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49ers draft day 2 recap: good, bad, ugly

By Samuel Lam | April 27th, 2008

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Throughout the whole day, I was really pushing for the 49ers to get a QB in the draft. I don’t hae faith in either haun Hill or Alex Smith coming out of camp being very definitive. And more importantly, I really don’t know if either one are ready for the big stage. Drafting a QB would be a great security for the team. But sadly, that isn’t the case since the 49ers didn’t draft any QBs. So with that, my thoughts on the four picks the team had today.

Round 3
Pick #12 (75)
Reggie Smith
Cornerback, Oklahoma
6′1″, 197 pounds
A serious noodle-scratcher for me. For the most part, I am not going to deny his talent. But why him and why now? The Niners have already one of the best secondaries available. I don’t see them losing any player in the mean time. Donald Strickland, who had some troubles earlier, should still be with the team and I don’t see a rookie trying to fight him for a position on the depth chart.

But what works for him is his ability to play both CB and S, but not having too much of a defined position could hurt him. However, he has a great ability to break for the ball. Great knack for the ball, but not as aggressive as I think he should be.

His downfall is his foot injury that might not have full healed. He did OK at the combine, so there isn’t much about him that gives me a reason to cheer.

Approval?: No. This was the team’s chance to grab a linebacker, wide out or even someone on special teams. But they opted to go this route. I don’t think the timing was right to draft him so high. I hope that I am proven wrong. Maybe special teams for him?

Round 4
Pick #8 (107)
Cody Wallace
Center, Texas A&M
6′4″, 296 pounds
David Baas is hurt, so finding another potential center makes sense at this point. Simply put, he will back up Eric Heitmann, switching in and out of the games.

He can play backup guard, but his ability to really overpower the opposition and open holes is what makes him good. The Niners need a strong O-Linea nd solidifying a position that has seen some injuries would be good. He can push the opposition back and is very good with his legs. He was OK at the Senior Bowl, but that can be improved upon.

Approval?: Yes. The 49ers need a guy like him and they got him. So I can say that this is good.

Round 6
Pick #8 (174)
Josh Morgan
Wide Receiver, Virginia Tech
6′1″, 210 pounds
Finally! A wide out! Now this wasn’t the guy I had hoped for, but I think he can be something. He has a good size frame and he is a lot of potential. Last year, the Niners took Jason Hill with their third pick, but he hasn’t seen any action. I know that Morgan won’t get that treatment.

Great break away speed, great at separation and isn’t afraid to go inside. Perfect for a slot receiver, which is something the team needed. The little things like blocking, footwork will be the topic of discussion. But such raw talent can be molded under Martz’s system.

Approval?: Yes. A wide receiever! Yes!.

Round 7
Pick #7 (214)
Larry Grant
Outside Linebacker, Ohio State
6′3″, 216 pounds
No QB with the final pick, but a player that Patrick Willis needed. An outside linebacker will give the team a bigger pass rush defense, forcing more runs from the opposition. Those runners will get eaten by Willis.

Great pursuit and athleticism, which embodies the new look defense. He can start immediately if needed, and it will be graet for the team having a player that is very similar to Willis. One thing to take note of is his lack of Division-I experience, playing only two years in it. He is not that great with his hands (breaking out of blocks and making tackles), but I can still see some improvement in that department.

Approval?: Yes. One of the players the team needed and the team got it. He might see a lot of action this season.

Still disappointed the team didn’t draft a QB while Green Bay nabbed Brohm and Flynn to back Aaron Rodgers. Heck, the Buccaneers have like seven of them. The Niners need one…

However, the second day of the draft wasn’t too bad. Only one player I don’t like. And for the most part, the team has a lot to learn before the season.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 27th, 2008 at 4:30 pm and is filed under Reggie Smith, Josh Morgan, Cody Wallace, 2008 Draft, Larry Grant, Rookies, 49ers, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

11 Responses to “49ers draft day 2 recap: good, bad, ugly”

ArtDog says:

April 28th, 2008 at 9:11 pm

Ahh man, this was a draft that was deep at quarterback. Maybe not the greatest QB’s, but many with upside. The fact that they didn’t take advantage of drafting one should bother all niner fans. Ainge, Booty, Dixon, and Brennan in the 5th & 6th rounds. Come on! And it all starts with that silly 3rd round pick. If they pick WR there, then there is no need to pick WR with the 6th pick and there they could have picked up a QB. C+ grade is generous comin from Mel Kuip.
Samuel Lam says:

April 28th, 2008 at 9:47 pm

The draft was major conservative. I was really hoping them to take that chance on a wide out or QB with the early pick, but they didn’t. I just don’t know why. C+ is generous, but I’ll give them that just on the fact that they did exactly what they needed to do on some aspects.
ArtDog says:

April 28th, 2008 at 10:33 pm

What do the 49ers do here with QB? I can’t believe they stay with the QB’s they have. Do they really want the same scenario with injury prone QB’s and having to use the likes of Chris tWeinke and, god forbid, recently retired Dilfer? 9ers dropped the ball as far as getting a solid QB. Who’s undrafted that might get a look there? Kyle Wright? San jose’s Qb? TC Ostrander…hmm
Samuel Lam says:

April 28th, 2008 at 11:31 pm

I really don’t know. Honestly, I cannot think of a scenario where they have to stick with what they do. Maybe Martz has something set already. But realistically, if Shaun Hill and Alex Smith both fail, is JT OSullivan the answer? Definitely not
Nick T says:

April 29th, 2008 at 5:10 am

Be honest were you happy with the draft?
Samuel Lam says:

April 29th, 2008 at 9:04 am

In the middle. I was disappointed that they didn’t draft a QB or WR higher, but glad that they drafted some players they needed. So, I guess I am OK with it.
CHRIS BENITEZ says:

April 29th, 2008 at 11:57 am

QUESTIONS???

S. Hill Looked good at the end of last season.. Alex Smith looked good with the right O. Coordinator.. M. Martz Loves Sullivan.. thats THREE quarterbacks that have potential to all be starters and make something of themselves.. WHY ADD MORE QUESTIONS TO THAT POSITION??

I. Bruce is our new Num. 1 and our new Num. 2 is B. Johnson.. which now means our Num 1 last year is now our Num. 3 WR and don’t forget we have A. Lelie who is that perfect wr that fits in M. Martz system..that 4 WR’s soooo WHY ADD MORE QUESTIONS TO THAT POSITION??

Our biggest needs were Offensive and Defensive Line.. We Our way stronger at LB then DL soooo we’ll be seeing almost all 3-4 this year.. so we needed a big strong DL to help P. Willis.. Remember a few years back when the RAVENS selected that Big DT NGATA from Oregon to help R. Lewis?? Well thats exactly what they did by taking K. Balmer.. and if you recall it did wonders for R. Lewis making him that elite LB once again.. Solid pickups at G and C.. we lacked lots of depth there.. picked up a WR as insurance.. and also an OLB.. who I think can be a real steal.. I’ve seen him play back when he went to San Francisco City College and dude is a beast.. and to go to OHIO ST?? shows you that he isn’t just an average LB.. He has great size and quickness and just has that natural instinct that an OLB needs to have.. I Myself think it could be one of our better drafts in recent years by the fact that we didn’t get any flashy players like a WR or RB but got what we needed to get.. filled our biggest holes and added depth to our roster.. I give it a B..
Samuel Lam says:

April 29th, 2008 at 5:43 pm

OK, I actually see where you’re going with your points Chris.

Well, even if Alex Smith has the right offensive coordinator, he still lacks a leadership character that needs to be present on the field not only for his teammates, but the opponents. Hill is still very new to this, which is the same for a rookie, but what if he doesn’t live up to the hype from last season? I would like a fresh start at QB if either fail, and I don’t know if O’Sullivan is the answer.

For wideouts, Johnson will be #1. But he has yet to establish himself in the NFL since he was #3 in AZ. Bruce is getting old, so I don’t know if he would be that big of an impact. Battle was only #1 last year because of a weak receiving core. And Lelie… I just hope he does break out.

Well, maybe you’re more optimistic than I am on this and I hope I’m wrong. But I would like to add some potential stability for the team.
Nick T says:

April 29th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

great pick up by the chargers in LJ Sheldon i wish the niners could have signed him? and i still hear that the niners are still interested in Spikes
ArtDog says:

April 29th, 2008 at 8:59 pm

Spikes would be great along side Willis. I Bruce is not the same reciever and not a #1, but a nice compliment wr. B.Johnson has shown a flash or two, but not a #1 since Penn St but is a nice #3 wr and then A.Battle. But to tell the truth here, a great Qb (along with a nice PassOline) makes a WR good. Randy Moss backs this up. Gore out of the back field in pass situations, like Marshall Faulk, helps in this department. So in short here, the 49ers had a chance to try to find that next GreatQb in this draft because there was a handful of hungry for success Qb’s all with a chip on there shoulder and they chose to stay with injury prone(Hill) inconsistent, bad leadership and overpaid(Smith) and a true 3rd stringer in O’Sullivan. Martz installs a great qb system so we should expect better results in the pass area, however, it might not lead to the playoffs. There banking on that repaired shoulder of Smith’s too. ughh. On the flip side, DT balmer, and the other 2 O-lineman were solid picks that helps move forward in there search for success in ‘08. Good luck in ‘08 niners.
Samuel Lam says:

April 30th, 2008 at 1:34 am

The Spikes rumors have been down lately, so not sure what to expect there.

I just think that Martz can mold something and I trust him. But I guess with the undrafted rookie signings, the team has some more weapons for the QB.