San Francisco 49ers Draft Countdown: Making the Case for Dorial Green-Beckham

If the San Francisco 49ers spend their first-round draft pick on a wide receiver, they should spend it on Dorial Green-Beckham.

Green-Beckham almost certainly will drop to the Niners at the No. 15 pick. Police arrested him twice for incidents involving marijuana while he was at the University of Missouri—once in 2012 and once in 2014, according to USA Today. 

On April 11, 2014, Missouri’s football team dismissed him after he allegedly broke into an apartment and pushed a woman down a flight of stairs, although, as NFL.com notes, the district attorney never charged him with a crime. Green-Beckham transferred to the University of Oklahoma in 2014 but never played a game for it.

Some teams probably will remove Green-Beckham from their draft board for his off-field issues. The Niners might not be one of those teams.

Based on the Niners' history, they seem very forgiving. They recently signed wide receiver Jerome Simpson, who has been involved in two marijuana-related incidents in his career. Niners fullback Bruce Miller allegedly pushed his fiancee to the ground on March 5. The district attorney hasn’t filed charges against Miller, and the Niners haven’t cut him.

If the Niners tolerate Miller’s and Simpson’s off-field issues, why would they object to Green-Beckham?

They most likely will focus more on Green-Beckham’s actions on the field than his past issues off it. Green-Beckham is a rare athlete—6’5”, 237 pounds, 4.49 40-yard dash, 6.89 three-cone drill. He’s a giant red-zone target with speed to be a deep threat too.

To put him in perspective, let’s compare him to other top wide receivers.

1. Kevin White vs. Green-Beckham

In 2013, Green-Beckham caught 59 passes for 883 yards and 12 touchdowns at the University of Missouri. He was 20.

When White was 20, he played in junior college. When he was 21, he caught only 35 passes at West Virginia. He didn’t dominate until he was 22. Maybe he’s a late bloomer, or maybe he’s a one-year wonder.

If he and Green-Beckham were in last year’s draft, teams would have picked Green-Beckham way before White.

Advantage: Green-Beckham

2. DeVante Parker vs. Green-Beckham

Parker and Green-Beckham both were 20 in 2013. Compare their numbers from that season.

Parker: 55 catches, 885 yards, 12 touchdowns.

Green-Beckham: 59 catches, 883 yards, 12 touchdowns.

Their numbers practically are identical. Now, factor in their quarterbacks. Parker played with Teddy Bridgewater, a first-round pick. Green-Beckham played with James Franklin, an undrafted free agent. Franklin’s arm was weak and inaccurate. Green-Beckham’s numbers would have improved had he played with Bridgewater.

Now, factor in their injury histories. Green-Beckham hardly has one. He sprained his ankle in 2013 but didn’t miss a game. Parker broke his foot last season and missed six games.

The Niners spent their first-round pick last year on a player recovering from a broken foot—Jimmie Ward. He re-broke it midseason and spent the final seven weeks of the season on the injured reserve list. The Niners can’t afford to spend another first-round pick on player with a bad wheel.

Advantage: Green-Beckham

3. Breshad Perriman vs. Green-Beckham

Perriman is hot because he ran a 4.24 40-yard dash at his pro day. He is faster than Green-Beckham but not better.

In 2012 and 2013, Perriman made just seven touchdown catches, while Green-Beckham made 17. Perriman’s quarterback those years was Blake Bortles, a first-round pick. Perriman was a complementary receiver, a deep threat. Bortles threw him an occasional deep pass. Three of Perriman's teammates caught more passes than him in 2013.

Green-Beckham is a deep threat, but he’s more than that. He is a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

Advantage: Green-Beckham

4. Kelvin Benjamin vs. Green-Beckham

Green-Beckham and Benjamin produced similar numbers in college. Benjamin caught 84 passes for 1,506 yards and 19 touchdowns in two seasons at Florida State, and Green-Beckham caught 87 passes for 1,278 yards and 17 touchdowns in two seasons at Missouri.

Draft experts downgraded Benjamin for the same reason they downgrade Green-Beckham—pour route running. Which is strange. If you’re looking for a good route-runner, draft a small receiver. Very few 6’5” receivers who are nearly 240 pounds run good routes.

Benjamin’s poor routes haven't hurt him in the NFL. He caught 73 passes for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie, and he made the Pro Bowl. He will be the Carolina Panthers' go-to player on offense for years. So much for the experts’ critique of him.

What’s the difference between him and Green-Beckham? Green-Beckham is faster (he runs a 4.49; Benjamin runs a 4.61) and more than two years younger.

Advantage: Green-Beckham

5. Brandon Marshall vs. Green-Beckham

Marshall (6'4", 230 lbs) might be the best comparison for Green-Beckham. Neither has the advantage over the other. They're both big, fast and quick.

The Niners should value receivers like them. Marshall scored three touchdowns in one game last season against the Niners. He beat their first-round pick, Jimmie Ward, every time. Jay Cutler just threw the ball up, and Ward had no chance to defend the pass. Ward is five inches shorter than Marshall.

Imagine if Colin Kaepernick could have thrown the ball up to Green-Beckham instead of Michael Crabtree at the end of the Super Bowl. The Niners might have won. They’ve needed a receiver like Green-Beckham for years, and finally they will get one.

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