Updated on 04/22/09.
Quarterbacks:
- Mark Sanchez, USC
- Matthew Stafford, Georgia
- Pat White, West Virginia
- Josh Freeman, Kansas State
- Rhett Bomar, Sam Houston State
- Tom Brandstater, Fresno State
- Nate Davis, Ball State
- Brian Hoyer, Michigan State
- Curtis Painter, Purdue
- Hunter Cantwell, Louisville
49ers Outlook: The 49ers decided to re-sign Alex Smith (to a much reduced salary) and bring in Damon Huard as a veteran backup. I still believe the 49ers will draft a QB to groom for the future, but will it be in round 1? Probably not.
Running Backs:
- Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
- LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh
- Chris Wells, Ohio State
- Donald Brown, Connecticut
- Andre Brown, North Carolina State
- Shonn Greene, Iowa
- Rashad Jennings, Liberty
- Jeremiah Johnson, Oregon
- Glen Coffee, Alabama
- Kory Sheets, Purdue
**Bonus Sleeper: Gartrell Johnson, Colorado State**
49ers Outlook: The 49ers “new” image with Singletary will require another bruiser at the running back position to complement Frank Gore. It appears as if DeShaun Foster will not be back with the team, leaving only Michael Robinson and Thomas Clayton as #2 options - neither of which excites me.
So with that said, I wouldn’t be surprised, and I actually support a move to grab a running back in one of the rounds 2-5. I know it’s not likely to happen, but I still believe this team needs a “scat back.”
Fullbacks:
- Tony Fiammetta, Syracuse
- Conredge Collins, Pittsburgh
- Quinn Johnson, LSU
- Brannan Southerland, Georgia
- Eric Kettani, Navy
49ers Outlook: The 49ers brought back former “sledge hammer” Moran Norris so my guess is they are probably OK at the full back position. If one of the top guys slides into the late rounds, it’s possible we take him, but not likely.
Wide Receivers:
- Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
- Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
- Percy Harvin, Florida
- Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina
- Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland
- Kenny Britt, Rutgers
- Brian Robiskie, Ohio State
- Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia
- Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma
- Derrick Williams, Penn State
**Bonus Sleeper: Ramses Barden, Cal Poly**
49ers Outlook: The bottom line here is that the 49ers CAN live without a wide receiver. The only way the 49ers draft a receiver in round 1 is if Michael Crabtree slips to the 10 spot - which is VERY unlikely. I doubt very much that Hakeem Nicks slips to our pick in round 2 but Kenny Britt could be someone to watch.
Tight Ends:
- Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State
- Shawn Nelson, Southern Mississippi
- Jared Cook, South Carolina
- Cornelius Ingram, Florida
- Chase Coffman, Missouri
- Travis Beckum, Wisconsin
- James Casey, Rice
- Bear Pascoe, Fresno State
- John Phillips, Virginia
- Ryan Purvis, Boston College
49ers Outlook: The 49ers are set at the tight end position with an improving Vernon Davis and a very capable receiving tight end in Delanie Walker. Billy Bajema departed to the Rams so look for the 49ers to pickup a veteran free agent or draft a blocking tight end in the later rounds.
Offensive Tackles:
- Eugene Monroe, Virginia
- Jason Smith, Baylor
- Michael Oher, Mississippi
- Andre Smith, Alabama
- Eben Britton, Arizona
- Jamon Meredith, South Carolina
- William Beatty, Connecticut
- Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma
- Fenuki Tupou, Oregon
- Alex Boone, Ohio State
49ers Outlook: The 49ers will most certainly look to address this position with either their first or second pick in the draft. Michael Oher and Andre Smith could both be strong possibilities with the #10 pick. Andre Smith has heaps of talent but his disinterest for the game turns me off in a big way. If I were running the team, I would PASS on him and draft someone who WANTS to play, Michael Oher.
Another possibility is that we pass on OT in round 1 and pickup a guy like Loadholt or Meredith in the 2nd round.
Offensive Guards:
- Andy Levitre, Oregon State
- Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
- Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin
- Tyronne Green, Auburn
- Herman Johnson, LSU
- Louis Vasquez, Texas Tech
- Trevor Canfield, Cincinnati
- Cedric Dockery, Texas
- Ramon Foster, Tennessee
- Ray Feinga, BYU
49ers Outlook: The 49ers are in good shape at the guard position, in terms of starters. David Baas and Chilo Rachal are both big physical guards who should be with the team for years to come. Tony Wragge is the top backup, however, there is no depth behind him. I would expect the 49ers to draft a guard in the mid-to-late rounds as insurance if they fail to re-sign Baas.
Offensive Centers:
- Alex Mack, California
- Eric Wood, Louisville
- Max Unger, Oregon
- Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas
- Antoine Caldwell, Alabama
49ers Outlook: Eric Heitmann will remain the starter in 2009 with 2008 rookie draft pick Cody Wallace continuing to develop behind him. I don’t see the 49ers drafting any centers this year unless Alex Mack slips into the 6th round!
December 1st, 2008 at 8:25 am
Skip — Nice overview. I might disagree on SF not taking a QB with the first pick if you think the right guy is there… But that’s the tricky part. Look at Losman and Edwards in Buffalo — the R1 guy sits while the R3 guy starts. Remember that against Dallas, Hill missed a wise-open VD down the center of the field that would’ve gone for 7. He also missed Gore when he had a step on Ware or Ellis (can’t recall which one) — and that would’ve also gone for 7. And he threw a pick in the redzone after Lawson got the turnover — another 3-7 pts lost. Look, I like Hill, but believe he’s an excellent back-up QB. I think the O line is young and will get better now that Baas and Rachal are penciled in as your guards… To me, the priorities are QB, NT/DT (depending on 3-4/4-3 next year), a true pass rushing DE (Romo had all day, and if you really look at the Bills game, both of their QBs had a lot of time also — although we did a much better job on the D line yesterday), and an upgrade at Safety. When you have that many areas to upgrade, I think you take the best player available at any of those four positions when you’re going through the draft (and assuming you haven’t addressed it in free agency. Looking forward to your post on the D side of the ball, and your take on the two safeties from USC.
December 1st, 2008 at 2:11 pm
We won’t make the mistake of taking a QB with a high 1st pick again. IMO we’ll target Oher or Smith depending on our pick. We could also trade down and go DB or DT. WR, RB and QB’s are are a crap shoot for us at this point.
December 1st, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Make the mistake? In the end, I believe that history supports one very large thing when it comes to drafted QBS: Coaching and atmosphere combined with expectations do more to determine a QB’s failure than anything else. I think that patience, very good coaching, maturity, and a team designed to cradle a QB will continue to develop great QBs.
Smith was exactly how not to develop one. First, we drafted him before we had any weapons for him to work with. Our QB coach had at most 1 year of D2 OC experience in college and none as a pro. Our OC ran a WCO system even Brett Favre had trouble with his first year under it and McCarthy is known to be an Xs and Os man more than a teacher. Then we put him in the game and let him drown. But when we gave him a simplified system under a QB teaching OC and built a running game to take the heat off, he showed signs of being a solid pro. Look at for example the other Smith who got drafted by CIN. Thrown in as rookie to be a pocket QB for an athletic, scrambling QB who had no top weapons to work with.
How many top QBs got their year off and then turned out as duds? Honestly, had Alex Smith sat all of 2005 and had his 2006 season that he did…we’d still be much more interested in him. Especially how well he still helped us early in ‘07 despite the terrible offense.
December 1st, 2008 at 7:14 pm
MK1 - would be interested in why you believe Shaun Hill is not a starting caliber NFL quarterback?
What makes Jeff Garcia a starting caliber NFL quarterback? Simply put, intangibles - pocket awareness, mobility, leadership, sound judgement. Not a cannon arm. Not a pretty release. Not Michael Vick speed.
I do believe Shaun Hill can start for this team ongoing, however we should develop a youngster as well. After all, you know how well quarterbacks hold up in the NFL.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Hi Skip - Thanks for the opportunity to clarify… I think Shaun can win some games as your back-up QB — he’s proven that. But I don’t see him getting a team to the playoffs over a full season — or winning a playoff game, should another QB get you there. That’s what I’m interested in SF building towards — not merely being a .500 team in a terrible division. At some point, against better defensive talent (see: Steelers, Ravens, Giants, etc.), moxie and smarts isn’t enough. Shaun’s arm strength and Joe Kapp-like spirals will be a problem against better teams. After watching guys like Montana, Elway, Brady, Farve and QBs of that ilk win Super Bowls, it’s hard to see Shuan stacking up. Ever. Nothing against him — I love the guy. Just feel we need an upgrade to get to the next level. Hope that answers the question. I’d also like to offer a quick, respectful reply to 9errealist: I have to agree with the Wiz on this one… Alex Smith under Mike Nolan is not a fair view of drafting QBs in R1. Remember that Elway, Marino, Kelly — and just last year, Matt Ryan and Joe Flaco — were R1 picks, so if you know what you’re doing, you can get a difference-maker early… And Tony Manderich, Kwame Harris and Robert Gallary were R1 picks as OTs, so there are no guarantees there either. What I’m advocating is addressing those areas holding SF back from taking it up a notch. I stand by my earlier comments on greatest needs: a QB who can do more than manage a game; pass rushing DE who can put pressure on QBs and help us get off the field on 3rd downs; a NT who can command more than one blocker and stuff the run; and a FS who can create some turnovers without making mistakes deep. I believe the O line can get better, but I think it’s adequate for now and should get better if these guys get a little more time to play together.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Hey MK1, I would still have to agree to disagree on this one. If we get the proper talent around Shaun Hill and on defense, we can make a run at the playoffs and potentially further. I know this is a bit of the exception to the rule, but Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl and he was a game manager at best. With that said, are there better future options at quarterback for the Niners? Absolutely, but you have to decide where you want to spend your money and/or your draft picks, and in my opinion we have glaring needs at other positions.
Also, you mention we need a defensive end to improve the pass rush, technically we need an outside linebacker, unless we go back to the 4-3. Unless you are referring to a tweener, which makes sense. I wouldn’t mind seeing Aaron Curry of Wake Forest in a Niners uniform
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:42 am
Skip — Good points, especially on the DEs (I guess I’m hoping for a return to a 4-3 — still my preference). Man, this is fun — so much better having a civil discourse than dealing with trolls on other boards. The only point I’d make about Dilfer is that he played for a team that had the best one-year D in pro football history (save for perhaps the mid-80s Bears). With any ordinary D, I don’t know if Trent gets them to the playoffs… I will say this, however, in support of your point about the O line: this year’s Giants are proving that winning in the trenches on both sides of the ball is key to success. Their ability to run the ball makes Manning better than he is, and maked the Plaxico thing moot because other teams have to put so many guys in the box.
January 20th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Good stuff Skip!
January 21st, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Nice article and, like MK1, appreciate the grown-up discourse.
Lacking in-depth coverage over here, I tend to come to this sort of site for info, so I’d be interested to hear what people think about the impact free agency will have on our draft board. It seems that there are one or two big names out there (Gross, Suggs, Peppers?) who could make a major difference in our key need positions if they were available.
Regarding a QB in round one; I agree we need a QB for the future (unless we can rehabilitate Smith mentally as well as physically), but I think FS / pass rush / RT are slightly bigger needs right now.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:58 am
It’s tough to say whether we will go after any big free agents or not at this point but my guess is if we do, it will probably come at the right tackle position. Perhaps Mark Tauscher or Vernon Carey. I don’t see the Panthers letting Gross go anywhere. Which brings me to Julius Peppers. He has stated he wants out and wants to play in the 3-4 defense, good match right? Yes. If there is anyway possible to get this guy, we should make it happen.
Bart Scott and Michael Boley are two outside linebackers I have high regards for as well.
At safety I like OJ Atogwe and a sleeper would be Mike Brown of the Bears. He has definitely had his share of injury issues but when the guy is healthy he makes plays. I’m not saying pay him a boat load of cash, but if the price is right, move on it.
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I doubt that we go for “big free agents” this year.
First, Jed York said as much in his year ending talk/interview. Consider the economic environment - declining revenues from ticket sales and concessions and so on. It’s hard to borrow the money to throw those big front end bonuses they want. Then we are trying to position the team to get that new stadium project started financially. No real relief coming soon. I’m guessing there are lots of teams out there that won’t be spending like they have in the past.
Second, when Scot discussed his philosophy for free agent acquisiton, he talks about guys that will be around long enough to justify the up front investment like Justin Smith. This pretty much rules out position players beyond their first contract like Peppers although certainly not all the guys you mentioned.
I’m thinking that we’ll be going after the second level guys to fill gaps as best we can. Another factor mentioned by Wiz in this post is that there should be a long term concern for the cap with lots of guys coming up for extensions. I agree, but I think a big concern is going to be cash flow. Those extensions are just like signing FAs - up front cash required. It looks like we have plenty of cap space to sign the big names, but do we have the cash?
The FO has done an excellent job of managing the cap but there are signs for concern there. Does anyone have an idea why they pushed so much of Justin Smith’s bonus from last year to this year? I wondered at the time whether or not this move was cash related as opposted to cap. That looks like a great move now that it is more than likely that we won’t be paying those big bucks to Alex and JJ.