The 49ers Draft Recap
What worked, and what didn't for the defending NFC Champions
It’s been a few weeks since the NFL Draft, and I’d like to say that I’m only writing about it now because I wanted time to think thoughtfully about how it went for my favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers. The reality is that the day after the draft, I flew to South Carolina for a weeklong vacation with some of my best friends and it wasn’t really the best time to put together cogent thoughts, to say the least.
But whether it was cause or effect, I’m glad I didn’t post my thoughts immediately - not because I think differently about them, but perhaps I’ve gotten a bit more perspective about how things evolved.
To recap, here are the 49ers draft picks as well as some key UDFA signings:
Now, if you remember before the draft I noted that I thought the team needed to trade up for an elite OT prospect, because I didn’t think they’d fall to 31. Indeed, not only was I right but the prospect I thought they’d have to settle for - OT Jordan Morgan from Arizona - was ALSO taken before their pick. 49ers GM John Lynch essentially stated that at 31, the team was in no-mans-land:
“When you’re drafting 31st, it’s oftentimes tough to find tackles you really love."
Well, yes - this is why you need to trade up. But the team is fairly particular about what tackles work in their system, so perhaps the capital was too much. But Lynch also acknowledged that OT Roger Rosengarten, taken just one pick before the 49ers in round 2, was a target of theirs. This is exceptionally annoying to me, because the Ravens obviously needed help at tackle. Why not trade up a few picks to ensure you get your man?
They did end up drafting Dominick Puni, someone who likely slides into a guard position but can play tackle, as well as a sixth round guard from USC. It’s not really enough for a team with one true stud in Trent Williams and a lot of fairly mediocre guys elsewhere. It’s really hard to understand, and it borders on arrogance, honestly.
That said, I love the Ricky Pearsall pick. It’s very likely - if sad - that Deebo Samuel is gone after the 2024 season, and assuming the team signs Brandon Aiyuk to a long-term deal as they’ve indicated strongly that they want to, and Pearsall just SCREAMS Shanahan to me. This one play of his has been probably overshared but I’m fairly sure it’s one of the ten best catches I’ve ever seen - especially when you consider he holds onto the ball.
The draft grades have flowed in and mostly given the 49ers an average grade overall. But it’s worth pointing out how idiotic “draft grades” are - and it’s not just because nobody knows how these players will actually pan out. One of the biggest drivers of these grades are where the picks differ from the draft analysts board. For instance, they might say that Pearsall was 45th on their board, so the 49ers taking him at 31 is a reach. But … let’s unpack this hypothetical ranking. The 49ers didn’t have the 45th pick in the draft. Even though jerks like me wanted them to take an offensive tackle, the entire league agreed that at 31, the best ones were long gone - another one wasn’t taken until Rosengarten at 61. And if the 49ers had traded down to 45, there’s no assurance that another team wouldn’t have taken Pearsall at, say, the 40th pick overall (something many GMs suggested was very much in play.) Another common thing is to say that the 49ers should have traded up and taken Player X, who had fallen drastically from a draft analysts ranking. Does that analyst know if Player X fits the 49ers scheme? Does that analyst know if the medicals on Player X revealed something he doesn’t know about?
Take CB T.J. Tampa, a prospect draft analyst Mel Kiper projected as a possible first round pick. Tampa fell to 130, snared by the Ravens. It’s likely a great pick - but it’s also an indication that these pre-draft rankings don’t have all the information that the actual teams do.
Draft Grades stink. One of the best draft grades I can remember the 49ers getting were was the 2013 draft, where they snared great values in Tank Carradine, Marcus Lattimore and Quinton Patton. GM Trent Baalke was called the Draft Ninja. The team drafted 11 players that year, ,with 1st round pick Eric Reid a clear success, making one Pro Bowl and starting for seven years for his team. Of the other 10 players, they averaged ONE starting season in the league for their careers, with two guys never making a single start. It’s a crapshoot, and we don’t know anything.
The 49ers biggest needs were offensive line and defensive back and they definitely addressed this, and that’s honestly all a fan can reasonably ask for. This is a huge year for the 49ers and assuming the Aiyuk contract sorts itself out, they should head into the season with as strong and deep a team as anyone in the league. Whether they’ve set themselves up for long-term success, especially on the offensive line, remains to be seen.
Truth