2010 NFL Mock Draft: San Francisco 49ers Pick Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant

I’m going out a very thin limb here when I make a case for Dez Bryant.

In 2009, before he got suspended for lying to the NCAA about conversing with Deion Sanders, he accumulated 17 catches, 323 yards, and four touchdowns.

Incredible athlete, incredible player, and an incredible risk.

Since his suspension, he's refused to show his talent. He listened to the advice of sports agent Eugene Parker and Deion Sanders, an NFL superstar. These guys are risky guys to listen to because your job as a rookie is to earn your money usually. Parker and Sanders think that the rookie needs to be paid first.
 
It is really a reckless move. I don’t have any kinds of combine stats for Dez Bryant because he didn’t attend any of them, and reports from personal workouts have him timed from a low 4.5 to a high 4.6 40 time.

That’s not blazing speed, yet when I watched film of him, it didn’t look like 4.6 speed to me, and I cannot ignore the fact that his talent is almost off the charts.

His strides are just beautiful when I watch him run. He has quickness coming off the line and stallion speed going deep. His jump is something amazing to watch, and he can just play the ball brilliantly.

His hands are amazing. He made some freakish catches that you’d think a college guy couldn’t do. His balance is tremendous. Multiple times I saw him shake away from defenders and still keep his body off the ground as he raced off for a touchdown.

Look at his stats from 2008, and you’ll see those of a top-five NFL wide receiver. He had 87 receptions for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns.

WOW! He was actually a preseason favorite for the Heisman Trophy, but then he was suspended, and our dear Mark Ingram won the coveted award.

Bryant decided to forgo his senior year and enter the draft as a junior after he was suspended.
 
At 6'2", he’s a nightmare for any defensive back because he’s so big and hard to defend. If an accurate quarterback throws the ball high enough, you can forget about any 5'10" cornerback knocking it down.

I look at his film, and this young man just knows how to play football. He’s just a highlight reel every week.

I think he’s a perfect fit for the 49ers because they’ve finally got Alex Smith, the former top overall pick, to perform at a starter’s level. They added Michael Crabtree last year, who, despite playing in only 11 games, had 625 yards receiving and two touchdowns on 48 catches.

Throw in Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis, who had 965 yards receiving from 78 catches, along with Frank Gore, who had 1,120 rushing yards on 229 attempts, and that’s a very good set of offensive weapons.

Furthermore, I looked at the production of their other receiver, Josh Morgan. He had 52 catches, four more than Crabtree, yet had 98 fewer yards with 527. That’s a waste of a receiver spot if he can’t get more yards than Crabtree when he plays in four more games.

Move Morgan into the slot or wherever and give Bryant those passes and see if he can make more than 527 yards. I’d bet my shoes on it that he would.

The 49ers have a tough defensive team, and if they add Bryant, they could do it all with both pass and run. I would certainly go for it.

Mike Singletary is not afraid to take on prima donna college athletes. He’ll make men out of them in training camp, and he’ll get them ready for what needs to be done.

I really think that Dez Bryant has a great chance of being drafted by the 49ers. They drafted Michael Crabtree, and he did all right. Bryant shouldn’t be that hard of a challenge for Singletary to rein in.

The 49ers defense was fourth in total points allowed and 15th in total yards. They are a strong defensive team. They just need a powerful offense, and who knows? Maybe the 49ers will come back to power again.

That’s certainly a scary thought.