San Francisco 49ers: Players to Watch for in January's Bowl Games
The Week 16 results have solidified the draft position somewhat for the San Francisco 49ers.
Mathematically, they can still have anything between the eighth and 18th overall pick, but they’ve basically been locked into a range going from 13 to 16. It will be the first time they’ve had a draft slot in the first half of the draft since 2011, when they added the talented yet troubled Aldon Smith to the roster.
The upside of a disappointing season, of course, is the potential to add a talented player to your team in the draft.
The 13th through 16th picks in this year’s draft saw this year’s top defensive tackle in Aaron Donald and a fantastic guard in Zack Martin come off the board. San Francisco might get a real difference-maker with its first-round pick.
We’ve already looked at players to highlight in the first sets of college bowl games, but we’ve saved the best for last—January’s slate. January sees some amazing matchups—the first-ever playoff sees Alabama take on Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl and Oregon take on Florida State in the Rose Bowl.
We also get huge matchups in Baylor vs. Michigan State, Missouri vs. Minnesota and Kansas State vs. UCLA. It looks to be an exciting few days.
Here are some players to watch in each of January’s bowl games from the 49ers perspective—an attempt to see who will be wearing the Red and Gold come September 2015.
All times ET.
Outback Bowl (January 1, Noon): Auburn vs. Wisconsin
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It may have lasted all of one week, but Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon set the FBS single-game rushing record this season. Against Nebraska, Gordon put up 408 yards on the ground, which was then beaten the next week by Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine.
The thing is, Gordon got his 408 yards in only three quarters. Had he played the full way, he might have pushed the mark past 500 yards and into untouchable territory. That’s how good Gordon was on the day.
He’s not just a one-game wonder, though; you don’t get to be second in Heisman voting off of the back of one game. His 2,336 yards and 29 touchdowns this season are incredible numbers, and he has an outside chance to set the single-season rushing record in this game if he can rattle off another 300-yard day.
The 49ers looked set at running back coming into the 2014 season, but injuries and retirements really gutted the corps. With no guarantee that Frank Gore will be coming back for another season, the 49ers might look to add another running back. While a first-round pick on Gordon might seem excessive, what a weapon he would be.
Cotton Bowl (January 1, 12:30 P.M.): Michigan State vs. Baylor
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If I had to pick one state the 49ers were most likely to take a player from early in the 2015 draft, it probably would be Michigan. Besides Devin Funchess, whose Wolverines did not make a bowl game, Michigan State offers a couple of interesting prospects for the 49ers.
If they choose to address the secondary in the first round, there’s cornerback Trae Waynes. He’s thinner and lankier than you want in your ideal cornerback, but his overall length at 6’1” and his speed are both among the top tier at the position.
He attacks the ball, makes plays on it in midair and gains leverage on his opponents. He's an all-around top cornerback prospect.
At only 250 pounds, defensive end Shilique Calhoun might be too small to shoehorn into a 3-4 defense. If they can get him to fit somehow, then they’d get a durable pass-rusher with very strong instincts. I’m not so sure he can bulk up enough, however, so Waynes is the better prospect here.
Citrus Bowl (January 1, 1 P.M.): Missouri vs. Minnesota
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The big name in this game is Missouri’s defensive end Shane Ray, but he’s not liable to last to when the 49ers will be picking. Instead, when Minnesota has the ball, focus on the other side of the defensive line.
Markus Golden probably fits in best as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 system, but he has one advantage over Ray: experience and seasoning. He’s ready to be an every-down player right now, while Ray’s more of a player you wind up and send after the quarterback.
Golden falls into the same trap Michael Sam did last season—he’s powerful and compact, rather than large and athletic. He doesn’t really have the pass-rush power to be worth converting to an OLB either, so the question is, could he bulk up enough from his 260-pound frame to be a 4-3 defensive end?
The other player worth watching here comes from Minnesota—running back David Cobb.
While a player like Melvin Gordon makes coaches salivate, using a first-round pick on a running back probably isn’t a great move for the 49ers. Cobb might be available as late as the third round and thus has much more value. He's not explosive, but he’s had two straight years with over 1,000 yards rushing. He’d be a good backup for Carlos Hyde for the future.
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Rose Bowl (January 1, 5 P.M.): Oregon vs. Florida State
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The talent in this game! Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston facing head-to-head in a battle of first-round quarterbacks! Eddie Goldman, another top-10 pick, filling in at nose tackle for Florida State! This game could see five or six first-round picks in it.
The 49ers aren’t going to get Mariota, Winston or Goldman, nor do they fit needs. Instead, focus on the second-tier players. It’s too bad Oregon’s Ifo Ekpre-Olomu will miss the game, but Florida State brings plenty of potential draftees.
My favorite of the bunch is receiver Rashad Greene, who has put up back-to-back thousand-yard seasons in Florida State’s offense. He’s tiny at only 180 pounds, but explosive—think DeSean Jackson. If the 49ers go with a lineman in the first round, Greene’s an option in Round 2.
There’s also a load of talent on defense. Mario Edwards is a 3-4 defensive end who could help alleviate the loss of Ray McDonald, and the secondary boasts cornerbacks Ronald Darby and P.J. Williams, who would also be very good picks. There may be a reason why Florida State won the national title last season and are undefeated this year.
Sugar Bowl (January 1, 8:30 P.M.): Alabama vs. Ohio State
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If I could give the 49ers one player this year, it would be Alabama receiver Amari Cooper. I don’t think he’ll fall out of the top 10, though, so we need to look elsewhere for good targets for the 49ers in this game.
Similarly, safety Landon Collins both doesn’t fit a pressing need and probably won’t last to the 49ers pick, so Alabama might be right out of the question.
Ohio State, on the other hand, offers two interesting names to watch out for. I’m not sure Mike Bennett fits easily into a 3-4 system; he’s a 4-3 defensive tackle who would either need to move to the nose or a 3-4 defensive end. I think end is the more logical position, which would allow him to use his high motor and good vision to make plays in the backfield.
A better fit for San Francisco is probably receiver Devin Smith. His numbers don’t jump off the page at you—only 30 receptions for 799 yards, though the 11 touchdowns sound nice.
I think that’s poor usage at Ohio State, though, rather than a lack of talent. Smith is a big-play threat with good straight-line speed. He might have a big day against Alabama, which would send his draft stock through the roof.
Armed Forces Bowl (January 2, Noon): Houston vs. Pittsburgh
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There are four or five offensive tackles who could come off the board in the first round of the 2015 draft. The 49ers are unlikely to take any of them in the first round, but every year, it seems like one or two first-round offensive linemen slide their way back into Round 2.
Perhaps the same will be true of Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings. The big knock against Clemmings is that he’s only been on offense for two years, having made the switch after the 2012 season. That’s not a lot of experience when compared to the other top tackles, and Clemmings might need some more seasoning.
On the flipside, Clemmings is a 6’5”, 313-pound juggernaut of a tackle. He shows instinctive and natural athleticism and quickness, and he has been a quick study of technique. He needs more reps as a tackle, but reps are something you can give a player—you can’t gift them size and strength like Clemmings has.
Clemmings is a developmental prospect on the NFL level, which is risky for a first- or second-round pick. Whoever gambles on Clemmings, however, could have the top offensive tackle in football in two or three years.
TaxSlayer Bowl (January 2, 3:20 P.M.): Iowa vs. Tennessee
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The top prospect in this game will be Iowa tackle Brandon Scherff. Scherff will go early, though, and since tackle’s not a pressing need for the 49ers, there’s little likelihood they’d make a move to go up and get him.
Instead, look at a defensive tackle from Iowa: Carl Davis. Davis will likely move to defensive end if a 3-4 defense like the 49ers' picks him—at 6’5” and 315 pounds, he has the size to play the position.
He’s not going to rack up huge sack totals on the NFL level, as he’s not an explosive pass-rusher. That’s OK; that’s not what a 3-4 end is asked to do.
What he can do is take on an opposing tackle or guard head-on and push him back into the pocket, forcing quarterbacks to scramble into someone like Aldon Smith or Aaron Lynch. He has a good initial surge that allows him to win battles early.
I worry about his ability to handle double-teams in the NFL, and he sometimes loses the battle of pad position, so the opposing lineman gets leverage.
That’s what makes him a second-round prospect rather than a first-round possibility, though, so if the 49ers go receiver in the first round, someone like Davis might be their answer in Round 2.
Alamo Bowl (January 2, 6:45 P.M.): Kansas State vs. UCLA
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This bowl game is filled to the brim with potential middle-round picks.
From UCLA, it starts with quarterback Brett Hundley. If you’ve already taken one step off the Colin Kaepernick bandwagon, a potential second-round quarterback like Hundley would be the logical next step. If whoever coaches the 49ers in 2015 isn’t sold on Kaepernick, you could see a promising player like Hundley be taken—not someone who would compete for the job in 2015 but could take it over in 2016.
Barring that, there are a couple of interesting defenders on UCLA. They run a 4-3 primarily, so it’s a bit questionable as to whether defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa or inside linebacker Eric Kendricks would fit into Vic Fangio’s system, but both are very talented players.
A big key to Kansas State’s success has been its interior line, led by center B.J. Finney. But it’s receiver Tyler Lockett who should grab your attention. A potential third-round pick if the 49ers choose to address the offensive and defensive lines with their first two selections, Lockett has finished with more than 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons.
Cactus Bowl (January 2, 10:15 P.M.): Washington vs. Oklahoma State
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The biggest name in this game is probably Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton, but I don’t see him lasting long enough for the 49ers to take him. Besides, he’s more of a nose tackle than a defensive end, and in the first round, I think the 49ers wouldn’t take a nose tackle.
Coming into the season, I would have highlighted Marcus Peters, but he was dismissed from the team in November for clashing with the coaching staff. That leaves Shaq Thompson, CBS’ top-rated outside linebacker in this year’s draft class.
He’s not just an outside linebacker, though—he’s a two-way player. Thompson doubles as a running back, finishing with 456 rushing yards on the season.
He also essentially functions as the team’s nickelback, lining up against slot receivers and covering them down the field. He won't be a running back in the NFL, but he could well be a safety, linebacker or some sort of hybrid.
That’s the sort of versatility that would have me intrigued as a head coach. Just don’t ask him to switch sports again.
Birmingham Bowl (January 3, Noon): East Carolina vs. Florida
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Florida’s Dante Fowler has experience in a variety of different fronts and looks—as a 4-3 defensive end, a 3-4 defensive end and a 3-4 outside linebacker. His best NFL position is probably in a four-man line, thanks to his relatively slim build for a lineman (6’3”, 260 lbs), but he’s versatile enough that the 49ers could find a way to use him in their 3-4 defense.
Fowler was even occasionally used as a nose tackle in Florida, though he won’t be doing that in the pros at only 260 pounds. He’s a pass-rusher first and foremost, with power to drive offensive tackles back into quarterbacks. He’s a bit undisciplined, occasionally going after the quarterback and letting the running back slip right by him, but that’s something he can work on and improve.
Once he gets a little better at sticking to his assignments, Fowler’s versatility will make him a huge asset on the NFL level. If the 49ers bring in a new coaching staff, someone like Fowler could help make a transition to whatever defense the new coach brings with them that much easier.
GoDaddy Bowl (January 4, 9 P.M.): Toledo vs. Arkansas State
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We end not with a bang but a whimper. The real last bowl game is the National Championship, but we don’t know which teams will be in it yet. That leaves a meaningless bowl on January 4 between Toledo and Arkansas State, two teams without much in the way of draft prospects.
I’m going to highlight Toledo guard Greg Mancz, a second-team All-American and the MAC’s most valuable player. He’s not a big-time NFL prospect, but any time an offensive lineman gets pegged for an award like that—which has gone to quarterbacks or running backs 27 out of 33 times—you have to take notice. It’s worth a late-round pick or a UDFA flier, for sure.
Bryan Knowles is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Follow him @BryKno on Twitter.
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