Reassessing 49ers' Offseason Plan and Breaking Down What's Left to Address
Former inside linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland forced the San Francisco 49ers to reassess their entire offseason plan.
When the offseason began, the Niners' biggest needs were wide receiver and cornerback. Former 49ers starting corner Chris Culliver signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the Washington Redskins. To replace him, the 49ers signed former San Diego Chargers corner Shareece Wright to a one-year deal worth $4 million.
Wright is a one-year stopgap and not a great one. Pro Football Focus gave him a minus-16.8 grade last season. The Niners still need a corner.
They also need a wide receiver. Niners receiver Anquan Boldin will be a 35-year-old free agent in 2016.
They were in position to spend their first two draft picks on a receiver and a corner. Then Willis and Borland retired, and inside linebacker became the Niners’ biggest need by far. Now what do they do?
If they wait until the later rounds to draft an inside linebacker, they still can get a corner and a receiver with their first two picks, but they probably can’t get an inside linebacker who can start Week 1 his rookie season.
If the Niners spend one of their top two picks on an inside linebacker, then they'd have to live with Wright in the starting lineup or put off drafting Boldin’s replacement for another year.
It’s a conundrum. There may be no right answer.
The Niners must decide whether they need to draft a top-notch inside linebacker or merely a solid one. Here are their five best options in ascending order.
Honorable Mentions: Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA; and Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
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Former UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks and former Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson are two of the best linebackers in the draft. They are quick and fast enough to run sideline to sideline and cover tight ends and running backs in the NFL. They will most likely be drafted in Round 1 or Round 2, although probably not by the Niners.
Kendricks weighs 232 pounds; Thompson weighs 228. They’re small linebackers (both 6'0"), and they can play just one position in the 49ers defense—right inside linebacker. That’s NaVorro Bowman’s position. The Niners aren’t replacing him.
They’re replacing Willis and Borland, who were big and stout enough to play on the strong side of the defense at left inside linebacker. Borland weighed 248 pounds—20 pounds more than Thompson.
Borland was one of the toughest, strongest linebackers in the league last year. He was a “take-on linebacker,” as football coaches say, meaning he took on blocks from offensive linemen. The Niners need to draft a take-on linebacker.
5. Hayes Pullard, LB, University of Southern California
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Before the combine, former USC linebacker Hayes Pullard seemed to fall under the same category as Thompson and Kendricks—good, skinny linebackers the Niners probably won’t draft.
Then at the combine, Pullard measured in at 6’0”, 240 pounds. Apparently, he isn’t too small to play for the Niners. In fact, he has a lot in common with Bowman. They’re the same height and weight, and they're quick like running backs because they both played that position in high school.
Pullard is an instinctive run defender and a natural in man-to-man coverage. He has the potential to play both inside positions for the Niners.
But he might not be able to play either one right away. He bench-pressed 225 pounds just 19 times at the combine. That’s a small number of reps for an inside linebacker. Pullard might be a special teams player in the NFL until he gets stronger.
That is unless I’m underestimating his strength, in which case he’d be a steal in Round 3 or Round 4.
4. Denzel Perryman, LB, University of Miami
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Strength isn’t former Miami (Florida) linebacker Denzel Perryman’s issue. He is the strongest inside linebacker in the draft. He’s a better fit than Pullard at left inside linebacker.
Perryman posted 27 reps on the bench at the combine then 30 reps at his pro day. He is 236 pounds of pure muscle, and he might be the best take-on linebacker prospect available this year.
Borland was the best take-on linebacker prospect last year. He and Perryman share traits. They’re both shorter than 6’0” (5'11"), and they’re both strong like linemen.
And they’re both slow. Borland ran a 4.83 40-yard dash. Perryman ran a 4.78 at the combine then a 4.70 at his pro day, which still isn’t very fast for a 236-pound linebacker.
Like Borland, Perryman is terrific between the tackles but gets exposed when chasing a running back to the sideline or covering a tight end. Perryman couldn’t do those things even in college. He was a two-down linebacker, meaning Miami took him off the field during passing situations. That probably won’t change in the NFL.
If the Niners want the best two-down linebacker in the draft, they can get Perryman in Round 3.
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3. Paul Dawson, LB, Texas Christian University
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Former TCU linebacker Paul Dawson was the best inside linebacker in college football last season. He did everything.
He was a great run defender, a great pass-rusher and a great coverage linebacker. He gave up a completion percentage of just 35.7. He had five sacks, 10 quarterback hits and 11 hurries last season, and his run-stopping percentage was 23.2—by far the best in the country, according to Pro Football Focus.
To put that in perspective, Borland’s run-stopping percentage was 21.3 last season, and he led the NFL in that statistic.
Dawson seemed like a better prospect than Borland, potentially even a legitimate replacement for Patrick Willis, one of the greatest three-down linebackers ever.
But Dawson bombed at the combine. He ran a putrid 4.93 40-yard dash. He did better as his pro day, running a 4.75. But that’s still slower Perryman’s pro-day time. Maybe Dawson isn’t athletic enough to play three downs in the NFL.
Or maybe Dawson plays faster than he tests. He moves much better than Perryman when they’re in pads.
Tests show Dawson is lightning-quick. He ran a 6.76 three-cone drill at the combine, and that’s special. It’s faster than many defensive backs’ times. It’s almost as fast as Bowman’s three-cone time—6.70 at his pro day—and he was one of the quickest linebackers in the NFL before he tore his ACL and MCL.
It’s tough to know what to make of Dawson. He could be special like Bowman, or he could be athletically unfit to play in the NFL.
The Niners seem interested in him, though. NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reports they will meet with Dawson at their facility soon. If they like him, they probably can draft him in Round 3, but they might have to trade up a few spots.
2. Stephone Anthony, LB, Clemson University
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Former Clemson linebacker Stephone Anthony is the most athletic inside linebacker in the draft. He moves like Patrick Willis. Compare their combine numbers:
Anthony: 6’3”, 243 pounds, 4.56 40-yard dash, 122-inch broad jump, 37-inch vertical jump, 23 bench press reps, 7.07 three-cone drill, 4.03 20-yard shuttle.
Willis: 6’1”, 242 pounds, 4.51 40-yard dash, 119-inch broad jump, 39-inch vertical jump, 22 bench press reps, 7.23 three-cone drill, 4.46 20-yard shuttle.
Willis is faster, but Anthony is bigger and stronger. And they’re both explosive. But Willis was instinctive and athletic. Anthony is just athletic.
Read this critique of Anthony by NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein:
"He tries to get downhill, but more often it feels like he’s guessing rather than instinctive…Below-average take-on skills. Plays with poor leverage when taking on blocks. Needs to improve hand usage and utilize better arm extension to keep blockers off him. Has tendency to side-step blocks and open run lanes.
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Willis didn’t do those things in college, but he was an elite prospect, the 11th pick in 2007. Anthony probably will be a second-round pick. If the Niners feel they can improve his instincts—are instincts improvable?—Anthony can become the best linebacker in this draft class.
1. Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State University
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Former Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney is big, fast and instinctive—a legitimate take-on linebacker who plays three downs. He’s similar to former Mississippi State linebacker and current Seattle Seahawks star K.J. Wright. Let’s compare them:
McKinney: 6’4”, 246 pounds, 4.66 40-yard dash, 121-inch broad jump, 40 ½-inch vertical jump, 33-inch arms, 16 bench press reps, 7.21 three-cone drill, 4.27 20-yard shuttle.
Wright: 6’3”, 246 pounds, 4.75 40-yard dash, 120-inch broad jump, 32-inch vertical jump, 34 ⅞-inch arms, 20 bench press reps, 7.26 three-cone drill, 4.46 20-yard shuttle.
Any way you look at it, McKinney is more athletic than Wright. And Wright is a heck of a player. Pro Football Focus graded him the sixth-best 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL last season.
McKinney has the athleticism to play strong-side linebacker in a 4-3 or left inside linebacker in a 3-4. The Niners use a 3-4. McKinney can do everything the Niners want a left inside linebacker to do—take on blocks, run sideline to sideline and cover tight ends.
According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net, the NFL invited McKinney to attend the draft, which means it expects a team to take him in Round 1. If the Niners really want him, they can try to trade down from the No. 15 pick and get him in the late 20s.
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