SANTA CLARA — Here’s the live blog for Day 3 of the NFL Draft. The Niners pick second in the upcoming fourth round, so they should announce the pick shortly.
8:58 One thought on the Niners’ first two picks before the rest of the picks happen: Clearly, the No. 1 priority for this draft was to give Alex Smith two 4.3-speed underneath check-down options on third down. Trent Baalke signed two deep threats in free agency – Randy Moss and Mario Manningham – and now he’s drafted the check down receivers. The message is clear – the Niners offense is a Ferrari. It’s got plenty of horsepower. Can Alex Smith drive the car?
9:05 With the first pick in the fourth round the Rams draft slot receiver Chris Givens. Great pick for the Rams. They’re having one of the best drafts in the league. Givens is another wide receiver who could have a comparable career to the Niners’ first round pick, A.J. Jenkins. The Niners are now on the clock.
9:07 The Niners trade back seven spots with the Dolphins. Perhaps there’s going to be a run on wide receivers and the Niners want to cash in on that.
9:09 I was wrong – the Dolphins wanted a running back. They draft Lamar Miller with the 97th pick in the draft. Good pick. The Dolphins have three good running backs now.
9:11 In exchange for the 97th pick, the Dolphins trade the Niners their sixth round pick this year (No. 196) and their sixth round pick next year.
9:13 The Niners currently have 10 draft picks. I’m expecting them to trade up soon.
9:25 The Redskins draft QB Kirk Cousins with pick No. 102. I hate this pick. They needed to give Griffin more weapons, not a top-notch backup. The Niners are on the clock. Let’s see if they trade back again.
9:26 And they traded back again – details coming. The Panthers are on the clock now.
9:28 The Panthers choose Frank Alexander and they’re on the clock again, and they pick Joe Adams to complement Steve Smith and Cam Newton. That’s a great pick. He’ll be a great punt returner, too.
9:30 For the 104th pick, the Panthers traded the Niners their sixth round pick this year (No. 180) and their third round pick next year. The Niners currently have two thirds, two fifths, two sixths and two sevenths next year.
9:33 With the 106th pick, the Seahawks draft Beastmode-light, Robert Turbin, to backup the Authentic Beastmode, Marshawn Lynch. Good pick.
9:36 The Chiefs draft Fresno St. slot receiver Devon Wylie, one of the quickest and fastest players in the draft. Good pick.
9:40 The Niners are sending a message by trading back several times: They really like their roster right now. They’re almost set for 2012. So they’re stockpiling picks for the future because they have that luxury.
9:59 I can’t believe Jarius Wright, Greg Childs and Marvin Jones are still available. It just goes to show you can always get good wide receivers throughout the draft.
10:00 The Niners traded up! They’re on the clock at pick No. 117. They’re all over the place!
10:01 The 49ers draft 6-3 318 lb. OG Joe Looney from Wake Forest.
10:04 Here’s the National Football Post’s scouting report on Joe Looney: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/college_player_scouting_report.html&player=36260
10:05 Looney figures to be Daniel Kilgore’s main competition for the right guard job this season. Down the line, Looney figures to be the right guard of the future and Kilgore will slide over to center.
10:07 The Vikings draft Jarius Wright. That’s a a great pick for them, but I wonder whether Christian Ponder has the arm strength to get the ball to him down the field.
10:18 The Saints draft Wisconsin WR Nick Toon. Alas, there will be no Looney Toon on the Niners.
10:22 With the 123rd pick of the draft, the Eagles select cornerback Brandon Boykin, replacing Asante Samuel in the fourth round. I’m surprised they could wait this long. It’s a good pick though – Boykin is a first round talent.
10:24 The Bills draft Ron Brooks, the other LSU cornerback. I don’t like this pick. I’m never in favor of drafting cornerbacks who were No. 2’s in college. Why? Because they only covered No. 2 college receivers. How are they supposed to cover NFL receivers all of a sudden? The Niners made this mistake ten years ago with Mike Rumph when they drafted him in the first round. He was the No. 2 CB at Miami, next to Phillip Buchanon.
10:27 With the 125th pick (the Niners former fourth rounder before they traded up for Looney), the Lions draft Oklahoma OLB Ronell Lewis. Are they going to try some 3-4 defense this year?
10:29 To trade up for Looney, the Niners gave the Lions the 125th and the 196th picks in this draft.
10:30 With the 126th pick, the Texans draft Jared Crick, who was projected to go in the third. Now the Texans have Crick and J.J. Watt as their five-techniques of the future. They should have a dominant defense for years to come.
10:40 With their second pick in this draft, the Raiders take tweener linebacker Miles Burris. Either they want him to compete with Rolando McClain at middle linebacker or they want to use him as a situation 3-4 pass rusher.
10:55 The Vikings draft Greg Childs with the 134th pick in the draft. They’ve drafted both of the Arkansas receivers I loved – Childs and Jarius Wright. If only they had a quarterback to throw them the ball.
10:58 With the first pick in the fifth round, the Colts draft DT Josh Chapman. Indy hasn’t been able to stop the run in forever, so they’re addressing that issue here. Good pick.
11:15 Even though the Niners need another safety, I wouldn’t be against them drafting Marvin Jones witht eh 165th pick if he’s available. He’s a second round value and I believe he’ll be a better pro than Michael Crabtree.
11:53 With the 156th pick, the Bengals draft CB Shawn Prater. Marvin Jones inexplicably continues to fall.
11:54 The sound on the TV in the press room has been turned off. There’s a lady setting up the lunch spread in the corner, and some of the writers are tossing around a football outside. The Niners don’t draft until 165, so the focus has wandered.
12:02 The Steelers draft RB Chris Rainey with the 159th pick in the draft. That’s a great pick. They needed a running back and he could be a very good one. He once ran for 500 yards in a high school game.
12:18 The Niners are on the clock. I’m in favor of them drafting Marvin Jones, but I doubt they will.
12:20 The Niners draft Darius Fleming, a tweener linebacker from Notre Dame who projects to play outside linebacker in the Niners 3-4 defense. If the Niners want to save money by cutting Parys Haralson, Fleming could take his role on the team.
12:26 One pick after the Niners take Fleming, the Bengals take Marvin Jones. The Niners needed another outside linebacker more than they needed another wide receiver, so I understand the pick. Still, I’m sure the Bengals are ecstatic they waited to draft a receiver, because they got a very good one late.
12:31 With the 168th pick, the Raiders draft WR Juron Criner. Good pick. Second round value late into the third day. Now Darrius Heyward-Bey has competition at split end.
12:48 The Niners have the 196th pick and the “Tom Brady Pick” this year – 199th overall. Who will they take? Not a quarterback. Safety is the obvious choice.
12:53 The Niners are scheduled to make three more draft picks. Will any of the three end up making the team?
12:56 With the 177th pick, the Cardinals draft Justin Bethel, a cornerback from Presbyterian. I interviewed Bethel after Presbyterian lost to Cal this year at AT&T park. He returned an interception for a touchdown and he was the best player on his team by far. He was a really nice kid who was thrilled to visit California for the first time. He took a picture of the Golden Gate bridge and made it the background on his phone, which he eagerly showed me. Now he’ll get to visit the Bay Area at least once a year. Good for him.
1:00 The Niners are on the clock next. They don’t have the 196th pick any more – my mistake. They used that to trade up. In this round they pick at No. 180 and No. 199.
1:02 With the 180th pick, the Niners draft Michigan St. free safety Trenton Robinson. The National Football Post ranks Robinson as the fourth best free safety in the draft. Here’s NFP’s scouting report on Robinson: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/college_player_scouting_report.html&player=37785
1:15 Trenton Robinson ran a 4.46 at his Pro Day. He has a 35-inch vertical jump.
1:39 We’re more than halfway through the sixth round and Washington RB Chris Polk is still available. When’s he going to get drafted?
1:45 The Falcons just drafted Ohio St. RB Dan Herron over Chris Polk. Wow. Polk’s dropping like a stone.
1:50 The Eagles just drafted big WR Marvin McNutt. Great pick. He gives the Eagles a red zone target and he could develop into a better split end than the disappointing Jeremy Maclin down the line.
1:57 With the 198th pick, the Ravens take WR Tommy Streeter. Good pick. Now they have two of the fastest WRs in the NFL – Streeter and Torrey Smith.
1:59 With the 199th pick, the Niners take C Jason Slowey, who was an offensive tackle in college at Western Oregon. I was not aware that there was a school called Western Oregon. Apparently it’s in Monmouth.
2:02 That’s a classic Baalke pick – a small school tackle they want to develop into a center. Add him into the competition with Daniel Kilgore, Joe Looney and Mike Person.
2:25 NFL Network gives the Niners and the Rams B’s on their drafts. I thought the Rams did better.
2:53 With the 219th pick, the Vikings take Cal DE Trevor Guyton. Good pick.
3:09 With the 224th pick, the Patriots draft CB Alfonzo Dennard, whose stock plummeted after he hit a police officer and was charged with third degree felony assault a couple weeks ago. Bill Belichick doesn’t seem to mind – he likes the second round value in the seventh.
3:22 With the 230th pick, the Raiders draft 6-1 240 lb. linebacker Nathan Stupar. The Raiders are dedicating this draft to stopping the run. Good for them. It’s a necessary first step in the rebuilding of that defense.
3:34 We’re three picks away from the Niners last selection.
3:41 With their seventh round pick, the Niners draft defensive end Cam Johnson from Virginia. The National Football Post loves Johnson, ranking him the fourth best defensive end in the draft. Here’s their scouting report on him: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/college_player_scouting_report.html&player=36635
This is a very good pick. Johnson could be an effective third down pass rusher right away. With Johnson and Darius Fleming, the Niners might look to save money by cutting veteran outside linebacker Parys Haralson.
3:46 Here’s a projection: The Niners will cut Parys Haralson to save money. Darius Fleming will become Aldon Smith’s backup at right outside linebacker, and Cam Johnson will be the reserve third down pass rusher if Ahmad Brooks can’t get pressure on the quarterback. He could take Demarcus Dobbs roster spot this summer.
4:07 One pick after the Niners took Cam Johnson, the Chiefs took Michigan WR Junior Hemingway. Great pick. All my favorite prospects got drafted a couple picks after the Niners pick this year – Fleener, Casey Heyward, Jarius Wright, Marvin Jones, and now Hemmingway.
4:12 I agree with msclemons’ draft grade for the Niners: C, bumped up to a B due to the acquisition of the 2013 picks. Baalke is hoping A.J. Jenkins will make him look like a genius, but he won’t. LaMichael James was a good pick, but you can’t count on any of the other draft picks (other than the first two) to contribute much to the team this season.
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