San Francisco 49ers Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
This weekend, the San Francisco 49ers can make up for doing next to nothing in free agency earlier in the offseason. They have 12 draft picks—more than enough to start remaking the roster in the image of new head coach Chip Kelly.
How will Kelly construct his latest creation? What type of team do the 49ers intend to build? This is the place to find out.
Follow along for instant grades and analysis as the Niners make their picks.
49ers' Picks
1 of 12All 12 draft picks probably won't make the 49ers' 53-man roster. What should the Niners do with all of those picks? They have a couple of options.
Option 1: Draft-injured players. That's what the 49ers did the last time they had 12 draft picks. They took five players who spent their rookie seasons on the injured reserve list: guard Brandon Thomas, cornerbacks Keith Reaser and Kenneth Acker, defensive end Kaleb Ramsey and fullback Trey Millard.
Option 2: Trade up. The Niners can package multiple picks together to move up in a trade. They could trade their first- and third-round picks this year plus a fourth-round pick next year to the Dallas Cowboys for the fourth pick and take Florida State's Jalen Ramsey. Or, the Niners could trade up to the back end of the first round and draft a quarterback.
Round 1, Pick 7: DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon Ducks
2 of 12For the second year in a row, the 49ers spent their first-round pick on the player most experts expected them to take.
Last year, many expects predicted the Niners would draft Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead, and they did. This year, many experts predicted the Niners would draft Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner, and they did.
Buckner and Armstead are practically carbon copies of one another. Both are 6'7", both play 4-technique defensive end in a 3-4 defense and both are outstanding interior pass-rushers on third down and 2nd-and-long.
Buckner may be even better at rushing the passer than Armstead. According to the Pro Football Focus 2016 Draft Guide, Buckner recorded 12 sacks, 16 quarterbacks hits and 39 quarterback hurries last season. Armstead never has produced numbers like those. Together, Armstead and Buckner could become one of the top interior rushing duos in the league.
But, both could struggle against the run next season, especially Buckner. He needs to get stronger to hold his ground at the point of attack. Michigan State's Jack Conklin, the eighth pick in the draft (Tennessee Titans), pushed Buckner around when they faced off last season.
Grade: B
Round 1, Pick 28: Joshua Garnett, G, Stanford Cardinal
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The San Francisco 49ers have traded a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for pick No. 28. With that pick, the 49ers have taken Stanford guard Joshua Garnett.
As the first round unfolded, many of us expected the Niners to trade into the back end of the first round to take a quarterback to eventually replace Colin Kaepernick. But when the Denver Broncos traded up to pick No. 26 to take Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, it became clear Kaepernick probably would play for the 49ers in 2016.
So, the Niners did NOT trade back into the first round for a quarterback. Instead, they traded up to fill an even bigger need: guard. The Niners never properly replaced Mike Iupati, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2015.
Garnett will be a great replacement. Like Iupati, Garnett is an extremely powerful run-blocker who most likely will become an instant starter.
Grade: A
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Round 3, Pick 68: Will Redmond, CB, Mississippi State
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The Niners' top need is inside linebacker, but no player from that position merited a selection at pick No. 68. Instead of reaching for their No. 1 need, the Niners filled a lesser need with a highly talented player: cornerback Will Redmond from Mississippi State.
Redmond (6'0", 186 lbs) was a backup corner and nickelback until his senior season when he finally became a starter on the outside. Through the first seven games of 2015, Redmond recorded 25 tackles and two interceptions. But he tore his right ACL during practice in October and missed the final six games of the season.
Redmond probably would have gotten drafted much higher than pick No. 68 if he hadn't torn his ACL. He has elite speed, exceptional quickness and the potential to become a shutdown cornerback. But he may not play next season. He suffered his knee injury only six months ago and is still rehabbing.
This pick is risky. None of the players the Niners have drafted with torn ACLs have panned out yet.
GRADE: B
Round 4, Pick 133: Rashard Robinson, CB, LSU
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After spending a third-round pick on cornerback Will Redmond who made just seven starts in college and has a torn ACL, the Niners spent their fourth-round pick on cornerback Rashard Robinson who made just eight starts in college and was suspended for part of 2014 and all of 2015.
Robinson (6'1", 171 lbs) ran a 4.43 at his pro day, and has 32 ¼-inch arms, which means he has the size, speed and length to play outside cornerback in a press-man scheme.
The problem? Since high school, Robinson has intercepted just one pass, appeared in only 20 games and played in none since 2014. LSU suspended him indefinitely after he failed multiple drug tests and was arrested in 2015 for breaking into an apartment, according to Niners Nation.
The Niners are digging awfully deep. Maybe Robinson was the only injury-free corner they could find.
GRADE: D
Round 5, Pick 142: Ronald Blair, DE, Appalachian State
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In Round 1, the 49ers drafted Oregon's DeForest Buckner—a 3-4 defensive end who specializes in the rushing the quarterback. In Round 5, the 49ers drafted Appalachian State's Ronald Blair—a 3-4 defensive end who specializes in defending the run.
Blair (6'2", 284 lbs), is a powerful bull-rusher who can play defensive tackle in sub-packages. But his main value will be in the base defense as a defensive end. Blair is extremely strong (32 reps on the bench) and long (34-inch arms), so he's a terrific asset at setting the edge against the run.
Chip Kelly's defense tends to play more snaps than any other defense in the NFL, so he needs a rotation of defensive linemen. Blair improves that rotation.
GRADE: B
Round 5, Pick 145: John Theus, OT, Georgia
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Until Anthony Davis files for reinstatement with the NFL (which he may never do), right tackle will be one of the 49ers' biggest needs.
Georgia's John Theus (6'6", 313 lbs) started as a freshman in the SEC and played both left and right tackle in college.
Theus most likely will become the 49ers' backup swing tackle, someone who can come off the bench and play either tackle spot. He has the athleticism to protect the quarterback's blind-side, and he's a good enough run-blocker to play on the right.
But Theus put up just 19 reps on the bench at his pro day, which means his strength is an issue. So he may not play much his rookie season.
GRADE: B
Round 5, Pick 174: Fahn Cooper, OT, Ole Miss
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After spending back-to-back picks on corners in Rounds 3 and 4, the Niners spent back-to-back picks on offensive tackles in Round 5.
The second offensive tackle was Fahn Cooper from Ole Miss. Like the other tackle the Niners drafted, Georgia's John Theus, Cooper played on the left and right side of the line in the SEC. He and Cooper could be swing tackles for the 49ers.
But, neither Theus nor Cooper is likely to play next season. Both put up just 19 reps on the bench at the combine and must get stronger to function in the NFL.
Did the 49ers really need to take two project offensive tackles in the same draft? Maybe the Niners feel taking two increases the odds one will pan out. Seems like a waste of a pick, especially for a team with as many needs as the Niners have.
GRADE: D
Round 6, Pick 207: Jeff Driskel, QB, Louisiana Tech
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Most people expected the 49ers to draft a quarterback at some point during the draft. The question was whether they'd pick a mobile quarterback like the ones Chip Kelly coached at Oregon or a stationary quarterback like the ones Kelly coached in Philadelphia.
The answer: a mobile quarterback. With pick No. 207, the 49ers drafted Louisiana Tech's Jeff Driskel (6'4", 234 lbs), who ran a 4.56 at the combine. He's fast and built to take a beating, which means he fits perfectly in Kelly's offense.
Driskel isn't just a runner, though. He attempted 448 passes and threw for 4,026 yards and 28 touchdowns last season. He has an extremely quick release and enough talent to become the 49ers' starting quarterback in 2017.
GRADE: A
Round 6, Pick 211: Kelvin Taylor, RB, Florida
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Kelvin Taylor, the son of legendary running back Fred Taylor, was the 49ers' ninth draft pick.
Kelvin isn't anywhere near as good as his father, but he does have talent. Last season, he gained 1,036 yards on the ground and scored 13 touchdowns in the SEC. Not bad. He also forced 48 missed tackles on 259 rushing attempts, according to the Pro Football Focus 2016 Draft Guide.
Taylor (5'10", 207 lbs) ran a 4.60 at the combine, which is not a fast time for a running back. But he's extremely quick and elusive, traits that should make him an effective change-of-pace running back for Carlos Hyde down the line.
Taylor probably will start next season at the bottom of the running back depth chart, but he could climb the chart quickly if the running backs ahead fail to make a positive impact.
GRADE: B+
Round 6, Pick 213: Aaron Burbridge, WR, Michigan State
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The 49ers were smart to wait until Round 6 to draft a wide receiver.
The 49ers have taken a receiver in Round 4 each of the past three drafts. In 2013, they took Quinton Patton in Round 4. In 2014, they took Bruce Ellington in Round 4. And in 2015, they took DeAndre Smelter in Round 4.
None of those three receivers has gotten much of a chance to play in the NFL. They've been sitting on the bench behind Anquan Boldin, who's currently a free agent. The Niners need to play those young fourth-round picks to find out what they can do before investing another high pick on a wide receiver.
Round 6 was the perfect time to target a receiver, and Aaron Burbridge was the perfect receiver to target. Burbridge, who has the athletic traits to play all three receiver positions in Kelly's offense, was a highly productive player in the Big Ten last season. While he may never crack the Niners' starting lineup, he will be an important backup for the next few seasons.
GRADE: A-
Round 7, Pick 249: Prince Charles Iworah, CB, Western Kentucky
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With their final pick in the 2016 draft, the 49ers selected cornerback Prince Charles Iworah from Western Kentucky.
Iworah (5'9", 192 pounds) is a strong corner (25 reps on the bench) who also is extremely fast (4.32 40-yard dash at his pro day). But he's also short and extremely undeveloped for an NFL corner. Despite his freak athleticism, he struggles in coverage, especially man-to-man coverage, which the 49ers use a lot.
This pick doesn't make sense. The Niners already drafted two corners this year. Did they really need to take a third corner? Iworah has practically zero chance to make the final roster. He most likely will play on the practice squad next season.
Instead of taking Iworah, the Niners probably should have drafted an inside linebacker. Arizona's Scooby Wright III was available.
GRADE: F
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