of the picture once and for always. But don’t despair. He’ll be in the CFL soon and you’ll be able to follow his exploits.

          1. GnomoD, guess what? Kaep was the franchise QB of the San Francisco 49ers. Maybe he will be that again. Lynch left that door open, and if Kaep is blackballed by the other teams, he may be forced to return. Improbable, but I am not on my knees begging for it. I have moved on, and think his final destination will be the Texans.

            1. How would the 9ers be forced to take Kaep back? Please explain, Your Excellency.

              1. Cassie, with 68 mil in cap space, it is elementary.

                Kaep presents a way better resume than Hoyer or Barkley. Kaep is 4-2 in playoff games, has made records running the ball in the playoffs, and is a SB QB.

                Hoyer has an 0-1 playoff record and looked like he was throwing like the DBs were the intended receivers. Barkley has never even sniffed the playoffs.

                All Lynch has to do is open the door, and Kaep may walk in.

        2. Colin come back, any kind of fool could see
          There was something in everything about you
          Colin come back, you can blame it all on Jed
          He was wrong, and Seb just can’t live without you

          1. Baalke is gone, the guy who repeatedly stabbed Kaep in the back because he was the last vestige of the JH era.

            All may be forgiven, but the leaker is still in the building. Sure am glad to hear Lynch not say a peep about Paraag.

            Kaep made a business decision, and Jed chose a suit over a player.

            1. Kaep made a business decision.

              And that decision has led to unemployment. Who’s dumber, you or Kap?

        3. Seb, Kaep is never going to wear a 49ers uniform again. You’ve simply got to understand that by now. Come on bro, come to terms with this already.

          1. 49, I have said many many times that I have moved on, and think he will end up with either the Texans, Cards or Broncos.

            I just throw out the possibility of him returning to needle Prime.

  5. It is so much more refreshing and positive listening to Lynch than Baalke. It really makes you realize how bad we had it. 49ers exude class now. For the record, I’m betting our pick will be Adams or Hooker. Just don’t think we can afford average at FS position going forward.

    1. I agree matters are looking improved. Let’s reserve the granting of classy status until next February. I’m hopeful.

    1. Pollian rated Thomas very highly today on camera. Like top 5.
      He also said he has no worries about Garrett’s motor or commitment.
      He panned Foster and Peppers on off field.

    2. Harris needs to be in an attacking role and is primarily a pass rusher only. Thomas offers a more rounded skill set and can play outside if needed, although didn’t do it much in College. I’d take Thomas over Harris personally.

    3. I really don’t understand how anyone could rate Harris that highly. He’s ok. Great first step. Good spin move. Not much else, and a pretty average athlete to go with it. I think he will struggle against the OTs in the NFL unless he gets a lot stronger and develops more pass rush moves without losing the athleticism he does have.

      1. I don’t disagree but pass rushers are given a lot of leeway and Harris does have the ability to get around the edge. He definitely will have to develop other moves because he relies almost solely on a speed rush right now and that will be figured out pretty quickly when plays an NFL game.

        1. Yeah, but to me what Harris is should be a 2nd to 3rd rounder, not a 1st. To me he isn’t that different to Eli Harold.

      2. Considering how the Missouri defense just completely fell apart under a new, defense oriented coaching-staff last year… And he was part of that… That’s what concerns me.

        I’m far less concerned about his time. Terrell Suggs ran a 4.84- 40.Elvis Dumervil 4.75. They have both been outstanding pass rushers and better than any pass rusher we’ve had in decades.

        1. The difference is that neither Suggs or Dumervil were just speed rushers though. They both had good power to their game. Joe Mathis plays that same sort of game and so I am not really worried about his athleticism. Harris on the other hand is a pure speed rusher with average speed and athleticism. Not a good sign.

  6. My Mock Draft for your mocking pleasure:

    1st Round – Malik Hooker(S): A truly exceptional talent who can play the SHS role on this team at an elite level and create turnovers. Football instincts are off the charts and even more impressive when you consider he’s only been playing for 5 years. I think he has a chance to be the top player at his position in this draft, he’s that good.

    2nd Round – Zach Cunningham (LB): I’ve been projecting this kid as a first round pick for months, but not many others are and if he falls to the second he’ll be a steal. Long and athletic, he is a sideline to sideline player who can cover TE’s and RB’s, while also being able to take on blockers and make a play in run defense. Tackling technic needs some work as he needs to get lower and more balanced, but he’s too good to pass up here.

    3rd Round – Tarell Basham (Edge): I’ve been watching this kid extensively the past few weeks and I think he would fit perfectly as a SLB in base and 6T in sub packages. He was primarily a pass rusher at Ohio, but shows the athleticism to drop as well. He will need to get into the weight room and improve his strength but the potential is through the roof.

    4th Round – Brad Kaaya (QB): I’ve been critical of Kaaya as I’ve seen him play since HS and he has always been a player who looks great at times and throws a beautiful ball, but doesn’t handle adversity well and tends to shrink in tough situations. Having said that, if he’s available at this point I’d take him because he does possess a lot of natural talent throwing the football and would be a great project for Shanny to take on.

    4th Round – Jamaal Williams (RB): Good lateral runner with patience who should fit in the outside zone system Shanahan prefers.

    5th Round – Rasul Douglas (CB): Tall and lanky Corner who is raw in technic due to not focusing on football early on, but has the bulldog mindset to play the press and battle WR’s. Best football is ahead of him and is very aggressive.

    5th Round – Bucky Hodges (TE): His ranking is all over the map and he could go before this pick, but in a deep draft for the position and the fact he is essentially a big WR who doesn’t run great routes, I think there is a strong chance he slides. Another project with excellent size and speed who can eventually become a factor in the passing game with good Coaching.

    6th Round – Robert Davis (WR): Big physical receiver who has experience with a full route tree and has pretty good hands. At this point in the draft you look for talent that can be developed at the end of the roster or on the PS, and this guy would fit in that category.

    6th Round – Steve Tu’ikolovatu (DT): Very strong and has ideal height for the 1T. Would be a great option as a backup who can tie up blockers and stop the run. Could even win the job outright.

    7th Round – Ben Boulware (ILB): The type of kid you want on your team because he’s all football all the time and works his ass off no matter what you ask him to do. Will likely never be a starting caliber LB, but has the mentality to be a great ST’s player and even a Captain eventually.

      1. I was listening to some draft guy on ESPN radio over the weekend. And one of the hosts brought up the possibility of a safety for the 49ers. The draft guy, essentially, said there a basic ‘competency’ rule-of-thumb in the NFL — GMs that draft safeties in the Top-10 are soon to be fired.

        So I got kind of curious. I’m not sure you can really say what he says, but you can see how extraordinarily rare it is for a Top-10 safety:

        Eric Berry, 2010 (Scott Pioli, the KC disaster GM)
        Laron Landry, 2007 (Redskins, Joe Gibbs of whom the game has passed by.)
        Michael Huff, 2006 (Al Davis in his dotage, need I say more)
        Donte Whitner, 2006 (Marv Levy, fired in 2007)
        Sean Taylor, 2004 (Redskins, Joe Gibbs of whom the game has passed by.)
        Roy Williams, 2002 (Jerry Jones)

        Then you have to back to the 1990s to find the next two:

        Eric Turner, 1991
        Stanley Richard, 1991

        http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?position=S&type=position

        And analyst’s point was the sign of failure wasn’t whether they picking good players, it was they were misallocating draft capital. There are far, far more important positions to be using a Top-10 pick on than safety. And that GMs that were making these bad decisions were making as part of a pattern of chronically poor personnel decisions that were keeping the teams drafting the safeties in perpetual mediocrity.

        One more point: No safety has been drafted higher than #5 in the past 25 years. Those are Eric Berry and Sean Taylor, both of whom were true generational prospects that were far, far, far, far, far better prospects than Adam & Hooker.

    1. Nice! Hooker got positive reviews in his medical recheck, so I’m fine with that pick. He is a great talent and would take pressure off of the CBs. Cunniham can do it all. I agree that Basham has great potential.

    2. My mock has Hooker taken with the first pick and Kaaya or Peterman at the end of the 4th top of the fifth (although I’m leaning more towards Peterman now).

      We both have Rasul Douglas, but I have him in the third and you have him in the fifth. What makes you think he’ll last that long?

      My last pick is also an ILB, but Elijah Lee instead of Ben Boulware.

      1. Cubus,

        I prefer Peterman too but I don’t see him lasting beyond day two.

        Douglas is raw and will be a developmental guy so I don’t see him going until day 3. Great size and mentality though so who knows?

        I took Boulware because of intangibles. He is a great character to have on a team.

    3. Nice one rocket. I like Hooker a lot, but do worry about the injuries. Cunningham if he is there at 34 would be a great pick. And I am a believer in Kaaya as a fit for Shanahan.

      Not so high on Basham, and personally doubt they exit the first 3 rounds without a CB. I would probably take a CB at that spot, and a DE/OLB later in that scenario.

      1. Thanks Scooter. I understand the concern, but I am of the opinion that you don’t pass on a player because of injuries unless they have kept him from playing a significant amount of time. Hooker played the second half of the season with a sports hernia so that tells me a lot about his talent and toughness. To be as good as he is playing hurt and not having a whole lot of experience is remarkable. I truly believe he will be an elite player at the position.

        Agree to disagree on Basham and the CB position. I see a pass rusher as the better value and more pressing need at that spot but the team may side with you. Basham would be a great fit in this defense imo.

        1. Yeah, just based on what has been said by the new FO regarding the importance of the secondary in this D I doubt they wait until the 3rd day for a CB. Also, look at who they have spent time with. Quite a few 1st, 2nd and 3rd round CBs. I think a CB on day 1 or 2 is highly likely.

          To be honest, while I really like Cunningham, I don’t think they will draft an ILB that early. Lots of money already committed to Bowman and Smith. Armstrong there as a backup. Good chance they take a CB in round 2 imo.

          1. Not sure I agree with addressing the secondary the first day of the draft when no one in our division has a prolific passing attack?
            Add the fact we have very capable personnel back there already.

            1. Prime,

              Seattle and AZ have the capability to throw the ball effectively and the Rams just hired an OC who will be going to a predominantly passing offense so I think the secondary is definitely an early target be it S or CB.

              1. Everyone has the capability. Like you said Kap had the capability to be a franchise QB.
                Being capable and actually doing it are completely different.

              2. Arizona’s passing game has fallen apart as Plummer has aged and the WRs regressed back to their means last year. Personally, I think they’re probably somewhere between 2016’s really bad year and 2015’s exceptional year.

                Kind of like Cam Newton. 2015 was as much fluke as anything. But so was 2016. In each year he took his typical ‘Cam throws blindly deep’ chances. In 2015, they came up all Aces and everyone went nuts. Last year they came up mostly ‘snake eyes’ and everyone walked away from their ‘Cam Newton is the greatest ever’ talk.

                Newton’s really in the middle unless he constantly repeats either year.

          2. Definitely possible but I don’t try to predict what the team will do when I put up a mock. I make the picks I would make if I were in charge. If I was predicting what the team would do I’d probably have Thomas or Lattimore as the first pick and Kizer in the second.

            1. Ah right, my bad. I tend to try and do a bit of a mix of both – positions I think they will look at and when, who might they be interested in realistically, and who I like that fits that.

              That’s why in my mock a week or so back I had them taking Kizer in the 2nd round. Don’t want him, but good chance of taking him I think. I think it will be either a QB or CB in the 2nd round.

              If it was just what I would do, and assuming no trades, my draft would be:

              – 1. Jamal Adams.
              – 2. Carl Lawson, Jordan Willis or TJ Watt, in that order, depending on availability.
              – 3. One of the CBs. Lots of good ones with size, so one should still be available.
              – 4a. Brad Kaaya.
              – After that, in no particular order but would want a RB, OL, TE, NT, LB, WR.

              1. I like that. Adams and Lawson would be great. I’ll try to do a prediction mock before Thursday.

              2. I’m on the Kaaya train too.

                And did I say that Mcnichols HAS to be drafted by the Niners?

    4. Best mock I’ve seen so far.

      Defensive leader in the first. Underrated LB in the second. Quality pass rusher in the 3rd. Going offense in the later rounds with a great developmental QB and two good prospects in Hodges and Williams. Also fills needs (hopefully) at OL and CB. And wouldn’t it be great to get Boulware at the end.

      Nice job.

    5. Rocket,
      Thanks for explaining your picks. To paraphrase TMIMITW, “I don’t usually follow mock drafts, but when I do, I look for some method in the madness” :)

    6. That’s a lot of work nice job Rocket. With Hooker as FS you’re going with Reid at SS?

      I’m not seeing any offensive line attention. I’ve really got to believe they come away with at least a tackle and a guard.

      1. CFC,

        Thanks, I try to make it worth reading.

        Reid would be the SS in this scenario yes.

        I didn’t take any OL because it’s such a weak class. After trading for Zuttah and signing Gilliam, I don’t think they are going to put much emphasis on that area in the draft and I personally wouldn’t use a pick on one.

    7. Rocket, very solid mock. Good assessments and good overall depth.

      Even though Hooker is recovering and may not play right away, he is the one player who reminds me most about Earl Thomas. Bet he is a Lynch pick, since Lynch used to be a safety.

      I would be happy with Kaaya, but Peterman seems more accurate, even though they say he has a weak arm.

      Its OK to miss out on Webb, since the first 3 picks are on defense.

    8. Love your mock, my only change is to take peterman in the 4th but he may go in the third, I am adjusting my mock ! Good start to have a solid foundation! Good prep rocker!

      1. Thanks Reb. I’d rather have Peterman too, I just don’t want to take a QB until day three and I think he’s off the board on day two.

    9. Like the mock, though I think Peterman may be the target QB. I also see CB addressed earlier.

    10. In the past 25 years only 6 safeties have been taken in the Top-10 over-all. It’s not a valuable position relative to team needs, even for this defense. Plus not one safety has been drafted higher than #5 in the past 25 years. That includes Eric Berry and Sean Taylor, both of whom were actual, true generational talents not just ‘well rated safeties’ in a weak draft class.

      Adding in what the 49ers have at safety, and the 6-year contracts, I just can’t imagine that Lynch and Shanahan would squander the pick on a player that, in a more talented draft, would be lucky to get into the bottom of the Top-10 and are, relative to worth, mid-round picks. Not when they have luxury of a few ‘mulligan’ years to start with.

      So the situation, the current roster, the value of the position, plus, the bottom-line is that the 49ers are talent bare at many more important positions:

      We have no QB of the future and there is no guarantee Cousins becomes a 49er.
      We don’t have a pass rush and Lynch has never been more than average.
      We desperately need an impact linebacker and Bowman have no future.
      We could use another cover-corner if only as insurance.
      An impact WR is needed.
      We could use an impact TE like Kelce or Gronk.
      We need a solid Left OT to replace Staley who is getting long in the tooth.

      I just don’t get the fascination with a safety. It’s not the best use of the pick.

      1. Moses, if they are moving to a Seahawk style defense, the first thing they need is an Earl Thomas type player.

        Malik Hooker is the best player in the draft to fit that role IMO.

    11. rocket,
      Your mock looks solid from top to bottom. Every position receives good attention. IMO, the notables are:
      Hooker, Cunningham,Kaaya, J.Williams, Hodges and Boulware. These players (sans Kaaya) would likely make early contributions to help the team. Kaaya would be allowed the time to be groomed and hit the weight room for added muscle.

      Good job rocket. Can’t mock at your mock (lol).

    12. What I like best about the mock was the strong emphasis on defense. I think that the actual draft will echo this. There will be a strong emphasis on d. Though there will be a CB, Edge and QB run I think as well.

      1. Definitely a loaded draft for defense EC. While I believe the Niners are likely to take a QB on day 1 or 2, I personally would use the first 3 picks on defense. That is clearly where the strength of the draft lies and the best values are to be had.

    13. Nice. But number one should be Thomas from Stanford. We need a real pass rush specialist.

      1. Thanks Larry. I don’t see Thomas as a pass rush specialist. More of a well rounded player who may actually be better against the run and will be best as a 3T in sub packages which we already have with Buckner. I am certainly not against Thomas as the pick, he’s an excellent player, but if they draft him he’s really more of the same and not the explosive edge player they really need imo.

    14. Cunningham is an arm tackling LB – not good. No WR until the 6th round? Your mock is too heavy on defense and light on offense.

      1. He needs work on his technic but he’s led his team in tackles and been among the highest in the country the past two years, so he’s obviously getting them to the ground somehow.

        This is a draft that features more talent and depth on defense that’s why. As it is I have 6 D picks to 4 O picks. Not exactly a landslide to the defensive side.

      2. I am glad he focused on the defense, and Lynch signed several battle tested and battle hardened WRs, so the 6th round is OK.

        Zach Cunningham used to be neck and neck with Foster on the draft boards, so he does have talent.

      3. With this being Shanny’s first draft, he will want his QB of the future and his Julio Jones. The first 2 days of the draft the 49ers are almost certain to get one of each.

        The draft is deep on defense and that’s why they will use rounds 4-7 to address ILB,OLB and DL.

        1. We’ll see and anything’s possible but there’s no Julio Jones or Matt Ryan in this draft. It would be an extreme reach to use two of the top 3 picks on a QB and WR in a draft this top heavy with talent on the defensive side.

  7. “… we had strong opinions and they didn’t always agree.”

    Sounds like a certain blog’s forum.

  8. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/04/24/report-nfl-teams-holding-missed-bowl-game-against-jabrill-peppers/

    “Why should that affect Peppers’ draft stock when it hasn’t seemed to affect the stock of LSU running back Leonard Fournette and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, both of whom also sat out their teams’ bowl games? Apparently because Peppers didn’t reveal he wasn’t playing until the day of the Orange Bowl, whereas both Fournette and McCaffrey addressed their decisions with their coaches and teammates well in advance of their bowl games.”

    “However, it’s a little odd that this report is coming from Schefter today, because on the day of the bowl game, Schefter reported that Peppers had legitimately suffered a hamstring injury and wanted to play but physically couldn’t”

  9. Mach CDXX

    (1)2.King Solomon QB Killer
    (2)34.Reclining Budda Baker FS
    (3)66.Nathan Peterman QB
    (4)104.Jermaine Eluemunor OG
    (4)143.Wayne Gallman RB
    (5)146 Jonnu Smith TE
    (5)161.Brian Allen CB
    (6)198.D. J. Jones DT
    (6)202.Robert Davis WR
    (7)219.Ukeme Eligwe LB

    1. I do like the idea of Baker and Ward competing for the FS spot, with the ‘loser’ of that battle being the nickel CB.

    2. Baker is a lot like Mathieu. Very versatile and plays bigger than he is. Like him a lot. Peterman would be my choice too although I don’t want to go QB until day 3 personally.

      1. I feel ya. I wanted Asiata in the third, but if you want Peterman, you’re probably gonna be SOL at the top of the 4th round. Should be pick 109 instead of 104….

    3. Nice mock. My only quibble is at the Guard position. Eluemunor is rated 158 on the CBS DB, but Julie’n Davenport is rated at 109.

    4. Razor, you know my feelings on Thomas and the second pick. Don’t think we need a safety for a second rounder too. We need a real corner but Baker is a solid player. I do like your subsequent picks though, especially Peterman and I certainly can see them selecting him. I would like the team taking a stab at Jones from East Carolina if they can. I also would like them to persue Watt as I think he has ton of upside.

  10. More rumors.

    http://www.carolinahuddle.com/2017/04/24/carolina-panthers-trade-rumor/

    “Cincinnati & Carolina are in heavy talks with San Francisco, but Carolina’s offer of three picks (first, second, third) is currently the best offer San Francisco has for the #2 pick. Word is that Cleveland has asked for time to make a presentation to the 49ers, but if the Carolina deal goes through, it is with the Panthers’ intention of taking Fournette.”

    1. Apparently I’ve undervalued Fournette a bit if that report is even true. I mean top 10 for sure but worth giving up a king’s ransom for? That I didn’t expect.

      1. I don’t think what the Panthers are offering is a King’s ransom. I believe their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd is not equal value to move from 8 to 2, but is going to be the best value the Niners get given that few teams are interested in moving up and the value of the top players in this year’s draft is not equal to those players in other years. Especially since the Panthers still have another 2nd rounder they are keeping.

        1. Quick first read and I assumed that was a future first plus this years second and third. If it’s #8 and a 2nd and a 3rd then yea it’s pretty far off chart value but if they are considering such an offer that shows they don’t really have a player they wan’t to take at #2.

            1. No worries. As you may have guessed, I think people really need to stop using the old trade value chart in determining whether something is a good trade or not. It is waaaaay out of date and places far too much value on higher picks.

              1. Wonder why they all still use it, or a variation of it. Our lads have their own TVC. Draft wire is very similar, but slightly different.

                Higher picks have higher value because they are the cream of the crop. Those players are elite, and should become day one starters.

                The further you go back, the less likely the chance for a player to become a pro bowler.

          1. Based on that chart the rumored Carolina trade offer would be over in the 49ers favor by the approximate value of the #80 pick on that chart or roughly a mid third rounder.

            I ran a few of the non-QB 2016 trades through that chart and some are pretty spot on and some not as close. Be interesting to see how it holds up after another 5 seasons.

            1. The Broncos trade up for Lynch matches both charts. The “new” chart suggests the Broncos should have also paid pick # 165 and the old chart says they should have also paid #168 for the trade up. Those are essentially the same picks value wise.

      2. Never underestimate the mistakes teams will make to ‘get over the hump.’ It almost never works and the team always pays for it in the long run.

    2. Below is the actual source of the rumor:

      “From Dave Te-Carolina In Lead for San Fran’s #2
      nflscouting : 2:42 pm
      Cincinnati & Carolina are in heavy talks with San Francisco, but Carolina’s offer of three picks (first, second, third) is currently the best offer San Francisco has for the #2 pick. Word is that Cleveland has asked for time to make a presentation to the 49ers, but if the Carolina deal goes through, it is with the Panthers’ intention of taking Fournette. While San Fran has been linked to Solomon Thomas at #2 & he might perchance slide to #8, I am hearing that if still there, Lynch will pounce on McCaffrey. There’s a sideline view there, as Payton & the Saints want McCaffrey and with 3 choices in the first two rounds, they could put another package that the 49ers neophyte GM might take. Some in the organization feel that Lynch could trade down even further (after Carolina/NO mess weeds out), as the Pokes are trying to angle up & see if Conley or Melinfowu fall into their laps.
      Just the chatter from talking to a San Fran exec this AM”

      The last sentence is very suspect. Lynch has made a strong point about not leaking info, so it’s hard to take this seriously. Still, thanks for posting it because a) I’m bored waiting for the draft to come and b) who knows it might be true.

      1. “Just the chatter from talking to a San Fran exec this AM”

        It sounds like Paraag has not been marginalized after all.

        1. To be fair this might be the kind of information you want to have leaked. It’s a bit transparent, but if those offers are real then it only serves to drive up the asking price.

        1. Dave-Te’ Thomas. He’s mostly been a draft consultant for NFL teams (NFL Scouting Services). He also ran a website (NFLdraftscout,com) where he published stuff as well. But the draft site was bought out by CBS sometime recently.

          So, he’s been around forever as a professional on the inside.

      2. “Carolina’s offer of three picks (first, second, third) ”

        That’s 8, 40, 98. (Panther’s don’t have pick near top of third. 98 must be a comp pick)

        1. Niner pick is worth 2600.

          Pick numbers 8 (1400), 40 (500) and 98 (108) are worth 2008.

          Carolina is favored by 592 points. They need to add a 2018 second round pick to help balance it out.

          Those who think the TVC is skewed at the top, may not realize the importance of the best player and players in the draft. They are exponentially more important. Thus their value increases.

          Maybe the lower picks should be more fractionally proportioned, but I think the JJ TVC is pretty accurate.

  11. Best draft coverage…ESPN, NFL Network, other?

    I remember listening to draft updates on KGO back in 1972 on a small transistor radio outside Moffitt Library on the Cal campus…in a steady drizzle.

    1. Cassie,
      I remember listening to KSFO in the late 60’s doing draft updates. A big difference between now and then is the 1st round took about an hour and the rounds after that maybe 30 mins.

    2. Nah. Catch the round-up in The Sporting Green.
      Now it’s The Mr America Pageant
      But I’ll be watching of course.

      1. I beg to differ. Sure , he looked great, but he was not going against the SEC. After studying some film, Davis looked like a man among boys, but against a quality team like Wisconsin, he was relegated to quick slants.

        At least Williams went up against Alabama and did well. Ross went against the Pac 12 and did well.

        Watson would loft the ball, and let Williams out leap the DBs, but wonder if that would work in the NFL.

        Ross, to me, has the biggest upside, and if he is medically cleared, if the Niners trade back to 12, he might be a solid pick.

    1. I still think Ross will go in the top 10, but I would not be opposed to the chance of getting him later in the draft.

      1. Maybe, but I’d rather have Corey Davis. While he’s in the MAC, he has faced top talent over his career and the production was still there with 450 receiving yards and four touchdowns in five career games against Big Ten competition.

        And he’s got a great profile — He’s big (6’3′, 203 lbs). He’s fast (4.42). He’s tough. He’s got the best hands (under 4% drops). He’s fared well against top competition. He can run routes (despite coming from a spread offense).

        He’s, in my book, the best WR in the draft. By a long shot. YMMV.

        1. Nice try. Davis never ran the 40 because of injury, and he is reported to be a 4.5 forty WR.

          That game against Wisconsin, he never out ran the DBs, like in some of his other games where it seemed like he was running with smurfs.

          I also saw some times when the ball hit him in both hands and he dropped it.

          Did not study him before, but while I think he is a good player, the Niners should go with the WR who ran a 4.22 forty. He has speed to out run the NFL CBs.

          1. Two words Jerry Rice! Small School receiver who was said to be too small and was never caught from behind.

            1. Wow, you are projecting Corey Davis to be like Jerry Rice, the best football player in the world?

              He sure has big shoes to fill.

          2. Nice try, but that’s the number sparky. And the NFL if full of 4.5 (or worse) WRs who are/were great. Fitzgerald – 4.63. Jerry Rice – 4.65 hand-timed (greatest ever). Boldin – 4.71. Dwight Clark – 4.7. Chris Carter – 4.63 (HOF).

            Speed is cute, and works really, really, really well in college against all those third-rate DBs who run 4.7s. But, ultimately, route running and being able to sell your route (skill) is what causes separation in the NFL.

            Julio Jones is rare in that he was a skilled WR who was fast. Most of them are not. Which is why they bust so much when they come to the NFL. All they can do is run fast.

            Cook has skills. He’s an ‘ankle breaker’ as they say. And while he’ll need refinement in the NFL, he’s big, strong, robust, fast, some of the best hands in the draft and I think is a far better WR prospect than the Tayvon Austin-like WR you like.

              1. You’re an idiot. I was pointing out that metrics aren’t the be-all and end-all. I mean, you couldn’t gotten any wronger if you tried.

        1. Think that the Titans would give up pick numbers 5 and 18 for pick number 2, but I did not think that was wise since they did not have a player they coveted. They have a QB and RB so they could afford to wait at 5 and get the player they wanted from the beginning, and still have the 18th pick to get another possible starter.

          Best trade partner is Cleveland, but the Niners may be content to trade back with the Jets, get a second round pick and a 2018 second round pick, and still get the player they targeted from the beginning.

        2. Grant may have had a crystal ball.

          http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/49ers-7-round-mock-draft-post-free-agency-edition-1st-wave/

          “TRADE: The 49ers will send pick No. 2 to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for pick Nos. 12, 33 and a second-rounder in 2018.”

          Round 1, pick No. 12: John Ross, WR, Washington. My favorite player in the draft.  Ross can play any wide-receiver position, but when he lines up in the slot of a twins set he forces the opposing team to change its entire defensive structure because he’s so fast and safeties can’t cover him.”

          1. #80, thanks for chasing that article down. I think if the Niners trade down, they could be targeting an offensive player.

  12. 100% Idle speculation:
    Does “Be aggressive, not timid” mean that if they don’t get a better offer they will grab Trubisket?
    No idea, grasping at wisps of fog….

  13. Niners should do 2 trade backs. First, they should trade back from number 2 to number 6, and garner the 39th pick and a 2018 second round pick.

    Niners should trade back with the Saints. They should offer pick number 34 for pick numbers 42 and 103. It almost balances out on the TVC.

    The Niners end up with pick numbers 6, 39. 42, 66, 103, 109, 143, 146. 161, 198, 202 and 219, along with the Jets 2018 second round pick. Jets get Trubisky. Saints get to move up 8 spots.

    Using the CBS DB and trying to pick within 5 of the ranking, the Niners could select-

    6- Malik Hooker S
    39- Jarrad Davis ILB
    42- Carl Lawson DE
    66- Dalvin Tomlinson DT
    103 Tanoh Kpassagnon DE
    109- Brad Kaaya QB
    143- Jonnu Smith TE
    146- Jeremy McNichols RB
    161- Kenny Golladay WR
    198- Sam Tevi OT
    202- Matt Milano OLB
    219- Stevie Tu’ikolovatu NT

  14. When Lynch talked about being aggressive, I think he meant he wanted to aggressively trade back multiple time to get as many draft picks in the first 3 rounds as possible.

    I hope he bundles picks and players, and try to move up in the draft, too.

    If Lynch manages to get 6 or 7 picks in the first 3 rounds, I will call it a smashing success, no matter who they pick. I have full confidence in their drafting acumen, and this draft is so deep in defensive talent, it will be hard to make serious errors.

    I wonder what Grant’s final mock will be.

      1. Yup, that is your take on the subject, but he sure did not sound like he will be content to just pick at his designated spots.

        Being aggressive means being bold, to me. You may have a different interpretation.

              1. East, maybe you should give up. You seem to be trying too hard, and your opposition just shows you up.

                Stick to football.

              2. East, I would rather focus on the draft. If you want to get into a snark contest, wait until after the draft, then we have the rest of the offseason to have at it.

          1. You have no room to talk. You just ripped up stream by completely and utterly getting what I said wrong.

            This is what I said:

            Nice try, but that’s the number sparky. And the NFL if full of 4.5 (or worse) WRs who are/were great. Fitzgerald – 4.63. Jerry Rice – 4.65 hand-timed (greatest ever). Boldin – 4.71. Dwight Clark – 4.7. Chris Carter – 4.63 (HOF).

            Speed is cute, and works really, really, really well in college against all those third-rate DBs who run 4.7s. But, ultimately, route running and being able to sell your route (skill) is what causes separation in the NFL.

            Julio Jones is rare in that he was a skilled WR who was fast. Most of them are not. Which is why they bust so much when they come to the NFL. All they can do is run fast.

            Cook has skills. He’s an ‘ankle breaker’ as they say. And while he’ll need refinement in the NFL, he’s big, strong, robust, fast, some of the best hands in the draft and I think is a far better WR prospect than the Tayvon Austin-like WR you like.

            In short, I was arguing for a complete receiver with skills (though still needs NFL level refinement) rather than someone who is just some measurables and really hasn’t shown the skills I would like to see a prospect have.

            1. Listen, Skippy, he did well against teams like Ball State, Toledo, Akron, Georgia Southern, Kent State and Buffalo, but he was a man among boys.

              SMH, do not declare him the next Jerry Rice. JR was a one of a kind player.

  15. One thing I hope the Niners do is when they come up to the 34th pick, if they have 5 players that they are are comfortable taking, maybe they can move back 4 spots. Teams may want to leapfrog earlier teams to get a player they both covet, and this way, the Niners could get an additional third round pick and still get a player they covet.

    1. Players like Foster, Cook, Peppers who are all rumored to fall, could be enticing to not only the 49ers but to teams looking for impact value at a position other than quarterback….

        1. Foster scares the hell out of me primarily because the 49ers front office seems to want the image of zero tolerance and if they did draft him they would cut him at his first minor offense.

        2. I saw one mock where Peppers fell to 38 because they consider him a tweener.

          However, I like his versatility, so I would be happy if the Niners traded back and got Peppers at 12.

          1. Dude can’t tackle, 1 interception in his career, an you would take him at 12??? Big mistake.

            1. Maybe teams did not want to throw in his direction because the other DBs were weaker.

              Sure do not see where the cant tackle mantra came from.

              Watching film, he lays the wood. Typical JH player.

              1. And I saw the video and heard commentary that he avoids tackles. Not a typical JH player

      1. Saw a mock where both Jarrad Davis and Carl Lawson made the first round. Things are shifting, and the Niners need to be fluid and dynamic.

  16. Hmmm, Lynch mentioned analytics getting a bad name.

    I wonder if he read- Anal Lytics.

    Sure is music to my ears, hearing that Anal lytics will be in a subservient role, and just used as cross referencing, not dictating policies.

    Another sound bite had me hopeful, was that the scouts will have more input, and they will not feel like their reports were used for toilet paper.

    The inclusion of the coaches mark a big sea change in the draft room dynamics. I could not be happier.

    1. Yeah, instead of toilet paper they have scores of mock drafts from a noted Nor Cal resident…

      1. Sure am glad that Baalke is not the GM. Lynch said he would consider every scenario.

        Of course, if he does trade back, and maybe even multiple times, I will get to crow, because he will have done exactly what I wanted.

        If he stands pat, I will not be upset because it takes 2 to tango, and I do not want the Niners to be taken advantage of.

    1. The “event” happened in Cleveland on 4/8. So who in the first round was in Cleveland on that day? Odds are it was an Ohio State player, Lattimore or Hooker.

      1. While it may end up being one of the players you named or somebody else, it’s irresponsible to start throwing names around with no facts or information George. We have no idea who it is or if the story is even legit. This is how rumors get started that can have a catastrophic consequences on a kids career. La’el Collins is a great example.

        1. Ahhhh, the same TMZ that reported CK was being investigated for sexual assault in Miami?
          THAT TMZ? Oh, OK.

          1. The Yorks and DeBartolos are from Youngstown and are well connected all over Ohio. I’m thinking that there are some strings being pulled to get that name and details about how substantiated the charges are.
            Denise will not want the team to draft an abuser.

      1. If George and I are guessing Lattimore/Hooker as persons of interest, you can bet teams front offices are as well….

        1. Ann Arbor and Columbus are approx the same distance from Cleveland. Very shaky to guess. Heck, maybe it was Trubiskey; he’s local.
          We should not speculate. Neither should teams, they need to find out for sure back channel. They need to touch base with agents too and get signed denial statements faxed.

          1. BT, true about Ann Arbor (Peppers), and true I was guessing. I’d rather say I was bs-ing.

            1. Ha, just read above TMZ says it was Conley who was accused. My apologies to Messrs. Lattimore and Hooker.

              1. I was wondering if it might be him as the speculation ran to the first marquee names.

    2. Whether or not this draft prospect is guilty of anything, this illustrates why character is important from a practical standpoint. You draft a guy, pay him millions, and the following month he rapes someone. Or forget the millions. You draft a guy, he becomes a starter, and then he beats his girlfriend.

    1. I see the bad argument people are there:

      Trubisky sat behind Marquise Williams for 2 years. Marquise Williams is so good, that he was undrafted and is currently a free agent. All this hype is ridiculous. One season of starting is not enough to evaluate a QB

      That’s a really bad argument. Trubisky was a sophomore. Williams was a senior and bonafide college star who was in the process of setting over 20 UNC records. Further, going all the way back to the formation of the ACC in 1956, Williams is one of the Top-20 QBs in ACC history.

      Yes, his game didn’t work in the NFL. But that doesn’t mean Williams wasn’t an excellent college QB where his kind of raw athleticism could make up for his lack of NFL-necessary skills.

      1. He also had the same amount of pass attempts as Deshaun Watson, a higher completion % and he didn’t have one of the best WR to throw to.

        I get the argument that there is not enough starts under his belt but when you look for the intangibles in a QB like intelligence and accuracy, there is no one better in this draft than Trubisky.

        1. Years ago a GM, can’t remember the team now, was complaining about the rule that let Juniors declare for the draft. The reason was is that that teams didn’t scout players beyond the preliminary as Sophomores & Juniors and that it was the Senior Film they based their evaluations on.

          So, that’s part of why I don’t really buy off on all the ‘film’ thing. But look at 2011 and then tell me just how much all that film/start really mattered:

          Cam Newton had 14 starts. The best of the bunch.
          Blaine Gabbert had 26. The worst of the bunch.
          Christian Ponder had 35. Mediocrity personified.
          Jake Locker had 38. Terrible, inaccurate QB.
          Andy Dalton had 50. Alex Smith North.
          Colin Kaepernick had 51! You’d think with 51 games they could have figured out he had terrible mechanics, was inaccurate and couldn’t read defenses! But I guess that was too much to expect.

      2. I can’t help but like quarterbacks that win the job as a freshman, and then throw 19 of 28 passes for 266 yards against FSU in their starting debut….

        1. What skills transfer best to the NFL game? Accuracy and intelligence. Not passing yards, not running yards, not wins, not size, not arm strength, not starts.

          Coachability, intelligence and accuracy.

  17. Ran a Fanspeak draft simulator, after just relying on the CBS DB.

    2- King Solomon Thomas DE
    34- Obi Melifonwu SS
    66- Davis Webb QB
    109- Chad Hansen WR
    143- Jeremy McNichols RB
    146- Vince Biegel OLB
    161- Charles Walker DL
    198- Connor Harris ILB
    202- Colin Buchanon G
    219 Jonnu Smith TE

    1. Ran another Fanspeak, but used the CBS DB, and found that Ross fell to the second round. Must be hurt by his durability questions.

      2- Malik Hooker S
      34- John Ross WR
      66- Duke Riley OLB
      109- Sydney Jones CB
      143 Tanoh Kpassagnon EDGE
      146- Danny Isadora G
      161- James Connor RB
      198- Jerod Evans QB
      202- Bryan Cox EDGE
      219- Charles Walker DL

    1. I don’t get the puzzlement over Thomas’ role.
      Base: 4-3 DE playing on the opposite side of the edge rusher.
      Pass: 3-tech

      The only issues are the changes roles of Buckner or Armstead. Niners would also need to draft a classic edge rusher.

      1. A lot of the counter to Thomas says he wouldn’t be very effective as the base 4-3 DE. If he was relegated to a pass rush specialist role I’d rather not use the #2 pick on a guy who might average less then 20 snaps a game.

    2. He also gives reasons why Malik Hooker, Leonard Fournett and Jamal Adams all might be the Niners number 2 pick.

  18. General question about the Leo:

    As is often the case at draft time, attention is spent on who will be drafted for a position vs. who on your current roster might already be capable of filling it. The Leo is a new position for us. Basically, the guy goes one on one against the left tackle and rushes the QB “with his hair on fire.” Do we have someone right now who is right for the job?

    There’s A. Lynch, the undisciplined underachiever. (Maybe he’s a better fit for the right side.) There’s Harold, who IMO was too small for a 3-4 OLB but might do better as a Leo. And there’s Dakoda Watson, the uber-quick and athletic LB for whom Saleh has high praise but who has been in the league for seven years. Have I missed anyone else?

    I guess I’m asking: If these three were in the draft this year, would we be talking about any of them as our Leo fit?

    1. Lynch’s drive, motor and work ethic along with his ability to be a creative pass rusher were all questioned leading up to the draft. I don’t know about others but I certainly wouldn’t have pegged him as a good Leo prospect. I liked Harold coming out of school and at the time would have probably considered him for the spot. After reading up on some of Watson’s pre-draft profiles he probably too would have been considered a good option for the Leo.

      So to answer the question I think Watson and Harold would be Leo prospects if they were in this draft. Now that’s only pretending to not know anything about the player.

      1. Understand, CfC. But as Cosell sometimes likes to say, all the guys coming out are “prospects.” The good thing about it is that we can watch it all hang out on TV.

    2. Here’s what nfl.com had to say about Harold when he came out:
      DRAFT PROJECTION Round 1 or 2
      NFL COMPARISON Olivier Vernon
      BOTTOM LINE Explosive, leggy outside linebacker who has surprising strength at the point of attack, and the hands and length to become an outstanding edge-setter. Harold’s burst upfield to threaten the edge is pro caliber and his ability to bend the corner at a 45-degree angle creates potential for him to become a quality pass rusher from either outside linebacker spot in a 3-4.

      Harold is bigger now and, presumably, stronger.

        1. I would love it if Harold finally bloomed. But I remember the SackSEER (Football Outsiders) analysis at the time saying he was a potential bust. See below for more on SackSEER.

            1. If they can’t trade out I think it’s Adams or Latti. I don’t buy into the QB with #2 thought.

            2. My no trade back mock has the 9ers taking Adams with #2 and Tre’Davious White with #34.

              1. One two punch with the secondary. The team needs them both and given the history of our new GM it wouldn’t be that shocking. I’d personally prefer they didn’t use the first two picks on DB’s but if they got two good ones I could learn to live with the choice.

    3. Actually, I just realized I forgot about someone important, Armstead, since they said as much. Him battling left tackles could become epic.

    1. I actually agree with them. I would take Watt over Thomas. I think he has better upside. I think Thomas is way overrated!

      1. Pure edge rushers: Garrett, Lawson, Willis, Watt, Mathis.

        I don’t have Thomas there as I don’t think he is a pure edge rusher, but if we were just looking at overall pass rushers he would be ahead of Lawson.

        1. Good group, no real arguments here other then I would replace your least favorite with McKinley. I know you’re not a fan. :)

          1. I’m a big McKinley fan. One guy I think could turn out to be really good in time is Tyrus Bowser. Really explosive but raw.

            1. Yeah, Bowser is a wildcard for mine. Hard to say how he will turn out, but very good athlete.

            2. McKinley on the other hand is what I like to refer to as an AANP player. All Action, No Plot. He gives great effort and always looks like he is doing… something. And effort is a good thing. But he has a ways to go on technique in my opinion. Maybe he gets it, maybe he doesn’t.

              1. Most players in this draft will need a lot of Coaching to reach their potential. What you can’t teach is motor and McKinley has that. His effort and athleticism are top notch, but the ability to keep playing at high intensity is what really sets him apart imo.

              2. Meh. High motor guys can be found later in the draft.

                As for coaching being necessary, of course it is, but most top prospects are starting from a better base. I don’t like spending first round picks on guys that have so much yet to learn. Because it begs the question – why have they learned so little to this point?

          2. Ozzie is a fan of McKinley.

            Rumor has it Falcons trading up with the Seahawks to get above the Steelers for Harris, while the Seahawks are looking for Bolles in the second. Cost to the Falcons, a 4th rounder.

        2. That’s what we need in this new defense. Pure edge rushers whos only duty is to set the edge or go get the QB. Lawrence Taylor type player if one can wish!

  19. ‘I can tell with number 2, there have been calls.’

    That is encouraging. Wonder if Cleveland will pull the trigger on a deal. They have lots to play with, but if they pass on a trade, even Chicago may go for Trubisky.

    Hope the Niners can get 12, 52, 65 and two 2018 second round picks, but would settle for only one 2018 second round pick.

    1. Thank the heavens you are a tree trimmer and not a NFL executive!

      Yeah yeah I know Seb, a storm is coming…..

    1. When I hear that I don’t think Fournette. Nor do I think WR would be all that shocking either although there have been few mocks that sent one our way.

      My first thought was TE.

        1. Howard is. Other then taking an OT which would be shockingly bad that I wont even entertain the thought I can’t think of another position that would be considered shocking at this point. QB, DB, DL, LB wouldn’t at all be surprising. WR and RB have been mentioned at this point so although not likely they wouldn’t be “shocking” picks either unless they went with a prospect that isn’t considered to be near that range. So that leaves OL and TE and I’ve already said that OL is just not an option at #2 for any reason. Howard is considered a top 20’ish prospect.

          Now the other thing is that I’ve just assumed that the “shocking” part of the pick would be the position but instead it could be that the team is planning on taking someone that most dont’ identify as the top choice at their position. For example them taking Kizer at #2 would be pretty shocking, and upsetting.

          1. I think it’s down to 2 players and a wild card. Fournette, Thomas and Watson as the surprise pick….

          2. Albert Breer‏Verified account @AlbertBreer 35m
            7) Player that isn’t getting enough pre-draft hype: Bama TE OJ Howard. Clean prospect, may go as early as 5th. Everyone seems to love him.

            1. Howard is certainly talented enough to be that surprise pick, and at #2 I’d be really surprised.

    2. I like Fournette, RB isn’t their greatest need but I can see him as the next Adrian Peterson.

    3. He said who it will be when he mentioned the big RB from the Bayou. I would be surprised if they took Fournette 2nd overall, but it wouldn’t be shocking. Fournette is an elite player and that’s what you want to make sure you walk away with if you’re picking this high. I still think they go D with the first pick though.

    1. I rank those 3 as
      #1 Adams
      #2 Thomas
      #3 Lattimore (his hammies scare the crap out of me)

        1. Even before the recent allegations I didn’t think Conley was a realistic chance for their 1st round pick. He’s great in coverage but terrible in run support. I don’t think the 49ers will want that sort of CB so high.

            1. Ah yes, that would be very nice indeed! I should clarify, prior to these allegations I thought he could sneak into the top 10 picks, just not for the 49ers.

              1. For the longest time he’s been a mid to top of the second rounder so I’ve been keeping him there. The recent talk of him being a mid to high first could be true but I tend to temper April draft climbs.

      1. King Solomon was the number one run stuffer in 2016 at a time when the 49ers happened to have been the worst run stuffing team in America. Adding a Safety ain’t gonna get ‘er done!

        1. Razor,
          SS in the D the 9ers will play is very much like an extra LB and Adams will make a whole lot of tackles behind the line. I like Thomas too but I feel he might be redundant.

          1. King Solomon in the D the 9ers will play is very much like a chess piece you can move up and down the line, and he made 15 TFL last year….

            1. Razor,
              I don’t believe you need to convince anyone here on how good Thomas is. I just think that some of us believe that Adams is a better choice this year but then again we might be wrong.

              1. Adams defines redundancy when you have Reid/Tartt at the position. Thomas stops the bleeding on the ground, and provides an immediate A gap blitz that quarterbacks hate most….

              2. Personally I’m not high on either Reid or Tartt. I do like Ward at FS but the other 2 have been big disappointments the last 2 years.

              3. I think Reid is in a similar situation as Hyde. It’s a show me year for both and they might not get a chance depending on the draft.

              4. The depth at the safety position, especially SS allows you not to have to take one #2. Reid will get us a compensatory pick next draft. I would rather add Budda Baker to compete against Ward, and the loser moves into the nickel corner role….

              5. As I have said previously, I don’t think Reid or Tartt are good fits for the SS role in this D.

              6. Well, we’ll soon know next Wednesday what their intentions are regarding Ward. What we do know is Reid/Tartt are penciled in a battle for SS according Saleh….

              7. What we know is they see Reid or Tartt as better fits for in the box safety in this D. As to whether they see them as potential high quality starters is TBA.

              8. I think betwixt the two of them the position is covered, and that the position is not normally taken that high. The position is also deep in the draft, and would make sense to get one to develop when Reid departs next year….

        2. The 49ers have a current depth chart of Buckner, Armstead, Jones,Blair,Dial,Mitchell,and Moore.

          Solomon is a good player, but he does not address a need right now. And at #2, I don’t see it as good value.

          1. I agree with you, Prime. I vacillate by the day, but I think the best way to stop the run — which I believe is their top priority on defense — is to draft Allen. They need low center of gravity players, which should remove Buckner from that spot. Either trade Buckner or Armstead, rotate them at the Leo, or put them one of them at Leo and the other at the other end.

            1. In my mock I had them drafting Adams for the low safety spot, but I could see Allen, try Reid or Tartt there, or draft another SS later.

  20. It will all be moot. The Niners will manage to trade back. I hope they only trade back to 6, but trading back to 12 will be more rewarding since the Browns have 2 first and 2 seconds, and 3 second round picks in 2018.

    Looking at some mock drafts, the Niners could trade back and still possibly get the player they targeted, like Thomas or Hooker.

  21. http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/04/25/nfl-draft-why-49ers-might-draft-safety-no-2/

    “Jamal Adams, LSU (6-0, 214) — Shows no hesitation as a hitter and looks to be a step in and start player in the box as a strong safety. A take charge leader in the secondary whose physicality raises the play of those around him. Can handle coverage against tight ends in middle of the field. Committed no penalties in 2016 season. As a true freshman had 21 special teams tackles.”

    No penalties from a hard hitter. Another positive trait for an all around prospect in Adams.

    1. Adams is a great prospect. Only reason I’d take Hooker instead is because of the importance of the SHS in this defense and the perfect fit Hooker would be in that role.

      There really is a number of players they could take and be happy with:

      Adams, Allen, Fournette, Hooker, Lattimore, Thomas and even Trubisky if they really feel he’s a Franchise QB under their tutelage.

      1. I totally get that. The only reasons I would take Adams over Hooker are I think this team needs a new leader and tone setter (Bowman is too injury prone) and I really believe Ward will be good as the SHS.

        1. Ward is injury prone as well, Scooter. Thomas brings the same type of infectious intensity and leadership that Lynch is looking for too….

            1. Wouldn’t bother me any. He was my favorite of the lot back when Peppers was the rage.

              1. Razor,
                How bout top 12? I have the 9ers taking him at #12 after trading back with cleve.

              2. In terms of pure athletic talent, he’s worth it. And I think he would excel as an in the box safety.

              3. Scooter
                Peppers top 10 after the diluted (failed) test sample? I think he’ll be riding the elevator out of the top half of the round due to too many unanswered off the field questions.

              4. As far as I am aware that is the only time his off field behaviour has come into question. Diluted samples can happen. If his character checks out aside from that I wouldn’t blink if he was taken top 10.

      1. I’m not convinced you can draft a player at #2 with medical concerns, especially at a position not normally taken that high. Not to mention the safety depth. That would mean Hooker is out. So that leaves Adams, and if you’ve got Reid penciled in competition with Tartt for that spot, maybe he’s on the outs too….

        1. Todd McShay said on First Draft podcast only 5 or 6 of his top 20 players were free of medical concerns, off field issues or flunked drug tests. Called them the “clean six.”

          1. This draft is a minefield of medical red alerts among the top prospects. King Solomon is one of the few to have never missed a game in 2 years of play….

    1. Yeah, I think the chances are quite good the pick is Adams or Hooker, ( or if offense, the LSU RB ).Do not see them drafting a QB at #2, none of them merit it. I’m inclined to think they’ll target Peterman in round 3 or early 4 for development. If they trade down obviously everything changes, will depend on who is there at that particular new spot..

  22. Who does everyone think is most likely to have an immediate and lasting impact? By immediate I mean who will have the smoothest transition (least likely to have growing pains).

    I say Adams.

    1. Good call on Adams. I’d say Fournette likely has a huge impact right out of the gate as well.

      1. Good point, Fournette could have an immediate like Eliot. But he might not have the lasting impact to go with it due to his ankle and the shorter shelf life for HBs.

    2. Does an immediate impact have any bearing on this team? Not sure if you are asking about the player or the 49ers in general?

    3. Yeah, Adams is one of the safer picks in this draft for this reason. I think Allen will have a pretty smooth transition as well. My surprise guy to be good quickly is Carl Lawson.

    4. Mahommes

      j/k :)

      I feel like the defense is going to be better simply from better coaching and a general infusion all around of higher talent so I’d go with an offensive weapon. I believe RB has the easiest learning curve in the NFL so there’s your smooth transition and an elite running back always make an impact as well as takes pressure off the passing game and QB.

    5. Good rookie edge rushers can have impact roles on passing downs. Become full time starters year two.

    6. Rocket and #80, I agree, Fournette or Adams would be major game-changers although Thomas too would have significant immediate impact . . .

  23. OK we have beaten this first pick of the draft question to death. Who do you like as your late round UDFA sleepers?
    Freddie Stevens FB Fla St. (we will need 1 bu FB in case of injury)
    Cethan Cutler TE Neb.
    Keion Adams DE\OLB W. Mich. He is my star sleeper
    Cole Croston OT Iowa
    Robert Tonyan WR Ind. St.

    1. Chad Hotty Toddy Kelly QB
      Gunner Kiel QB
      Bug Howard WR
      Ben Boulware LB
      Bret Treadway C
      Max Rich OT
      Samson Ebukam Edge
      J. R. Nelson CB
      Casey DeAndrade S
      Pharaoh Brown TE
      Tarean Folston RB

      1. Storm Norton OT
        Nick Deluca ILB
        Michael Rector WR
        Joe Williams RB
        Cooper Rush QB
        Billy Brown TE
        Rudy Ford S
        Joe Mathis EDGE
        BJ Singleton NT

      1. Good call 49ers in the Andes!

        I strongly believe the 49ers have zeroed in on a defensive cornerstone at #2, LSU’s Safety JAMAL ADAMS.

        But when it comes to late round sleepers, I’ve got one everyone should be paying attention to – UTEP’s First-Team All-Conference USA – AARON JONES. He’s also a kid the 49ers brought in for a personal workout, so he’s obviously a RB the 49ers are paying attention to.

        Before I talk about his sensational final season at UTEP, let me give you a list of accolades, plaques & trophies that Aaron’s man cave was already loaded with before his incredible 2016 season:

        2015 All-Conf-USA Honorable Mention
        2015 All-Conf-USA Preseason First Team
        2015 Preseason Dave Campbell All-Texas College Best Running Back
        2015 Maxwell Award Watch List
        2014 All-Conf-USA Second Team
        2014 Dave Campbell Texas Running Back of the Year
        2014 Dave Campbell Player of the Year Honorable Mention
        2014 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Semifinalist
        2014 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week (11/18/14 & 9/2/14)
        2014 Conf-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
        2013 Athlon Sports Freshman All-America Third Team
        2013 College Football News All-Freshman Honorable Mention
        2013 Conf-USA All-Freshman Team

        However, Jones’ 2016 performance as a redshirt junior was truly special breakout type season. He finished the season with 1773 rushing yards (4th in the nation) on 229 attempts, while adding 233 receiving yards and scoring 20 TDs. Jones joined a special group FBS RB’s who have amassed at least 2,000 yards from scrimmage in a single season.

        Aaron Jones is just big enough to be considered a work horse of a RB (210 lbs of muscle) and he’s such a dynamic threat as both a runner and a receiver with proven big play ability, he’s a hard guy to take of the field.

        Here is where those who fancy new-wave ANYLITICS need to pay serious attention! According to Nick Frost (ROTOVIZ.com – Next Level Fantasy Tools and Analysis), Aaron Jones’ per-play efficiency metrics are nearly OFF THE CHARTS! Nick Frost developed a chart (and this chart makes a lot of sense to me) of every RB to reach the above milestone (2,000+ total yards from scrimmage) over the last 10 seasons. For each player, he included the percent of total offensive yardage and touchdowns the player accounted for, as well as the ratio of those percentages relative to the percentage of team touches the player accounted for.

        According to Frost, among this list of highly-productive backs over the past 10 seasons, Jones was the only RB in the top eight of every single efficiency metric on the chart.

        Not only did Jones reach 2,000 scrimmage yards on less plays than anyone else, but he did so carrying while absolutely carrying his offense. He performed 30 percent better per play than average for his team – and a ridiculous 54 percent better than the average for the rest of the Miners offense. Jones is also one of only four from the group who averaged over 7 yards per play, accounted for at least 40 percent of his team’s yards and TDs, and had a team yards efficiency over 1.1 (marks Jones himself eclipsed by a healthy margin). Jones was the only FBS player with double-digit rushing touchdowns on plays that began outside the red zone, leading the nation with 12 such scores. A whopping 9 of the 12 came on runs of 40 OR MORE YARDS.

        For those whose are impressed by the underwear olympics, also known as the NFL Combine, Jones finished as a top performer in 5 of 7 events. He finished 2nd to McCaffrey in the 3-Cone Drill, and tied McCaffrey at 2nd in the Vertical, while finishing 8/100ths of a second behind McCaffrey in the 40, despite weighing more than Christian, and having much longer arms and larger hands

        I have Aaron Jones mocked to the 49ers with the pick they acquired from Denver for a washed out Vernon Davis. #202 in the 6th round.

    2. Jahad Thomas HB
      Barry Sanders HB, little Barry
      Mack Hollins WR
      Speedy Noll WR
      Kelly Parfitt OT
      JJ Dielman OL
      Deyshawn Bond C/G
      Andrew Trumbetti DL
      Hardy Nickerson ILB/OLB
      Brandon Facyson CB
      Leon McQuay III SS
      Eric Medina K

      Some of these guys could get drafted late.

    1. He went to ND he is likely a very bright young man but that alone doesn’t make you a QB.

    2. – Kizer’s Wonderlic score = 28, same as Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and Peyton Manning. About average score for a QB.

      – Tom Brady = 33 ….. Good score but, knowing Tom, he probably cheated!
      – Kirk Cousins = 33 ….. Same as Brady, but too honest to cheat!
      – Cam Newton = 21….. Not smart enough to dive for a loose ball with Super Bowl on the line!
      – Derek Carr = 20 ….. Bigger heart than brain!
      – Teddy Bridgewater = 20 ….. This bridge might not have been built by engineers!
      – Colin Kaepernick = 37 ….. Say what?
      – Alex Smith = 40 ….. Apparently his brain is stronger than the wet noodle that his arm is!

  24. Off the wall thought… what are the chances of the Broncos shopping Paxton Lynch?

  25. Cassie +1

    Cassie Baalke

    April 25, 2017 at 9:13 am

    Yeah, instead of toilet paper they have scores of mock drafts from a noted Nor Cal resident…

  26. Grant it’s been almost a week since you said, “Stay tuned for my final 49ers mock draft — it’s coming soon.

            1. Yes, very exciting. Hopefully we can start getting a clearer picture of things.

              1. It reminds me of listening to a game on the radio, but with a delay.
                Razor is referring to developing a picture like building a jigsaw puzzle.

              2. Well I suppose…if a starter goes down for the season with a shattered pelvis…

  27. Rotoworld Football‏Verified account @Rotoworld_FB 1m1 minute ago
    More
    ‘Scuttlebutt’ 49ers could take Fournette at 2

      1. If they took Fournette and then traded Hyde, it would work.
        Otherwise I agree, don’t need a RB at #2

    1. The rest of the link didn’t make it: “According to the Chicago Tribune, there was “scuttlebutt in league circles” Monday night that the 49ers could take Leonard Fournette at No. 2 overall.”

      1. Sounds to me like they’re trying to get Carolina to increase their offer.

        1. Sorry, but I’m not moving all the way down to 8 for anything less than 2 second round picks. That’s a bargain basement deal. Take it or leave it….

  28. They won’t draft a running back at #2. They are Just trying to get trade interest from as many teams behind them as possible. Shanny of all coaches knows how to develop late round running backs and won’t touch one for at least 3 rounds. Lynch may be talking big, but this is the Shanny show.

  29. They won’t trade back because there is no one in this draft worthy of moving up to get.

    1. Thanks George, people are seriously underestimating Fournette’s scheme versatility.

      And Jamal Adams can, and will excel at either Safety spot, even in this defensive scheme.

    2. You don’t draft a RB top 10 unless you think he’s going to be one of the greatest RBs of all time.

      1. I think you could say the same thing about a safety or run stuffer DL.
        Not sure why everyone thinks the 49ers will go defense.

      2. Grant,
        I would say that’s a bit of an overstatement. I think its closer to the truth to say you don’t draft a RB top 10 unless you think he’s going to be one of the greatest backs of his era.

      3. Well, that might be a bit of an overstatement, RB’s are making a comeback as 1st rounders, but I would agree that he’s not the guy I would pick at #2 if I am the 49ers.

      4. Fournette on a bum ankle at full throttle hit 22.9 mph.

        Tyreek Hill 23.24 mph.

        DeSean Jackson 22.6 mph.

        1. If Fournette gets clear of the D, he will take it to the house. But the vast majority of his work he won’t have clear lanes to the end zone. My main concern with Fournette in a zone system is whether he has the footwork and shiftiness required to find the hole and then accelerate. He seems like he is better off in a power scheme where he can get up a head of steam and just hit a pre-defined hole. A bit like Gurley. Both could be great backs in the right system with a good OL.

  30. If the 49ers stay at #2 I really like either Jamal Adams or Solomon Thomas. There are other guys I also wouldn’t be upset with, but those two are my top choices.

    However, if they move down to somewhere between 8 and 15, I have to admit my focus would shift from D to O. I really like the idea of John Ross or Christian McCaffrey in this offense. Explosive and dynamic playmakers.

    1. I agree, especially if they get additional second and third round picks so they can get good defenders, too.

    2. Scooter – That’s my take. D at 2. McCaffrey, Ross, Davis, Howard between 8 and 15, though I’d consider Barnett, Allen or Foster.

      I love Hooker but drafting an injured player at pick 2 makes me nervous.

    3. The way that McCaffrey cuts without slowing down and still has an explosive burst in his tank makes like the idea too. He’s also able to get more after solid hits even though he’s not a human plow.

  31. Mixon will be one of the few gems in this draft, and I mean pro bowler. He would be great for this team.

  32. Krueger had a pretty good argument today for the tradeback, stating with pretty good reasoning that the team needs 20 players between the draft and the FA market. I don’t agree with the trade back. I think it’s fools gold. They will stay at least at number 2 and take King Solomon Thomas. Then they could potentially trade up to get a desired QB using there 2nd, 3rd, or 4th found picks as trade bait. Also, I could be wrong but I think I’m the only one who put forth a mock where we trade the #2 pick for Cousins and their first round pick (I believe it’s #18). I still think that can happen. He still hasn’t signed any long term deal with the Skins. They could potentially lose him next year to FAgency and get nothing. They’re certainly not going to franchise him a 3rd time. We’ll know soon enough. I predict I get at least 3 right with my mock 5.0! ;))

    Ps. Who did I bet the Pliny with when they pick Thomas? I forget. I’ll research! ))

    1. Juan, I like your optimism, but Washington will not trade Cousins to the Shanahans, especially when that would leave Washington without a QB.

      Please move on, like I have moved on from Kaep.;p

    2. Also, I am advocating for the Niners to trade back, because it is the smart thing to do. Niners need bodies. It is not like they have a playoff team and just need a few key pieces. Niners need to build from the ground up.

      However, it takes two to tango, and teams will not give away their picks.They need to work out deals that both teams like, so it is a win/win situation.

      Luckily, the Niners have the number 2 pick, and hopefully, Lynch will be shrewd enough to leverage that pick into multiple second and third round picks.

      It is fortunate to have the Bears, Jets, Buffalo and the Browns all needing QBs or backups. Fournett could also be a factor.

  33. Id be happy with Fournette ..Adams..Hooker..C Davis..just as long as its not Thomas!Dude is the most over hyped player in the last 5 years ..Please god Niners do not pick Thomas and get a real game changer whos had more than 1 good game and a really good work out session…We already have the same player..His name is Armstead..Please god do not draft that guy!!!!!
    Still standing by my statement…who ever passes on Fournette will regret it..

  34. It is interesting to hear some GM state that the Niners are desperate to trade back.

    No, the Niners are not desperate, they are being pragmatic. Trading back for more picks is a good strategy, and conversely, a team trading up to get a player they coveted is also a good strategy.

    Niners will be content to draft at 2 if they do not get a good enough offer. They are not desperate enough to give away the pick, and they can get the second best player in the draft if they choose.

  35. Into the mix comes another twist.

    Jax may not be totally sold on Bortles, so they may be in the QB race.

    Bears are making noises about liking Trubisky also.

    Jets may want to leapfrog in front of Jax, and would offer their first, second and a 2018 second round pick for pick number 2.

    Cleveland could trump them all by offering their pick numbers 12, 33, 52, and a 2018 second round pick.Hue and his staff can get the best player in the draft, and Haslam could get the QB he covets, Trubisky.

    Cleveland must move up, or they will lose the chance at Trubisky. Even the Bills may look hard at Trubisky, as a replacement to Taylor.

    Niners should trade back twice more. once to Baltimore, getting their pick numbers 16 and 78 for number 12.

    They should then trade back from 34, possibly to the Eagles, who want to leapfrog over 8 teams to get that player they covet. They would offer pick numbers 43 and 99 for pick number 34.

    The Niners would hhave pick numbers 16, 33, 43, 52, 78, 99, 109, 143, 146, 161, 198, 202, and 219.

    Niners should do on more deal, and that would be to trade up with the Saints. The Saints have 2 third round picks. The Niners should offer a 4th, 5th and 6th round pick. Pick numbers 142, 161 and 202 for the Saints pick number 103. he Saints may want to make that deal because they do not have a 4th or 5th round pick.

    The Niners would end up with pick numbers 16, 33, 43, 52, 66, 78. 99, 103, 109, 146, 198 and 219.

    Using the CBS DB, and trying to pick within 5 of the ranking, the Niners could select-

    16- Haason Reddick OLB
    33- Jabrill Peppers SS
    43- Carl Lawson DE
    52- Raekwon McMillen ILB
    66- Cordrea Tankersley CB
    78- Montravius Adams DT
    99- Nathan Peterman QB
    103- Danny Isidora G
    109- D’Onta Foreman RB
    146- Jonnu Smith TE
    198- Chad Williams WR
    219- Andrew Eide OT

    12 different positions. First 6 on defense, next 6 on offense.

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