The San Franciso 49ers Current Draft Class: Skill and Heart

It is a little premature to anoint head coach Mike Singletary's and VP of Player Personnel Trent Baalke’s 2010 draft class as one of the best since the days of Bill Walsh, but early indications are mostly positive and encouraging.

That said, I am predicting that everyone of this year’s eight draft picks makes the roster.

Much maligned former general manager, Scot McCloughan, was often criticized for his drafts. One thing is clear, McCloughan had some hits, but he had some huge misses.

It makes one wonder, that if McCloughan, who is widely recognized throughout the NFL as an excellent evaluator of talent, had spent more time meeting the players he drafted and getting to know their personalities, if he would have had a better tract record.

Singletary and Baalke flew thousands of miles to assess draft prospects. Baalke would look at the measurables and Singletary the intangibles.

"It has to do with how physical, how tough that guy is mentally," Singletary began. "If someone comes out and just knocks the living crap out of him, can he get up and say, 'You know what? Come again, let's go.' Or will he shut it down and say, 'You know what? My hamstring's awfully tight all of a sudden.'

"I'm not looking for the fastest guys. I'm not looking for the cutest guys. I'm looking for football players," Singletary said, as quoted by SF Chronicle staff writer David White.

Singletary would ask hard questions. He pointedly asked Dez Bryant why he lied during an NCAA investigation. He talked to former teammates, coaches, family members, and anyone who could shed light on a particular player.

Just for fun, I thought it would be interesting to compare McCloughan’s last couple of drafts with Baalke’s and Singletary’s selections.

Again, it is a bit early to proclaim draft success, but it will be interesting at season's end to revisit these assessments and see just how successful, or disappointing, this year’s draft crop is has been and might yet be.

2008 Draft (McCloughan)

Rd. 1: DE Kentwan Balmer

Balmer could never work his way up the depth chart and that could be the very factor that caused him to go AWOL in camp earlier this year.

Disgusted with his attitude, and out of patience with Balmer, the team traded him to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth round draft pick. Not coincidentally, the man who drafted him is now the Seahawks' Senior Personnel Executive.

I thought this quote from SB Nation really sums up Balmer:

“Has underachieved and has questionable intensity, not always playing up to his excellent physical gifts.”

The worst thing about this pick…?

49ers fans knowing that they passed on local favorite, WR DeSean Jackson from Cal.

2009 Draft (Mcloughan):

Rd. 1: WR Michael Crabtree

Not sure you can give McCloughan much credit for this pick, it is as close to a no-brainer as they come. But I guess if I am going to bag on him for missing on Jackson, I have to give him a little credit for not making the same mistake two years in a row.

After a brief holdout last year, Crabtree will be the team’s No. 1 wideout this year and fans are expecting nothing less than a breakout year from him.

2010 Draft (Singletary/Baalke)

Rd. 1: OT Anthony Davis

The team was so impressed by Davis that they traded away their fourth round pick in this year's draft to move up two spots to grab him.

Prior to the draft, Davis’ character and work ethic were questioned. Singletary insisted on having a sit down with Davis prior to the draft. He obviously liked what he saw in Davis’ eyes and Davis has rewarded the team’s faith in him by putting in enough effort to earn the starting job at right tackle.

At a mere 20-years-old, Davis is set to become the second youngest 49er to ever start a game.

Rd. 1: G Mike Iupati

The 49ers very seldom, if ever, take a guard this high. But Iupati was universally regarded as the best guard in this draft and one of the best prospects to come out in a long time.

Like his fellow No. 1 pick Davis, Iupati has already claimed a starting spot on the offensive line.

It should be noted that it took Davis and Iupati just nine days of training camp to convince Singletary, offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, and offensive line coach Mike Solari, that they are ready to start in the NFL.

I guess we should give McCloughan a bit of credit for acquiring this pick the previous year.

2008 Draft

Rd. 2: G Chilo Rachal

Singletary took a special interest in Rachal, and Rachal showed promise after breaking into the starting lineup midway through his rookie year.

Rachal had his moments last year, but at times struggled against speedy pass rushers. With two rookies on the starting offensive line, Rachal needs to step it up this year and deliver. I have faith that he will.

2009 Draft

Rd. 2:  Traded

This pick was traded to the Carolina Panthers for their 2010 first round pick.

2010 Draft

Rd. 2: S Taylor Mays

Many mock drafts had the 49ers taking Mays with one of their No. 1 picks. But after much was made of Mays’ coverage skills, or lack thereof, he fell to the second round and the team snatched him up.

Mays is determined to prove his detractors wrong and he has worked his tail off on the practice field and in the film room. He has driven coaches crazy with his relentless questions and pursuit of knowledge.

He even prompted Singletary to exclaim, “I didn’t know they made players like him anymore.”

Incumbents Dashon Goldson and Michael Lewis are the presumptive starters, while Mays seems to be in a battle with Reggie Smith for the third safety spot.

After flashing his bone crunching tackling ability and deceptive speed against the Minnesota Vikings in the last preseason game, one thing is clear: Mays should be seeing a lot of action on the field this year.

2008 Draft

Rd. 3: CB/S Reggie Smith

After converting from corner to safety, Smith seems to have found his niche. In the first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, Smith broke up a Peyton Manning pass in the end zone and then went on to record a beautiful 91-yard interception return.

Smith has been making plays almost every camp session and after two disappointing seasons appears to be ready to step in for Michael Lewis if necessary. That is if Mays doesn’t pass him on the depth chart.

2009 Draft

Rd. 3: RB Glenn Coffee

After just one year Coffee has retired. He claims he couldn’t reconcile football's violent nature with his recently found faith.

Coffee exclaimed he had no desire to continue playing the game.

It makes you wonder that if Singletary had sat down with Coffee before the draft, if he could have determined Coffee’s desire.

2010 Draft

Rd. 3: LB Navarro Bowman

Mike Singletary knows a thing or two about linebackers and Penn State has a reputation for producing them.

Bowman was considered by many to have first round talent and was even on the Dallas Cowboys’ draft board as a first rounder.

Bowman is said to be in the mold of Patrick Willis—and that’s a pretty good mold to come from. He will take a little more time to develop than Willis, who was ready from day one, but Bowman has already showed flashes of why the 49ers drafted him.

Once Bowman gets his coverage skills down, he could replace Takeo Spikes as Willis’ partner in the middle.

2008 Draft

Rd. 4: C  Cody Wallace

I think it speaks volumes that when starting center, Eric Heitmann, went down with a broken fibula earlier in camp this year, Wallace never got a chance to earn the starting job.

Hell, he has hardly seen the playing field in his two seasons.

Instead, David Baas was moved over from guard to man the center position until Heitmann returns.

When Baas got hurt it, it was Tony Wragge who took over, not Wallace.

As far as I know, Wallace doesn’t play any other position on the line.

Which begs the question—why is he still here?

2009 Draft

Rd. 4: Traded

This pick was packaged with the teams No. 2 pick for Carolina’s 2010 first round pick.

2010 Draft

Rd. 4:  Traded

This pick was traded to the Denver Broncos in order to move up two spots in the first round and select Anthony Davis.

2008 Draft

Rd. 5: This pick was forfeited for tampering

Inexcusable.

2009 Draft

Rd. 5: LB Scott McKillop

McKillop was a stand out on special teams last year recording 31 tackles, and prior to his season ending injury this year, seemed to have the handle on the being the teams top backup at middle linebacker.

However, there are rumblings within the organization that McKillop doesn’t fit the mold of what the team wants in a middle linebacker.

These rumors were given some credence when the team opted to select Bowman this year.

I really hope that McKillop makes a full recovery from his devastating knee injury, but I still wonder if his days with the team are numbered.

Rd. 5: QB Nate Davis

You can see my assessment of Davis (and a few other opinions in the comment thread) here: The Curious Case of Nate Davis…

2010 Draft

Rd. 5: Traded to the Miami Dolphins for Ted Ginn Jr.

One of Baalke’s first moves after McCloughan departed gives the team a blazing fast kick returner (which they sorely lacked last season) as well as a No. 3 wideout who can stretch defenses.

Just please hang onto the ball Ted!

2008 Draft

Rd. 6: WR  Josh Morgan

Morgan could be one of McCloughan’s biggest draft steals. He has shown some flashes of brilliance and has earned the starting job opposite of Michael Crabtree.

If he stays healthy he could be special.

2009 Draft

Rd. 6: TE  McKenna “Bear” Pascoe

Pascoe couldn’t hack it and was cut before the start of the regular season. Perhaps he will have better luck with the New York Giants.

2010 Draft

Rd. 6: RB Anthony Dixon

After Coffee’s sudden departure, Dixon was given an opportunity to prove he wanted to play football, and prove it he did.

The 245-pound running back showcased some incredible moves while amassing 100 yards rushing against the Colts. He also caught three passes for 21 yards and was able pick up pass coverage for QB David Carr.

Obviously Frank Gore is still the man in San Francisco, and the team did sign Brian Westbrook as an insurance policy, but you would have to think Dixon’s future looks bright in the “City by the Bay”.

Rd. 6: TE Nate Byham

In contrast to Bear Pasco, Byham can not only talk the talk, ("I like to bloody noses. I don't shy away from contact. I go into the hole to hit somebody. I'm trying to inflict pain. I'm not just there to get in somebody's way.") he can walk the walk.

They drafted him as a blocking TE, but he has shown in two preseason games that he has soft hands as well.

In fact, while watching the game against the Vikings, I was thinking, “Does this guy catch every pass or what?” Right on queue he goes over the middle and gets completely destroyed by the safety. It would have been a tough catch for anyone, but Brent Jones would have caught that ball!

It matters not, as Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker will be catching most of the balls at TE this year, but expect to see a lot blocking from Byham.

Rd. 6: WR Kyle Williams

Williams was the odds on favorite to land the punt returning duties this year, that is until he injured his toe against the Colts.

The team’s lack of urgency in finding another punt returner would seem to be an indicator that they are comfortable in waiting for William’s return and will attempt to get by with a player currently on the roster.

2008 Draft

Rd. 7: LB Larry Grant

Who?

Actually, Grant wasn’t given much of a chance with the 49ers as he was plucked off the practice squad in 2008 by the St.Louis Rams.

2009 Draft

Rd. 7: S  Curtis Taylor

Let’s face it, Taylor remains a good prospect, but he is going to have a very difficult time making the team this year.

Practice squad?

Rd. 7: DT Ricky Jean Francois

With Aubrayo Franklin’s hold out this year, Jean Francois was moved into the nose tackle spot on the starting squad. He never missed a practice, and proved he could step in if called upon.

As the team and Franklin have failed to negotiate a multi-year deal, Franklin has signed his one-year tender.

It wouldn’t be a big surprise to see RJF as the team’s starting NT after this season.

2010 Draft

Rd. 7: CB Phillip Adams

I was ready for the team to relinquish Adams to the practice squad. But then he played against the Vikings and he looked good…really good.

Adams is the kind of physical player that Singletary and Co. covet, but it appears he has some pretty good coverage skills as well. It will be fun to watch his development.

In summary, selecting players in the NFL draft is an art and a science. No one is perfect of course, but doesn’t it just make sense to measure a player’s heart as well as his skill set?