San Francisco 49ers 2015 Draft: The Good, the Bad and the Baffling
The San Francisco 49ers just had one of the most baffling drafts in franchise history.
They missed the playoffs last season and lost key players such as Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and Chris Culliver this offseason. They also cut Ray McDonald in December, and Justin Smith might retire before the season begins.
The odds are against the Niners making the playoffs in 2015. To improve their odds, they needed to replace the key players they lost with instant contributors. Instead, the Niners mostly drafted projects who will contribute only on special teams in 2015.
Strange. But some of their picks made sense. Here are the good, the bad and the baffling from the 49ers’ draft.
The Good: Mike Davis, Running Back, 4th Round
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The 49ers needed a backup power-running back in case Carlos Hyde gets hurt next season. Former South Carolina running back Mike Davis (5'9", 217 lbs) was one of the best power backs in the draft.
In 2013, Davis averaged 5.8 yards per carry. To put that production in perspective, former South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore never averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry in a season.
The Bad: Arik Armstead, Defensive End, 1st Round
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Former Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead is a project. He was a two-sport athlete until 2014. He would have been a good pick if the Niners had taken him 35th, but they took him 17th.
They reached.
Teams should not draft a project with the 17th pick. That’s a spot to pick a top prospect who can contribute right away, and there were plenty of prospects like that the 49ers could have drafted. They passed on former Washington cornerback Marcus Peters and former UConn cornerback Byron Jones. Either guy would have started right away.
Armstead may develop into a solid starter some day, someone like Chris Canty of the Baltimore Ravens. But until he gets stronger, most of his playing time probably will come on special teams.
The Baffling: Eli Harold, Outside Linebacker, 3rd Round
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Former Virginia outside linebacker Eli Harold was a good value in Round 3. Some experts considered him a first- or second-round pick before the draft.
But the Niners didn’t have a serious need at outside linebacker. They already have three good ones—Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks and Aaron Lynch. Harold probably won’t play over any of them his rookie season. He probably will be a special teams player.
One pick after the Niners took Harold, the Detroit Lions drafted former Stanford cornerback Alex Carter. Cornerback arguably is the Niners’ biggest need—Carter likely would have contributed to the defense right away. They probably should have taken him.
Or former TCU inside linebacker Paul Dawson would have been a good choice. The Niners desperately need an inside linebacker, and Dawson was available when they picked Harold.
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The Good: DeAndre Smelter, Wide Receiver, 4th Round
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The Niners need a wide receiver who can replace Anquan Boldin in 2016.
But they don’t need one right away—Boldin and Torrey Smith will be the starters in 2015. The Niners can afford to draft a developmental prospect at wide receiver.
And that’s exactly what they did. In Round 4, they took former Georgia Tech wide receiver DeAndre Smelter. He played only two seasons of college football. He played baseball his freshman and sophomore years.
His junior and season years he made only 56 catches, and he tore his ACL this past December. He probably won’t contribute much in 2015, but he might become a starter in 2016. He’s big (6'2", 226 lbs), he’s fast and he has 11-inch hands. Few receivers from this draft have more potential than Smelter.
The Bad: Jaquiski Tartt, Safety, 2nd Round
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This is not to say former Samford safety Jaquiski Tartt (6'1", 221 lbs) will be a bad player. He might become a very good player. But he was not the best player available when the Niners took him in Round 2.
Nor did he fill a big need either. The 49ers spent first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 on safeties—Eric Reid and Jimmie Ward. They also signed safety Antoine Bethea to a four-year deal in 2013. Tartt is fourth on the depth chart.
He’s a special teams player. If he plays at all on defense his rookie season, he will fill one specific role—coverage specialist in the Niners' dime package.
They probably hope Tartt can cover Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham. Theoretically, Tartt is big and fast enough (4.53 40-yard dash) to match up with him.
But Graham is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Only an exceptional strong safety can cover him. It's best to pretend Graham is a wide receiver and cover him with a cornerback.
Four picks after the Niners took Tartt, the Buffalo Bills took one of the best cornerbacks in the draft—Ronald Darby from Florida State. He would have a better chance against Graham than Tartt would.
The Baffling: Bradley Pinion, Punter, 5th Round
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The 49ers have one of the best punters in the NFL—Andy Lee. He is only 32. If there was one position the 49ers didn’t need to draft, it was punter.
What do you know? They drafted a punter.
Not in Round 7. Not in Round 6. They drafted former Clemson punter Bradley Pinion in Round 5.
Unless the 49ers decide to suit two punters on game days—not likely—Pinion will make zero impact next season. He won’t play until Andy Lee retires or the 49ers cut him, which shouldn’t be any time soon.
Pinion was a luxury pick the 49ers didn’t have the luxury of making. If they won the Super Bowl last season, by all means, draft a punter in Round 5. But the Niners were 8-8 last season. They need contributors. The fifth round is not too late to find a contributor.
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