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Are You Smarter Than an NFL GM? (2015 Edition)


y2lamanaki

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As with previous years, all of this is done entirely for fun and should not be taken seriously in any way. As long as it always remains fun for everyone, I'll continue to do it. 

Here’s the deal...I realized when I went to start 2016’s results - that I never posted 2015’s results. And I can’t find the file...so, I started from scratch and did it over again. So just as a small note, this means every player had an extra 4th year to develop or change his overall story.

1) Trent Baalke’s 2015 draft class...was low key pretty good. For him. Arik Armstead, when healthy, is the type of player you might expect to find at #17 in any draft. A dependable starter (who would probably be a strong starter in a 3-4), but not a guy that will probably ever hit “great” or “elite.” However, there are still a number of problems with this pick - he’s had injury problems which hampered two of his four seasons thus far for one. Next, Baalke traded down from the spot where Melvin Gordon was taken, and took Armstead one spot in front of where Marcus Peters was taken - sandwiching Baalke’s pick between two available players who would become Pro Bowlers. Which illustrates the point. Still - there were some poor options around in that draft, and Baalke selected a player who was better than many and can be a starter in the NFL. So - some mixed views about his first pick. But definitely better than some guys some of us would go on to choose instead (*ahem*). For this game - that’s an unusual  win for Baalke.

2) I think the overall agreement was that Baalke had reached for a talent that would be available far later in Jaquiski Tartt, but the results of that have been mixed. In 2017, he appeared to look like a player worth that high of a pick, but then he regressed in 2018 and, in typical Baalke player fashion, he ended both seasons on injured reserve anyway. This one might ultimately end up better for him, but for now it’s easy to say there were some other guys he could have chosen. Still - for Baalke - that’s something of a rare success story.

3) Eli Harold - The Relative Ironman of Trent Baalke Draft Picks - is still in the NFL. Good for him. And another relative success story for Baalke. He’s on his 3rd team now, but still something.

4a)Blake Bell - Always was something of an odd choice. He’s on his 4th team now. But still around. Baalke’s got a little streak goin’.

4b)Mike Davis - Yup. 3rd Team. However, Mike Davis is an interesting one, because he was one guy from this class that most were like “yeah - good pick” at the time, and he somehow snuck around long enough to show some promise in year 4. His yards/carry is on an impressive trend, too: 1.7 in 2015, 2.6 in 2016, 3.5 in 2017, 4.6 in 2018....We should pay him anything he wants in 2024, as he’ll be averaging 10+ yards a carry at that rate.

4c) DeAndre Smelter - was cut from his 3rd team before the 2018 season and looks to be finished with his career exactly 1 reception ahead of AJ Jenkins on the career reception list. One of Baalke’s infamous ACL guys.

5) Bradley Pinion - To Baalke’s credit, Pinion lived out his rookie contract with us. Pinion is one of only 19 Baalke picks to play out their rookie contract with us (4 in 2010 I am counting in his favor). 19 of 58 (69 with 2016 which is ineligible for such a list. And it wasn’t difficult to do - Dontae Johnson, Quinton Dial, Quinton Patton, and Anthony Dixon all made it. Buckner, Garnett, and Blair can make it 22 of 69 when all is said and done. Not stellar. However - HE DRAFTED A PUNTER IN THE 5TH ROUND WHO COULDN’T EARN A 2ND CONTRACT WHILE ALL-TIME GREAT ANDY LEE WAS ALREADY ON THE TEAM.

6) Ian Silberman appeared in one game in his rookie year with us, and that’s it. Oddly, he managed to be active for two games with the Raiders last year, the only other times he was on an active gameday roster. He was technically on the Colts roster briefly in 2017 and otherwise bounced around the practice squads of a few teams. He is with his 7th franchise currently. (49ers, Patriots, Raiders, Colts, Browns, Raiders again, Titans, Raiders again, Panthers). Only a 6th rounder, so no big deal.

7a) Trent Brown - perhaps Baalke’s greatest ever draft pick (and definitely outside of the first round). Brown was an excellent selection in the 7th round and better than anyone could ever hope for out of such a pick. He just got paid handsomely - and not richer than he’s worth if he remains a starting-caliber NFL tackle. For all the crap I gave Baalke in these previous picks, he deserves credit on this one.

7b) Rory “Busta” Anderson - Never appeared in an NFL game, but as the third-to-last pick in the draft, it’s hard to care.

OVERALL: Three of his picks will start games in the NFL in 2019 barring injury (Armstead and Tartt will certainly both start at some point, if not more often than not and - for us!)...That’s 3 starters 5 years later...For Baalke. And Mike Davis could have a good role in a talented Bears offense. That’s not bad overall, and nowhere near his worst work. And he did select a punter who is still in the league, so this class probably rules as the best in his absolutely stellar career.

So now let’s see how we did. This is an interesting draft class for Are You Smarter Than an NFL GM because this was the first year we put together a thread of “Who would you have chosen?” after the draft, meaning this is the first year where only those available could be selected. In past years, I’ve used solely mock drafts (though a few of those remain for the final time in this edition) which means players that were nowhere close to being available could have been. For the first time, Baalke gets a fair fight. On some. In 2016 (coming soon!), everyone participating made selections in a designated thread, making it a completely fair competition (and a lot less work for me).

The first ones listed participated in the “Who would you have Chosen?” thread:

@Forge:

Quote

 

Rd 1

 

W/trade - Marcus Peters, CB

W/o trade - Kevin Johnson, CB

Actual Pick - Arik Armstead, DL

 

Rd 2 (personally would have made small trade up to nab Kendricks, but assuming no trades)

 

My Pick: Jake Fisher, OT

Actual Pick: Jaquiski Tartt

 

Fisher isn't a required need, but given Staley's age and Anthony Davis' health concerns, it wouldn't hurt. Plus I think that Fisher presents very good value and a type of tackle that offers a little something different than what we usually have. He gets the slight edge of Jaelen Strong due to positional value .

 

Rd 3

 

Eli Harold, OLB

Actual pick: Eli Harold, OLB

 

While the pick didn't satisfy the most dire of needs, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

 

Rd 4

 

Pick 1

My pick: Ramik Wilson, ILB

Actual Pick: Blake Bell, TE

 

The Bell pick makes minimal sense, and I thin Wilson has a viable future as an ILB in the league. Given the retirements of Willis and Boreland, this should have been addressed even with the signing of Phillip Wheeler.

 

Pick 2

My Pick: Mike Davis, HB

Actual Pick: Mike Davis, HB

 

We needed an additional running back, and I'll give the slightest of nods to Davis if only because I have no idea what the deal with Ajayi's knee is.

 

Pick 3

My Pick: Deandre Smelter, WR

Actual Pick: Deandre Smelter, WR

 

No reason to change this. Smelter has a chance to be a stud and we do have some wide receivers for this upcoming season to let him redshirt for the year.

 

Round 5

 

My pick: Michael Bennett, DT

Actual pick: Bradley Pinion, P

 

I actually don't mind the Pinion pick in the least - it's not likely anyone you get at this juncture is making your roster long term, so why not? But I can't pass on the talent of Bennett. We are in a nickel alignment more so than a traditional 3-4, so a spot wouldn't be hard to find, and if his fall was more medical, we have sufficient depth on the line for this season to let him redshirt. He just has too much upside to pass on here.

 

Round 6

 

My pick: Derron Smith, S

Actual Pick: Ian Silberman, OT/OG

 

I don't disagree with the notion of taking an offensive lineman here, as I think you should consistently grab them every year, but I like Smith from a coverage and experience standpoint. Yes, he's vastly undersized, but I think he can help quite a bit on special teams and may be able to give a couple of decent seasons on the back end.

 

Round 7

 

Pick 1

My pick: Trenton Brown, OL

Actual Pick: Trenton Brown, OL

 

Guy is a beast. I'd give him a shot in a heartbeat.

 

Pick 2

My Pick: Kevin White, CB

Actual Pick: Rory Anderson, TE

 

Anderson is the 8th tight end on the roster...we could have drafted a carrot and it would have made a little more sense.

 

Unfortunately, with the way the board fell, I wouldn't have been able to draft a quality wide receiver, so I'll just have to hope that out of Simpson, Patton or Ellington, we find one legitimate wide receiver for the #3 and #4 spots. Truthfully, at this point, I'd probably make an offer to Wayne or Welker for a season to temporarily fill that need along with a couple of UDFA's to battle it out

_________________

 

First, Forge did a with/without trade option for #1. I’m only grading the “With” trade since the picks all align with the trade. This works out considerably in his favor. This isn’t mod favoritism or anything. This is all on the up and up. No bribe payments took place through the private messaging system.

VERDICT:

Given how good Marcus Peters has been in his career, this was closer than a blowout, but Baalke gets the nod here. Peters was a great start, but then it all was downhill from there. Tartt was easily a better choice than Fisher in the 2nd. And then, we realize that Forge didn’t quite yet learn the first rule of “Are You Smarter Than an NFL GM: don’t pick someone Trent Baalke would pick. Forge chose to keep Eli Harold in the third, and then both Davis and Smelter in the 4th. Forge made an okay point about 5th round picks being far from locks on rosters, so why not take a risk on the best punter in the draft who will at least be around for 4 years. The problem with that was that Pinion was around for 4 years over Andy Lee, though. And while Forge was wise enough to keep an excellent 7th round pick, Baalke made the pick - so you can’t really give him the edge there either.


 

@dan77733

Quote

 

Cool.....I'll play.

 

#1/15 or #1/17 - WR Dorial Green-Beckham

Actual Pick - DE Arik Armstead

 

While a definite reach, I wouldn't care because if he gets his head on straight, he easily could become a dominant receiver in the league. Also, we have a speed receiver in Smith and possession receiver in Boldin. What's missing is that big physical freak which is where DGB fits in. Imagine DGB on the outside in three receiver sets opposite Smith with Boldin in the slot. Oh my.

 

#2/46 - CB Eric Rowe

Actual Pick: SS Jaquiski Tartt

 

After losing Culliver and Cox, we draft 6'1, 205 Rowe who should be at the very least competing for a starting spot at CB. Ideally, he wins a starting spot opposite Brock or Johnson while in the process making Wright and Cook both expendable.

 

#3/79 - ILB Paul Dawson

Actual pick: OLB Eli Harold

 

Thought about selecting DE Henry Anderson but I couldn't pass up ILB Paul Dawson as he could be the next Burfict in my opinion. Ideally, he wins the starting spot next to Bowman with Wilhoite coming off the bench as a backup/rotational player.

 

#4/117 - DE Za'Darius Smith

Actual Pick: TE Blake Bell

 

Smith can be a solid 3-4 DE for us who would compete for a starting spot. At worse, he rotates in with Jerod-Eddie. Ideally, he wins a starting spot opposite Carradine, making Dockett expendable with Jerod-Eddie and Ramsey as the backups.

 

#4/126 - OLB Kyle Emanuel or OLB Davis Tull

Actual Pick: RB Mike Davis

 

Like Tull as he seems to be more consistent in regards to sacks but I like the size of Emanuel as he seems less likely to get pushed around because of it. Either one would be a good pick and add pass rushing depth behind Aldon, Brooks and Lynch. And yes, I would still keep Lemonier.

 

#4/132 - RB Jay Ajayi

Actual Pick: WR Deandre Smelter

 

Our fourth round compensation pick is a repeat of two years earlier. Only difference is that Ajayi doesn't retire and becomes a huge steal for us and provides one hell of a one two combo with Hyde for years to come.

 

#5/165 - DT Michael Bennett

Actual pick: P Bradley Pinion

 

I didn't like this pick at all. Seriously, a punter??? SMH. Anyway, pretty much agree with Forge about Bennett. He's a steal here in the fifth round and like Forge says, if his drop is medical, we redshirt him for a year and let his rookie contract carry over in the process.

 

#6/190 - OT Jake Rodgers

Actual Pick: OG Ian Silberman

 

Big tackle who has the athletic ability and mobility to at the very least be a swing tackle. And compared to Pears, I would actually be expecting Rodgers to beat him out for the third tackle spot.

 

#7/244 - OG Trenton Brown

Actual Pick: OG Trenton Brown

 

Can't really argue here with Forge. This guy is massive and he probably makes Boone look small in comparison. LOL. Would probably be a practice squad guy but is easily worth the pick.

 

#7/254 - OT La'el Collins

Actual Pick: TE Rory Anderson

 

Screw it. Worse case scenario - he never plays but who cares considering the pick? If he gets cleared even though he hasn't been charged with anything yet, he could be one of the biggest steals in NFL Draft history.

 

SUMMARY: 49ers acquire a potential dominant receiver in DGB who could be what Josh Gordon was on track to be - the next Calvin Johnson. A good sized starting CB opposite Brock/Johnson. A possible steal in Dawson who I like Marvin Lewis, thinks he can become the next Burfict and playing next to hopefully a 100% healthy Bowman sure as hell can't hurt. Smith competes for a starting DE spot and at worse, becomes a good rotational player. Emanuel/Tull adds more pass rushing depth at OLB. I have no problem keeping five outside linebackers on the final 53. With the first of two compensation draft picks, we draft Ajayi who could have gone two rounds earlier but medical reasons prevented that from happening. With Bush and Hunter behind Hyde, Ajayi could be redshirted for a year if necessary. Bennett is just too good of a value pick here to pass up even though I was tempted to take OT Tyrus Thompson but decided against it when I realized a certain OT went undrafted. Rodgers should hopefully make Pears expendable during final cuts. Brown adds depth on the interior offensive line and could be the next Boone. With the second of two compensation draft picks, how the hell could I possibly pass on Collins? It's a no-brainer. Even if he never ever plays, what has the team lost? A practice squad player or a waived player who's rights get picked up by another team? Screw that, give me Collins.

 

Overall, filled pretty much every need, added a lot of talent and depth, avoiding wasting picks on unnecessary positions *coughPandTEcough* and some potential steals later on depending on health and legal issues.

 

Dan listed two players as his 2nd 4th round pick, so I went with the first of the two (which seemed to be the way he was leaning anyway). Plus...it worked out much better for him that way and I’m a kind soul who doesn’t accept bribes from forum members or moderators.

VERDICT:

Dan77733 pretty easily takes this one I think. The draft started off horribly with DGB, Eric Rowe, and Paul Dawson, and that’s the kind of first two days that gets GMs fired. However, dan collected a series of good picks on Day 3 that really make it a strong class. Smith, Ajayi, Brown, and Collins have all proven they can play at high levels in the NFL, and Emanuel wasn’t bad either. Plus - you gotta get extra credit for being wise enough to only take one of Baalke’s picks and have it be one of the best he ever made.  


 

@oldman9er:

Quote

 

There are a number of variations that would have pleased me.. but some of these guys were my favored prospects, so naturally, I'd have liked to see them as 49ers.

 

Overall, I didn't love any 1st rd prospect available at their spot for SF. I would much have preferred a trade up to get Devante Parker.. or a trade back into the late 1st/early 2nd rd.

 

rd 1 - Eric Kendricks / LB / UCLA

rd 2 - Jaelen Strong / WR / ASU

rd 3 - Alex Carter / CB / Stanford

rd 4 - Adrian Amos / S-CB / PSU

rd 4 - David Cobb / RB / Minnesota

rd 5 - Tyrus Thompson / OL / Okl

rd 6 - Jacoby Glenn / CB / UCF

rd 7 - Ty Williams / WR / W. Oregon

rd 7 - Joey Mbu / NT / Houston

rd 7 - Justin Manton / K-P / La Monroe

 

VERDICT:

This is really close. Baalke did much better at drafting guys who hung around in the NFL, and oldman either hit big or missed entirely. Kendricks, Amos, and Williams are all legitimate NFL starters, though, and that group has the edge over Armstead, Tartt, and Brown (mostly due to Armstead and Tartt’s injury issues over the years). Oldman definitely showed the value of double-dipping at WR, seeing more in Ty Williams than any of those crazy GMs did. I think I have to give a slight edge to Baalke in the end, as Harold, Davis, and Pinion as contributors probably does enough to outweigh the advantage oldman has with the three picks he got right, but it’s very close. If anyone disagrees and thinks oldie gets the win, I’ll strongly reconsider my original stance here.


 

@y2lamanaki

Quote

 

Almost missed this thread. For starters, Miami did not need or draft an OT, so the first thing I'd have done in this draft was trade a 4th to swap places with New Orleans and pick up Davante Parker who to me was the last of the top tier players. New Orleans would not have really had to worry about a team trading up, as the team that wanted to move up was San Diego for a RB. Don't get the lack of the trade, but from there:

 

1st- Dorial Green-Beckham - I do not have a lot of faith in putting the #3 WR job in the hands of someone with a career total 6 receptions (Patton or Ellington, take your pick), and isn't a blue chip kinda player. In another incredibly deep WR class, I can't believe Baalke once again passed. Now, to be clear, I'd follow my mock and try and trade back to the 25-30 range, which is where I was confident he'd be given his character concerns, but I bypass those for the chance at the star player, and since it'd be impossible for me to predict a trade down or what we would have gotten, I'd have also taken him at 17.

 

2nd - Jaquiski Tartt

 

...no...just kidding. Definitely Eric Rowe. Since the team took Tartt, a prospect I liked, as Jaelen Strong fell to the bottom of the 2nd, I'd have very strongly considered trading up to grab him at the bottom of the 2nd/top of the 3rd.

 

3rd - Henry Anderson - This was a very hard choice between keeping Harold, who is one of the picks I kinda like the value of, swapping to Anderson who I had as my 3rd rounder in my trade down mock, or taking Jay Ajayi. In my trade-down mock, I had managed to pick up a 2nd round pick, and if as above I got down to the 25-30 range (which I heard was a possibility but Baalke didn't want to risk losing Armstead), I'd have had that 2nd round pick (even if I had to give up one of the 4ths to get it (or I would have gathered what I could and made a separate trade up for a second 2nd). With a second 2nd round pick, I'd have felt comfortable taking Ajayi there. I know in hindsight, he'd have been available in the 5th, but in fairness, I wouldn't have known when I was on the board with this 3rd round pick (or a late 2nd) that this would have been the case.

 

With that in mind, I don't have the extra 2nd, so I would assume I don't have this luxury, and instead look to Anderson. Since the presumption is our potential starters this year are Justin Smith/Darnell Dockett, or at the very least Dockett/Carradine, I think the team was set-up just fine and could take someone who might take a year to develop into a starter in Anderson. But a DE was definitely needed at some point, so I skip the value of Harold, I skip my assumed value of Ajayi, and I take Anderson who I have always liked at this spot anyway.

 

4th - Jay Ajayi In reality, as the GM, seeing Ajayi fall, I'd have likely not had this pick, as I would have traded it up to the bottom of the 3rd round for Ajayi anyway. Without giving myself to acquire get rid of picks to move around, I get the luxury of knowing Ajayi would fall to my spot right here, and I'd take him anyway. With only picks in the 4th round, this is where I made those luxury picks in my mock. I liked actually taking a TE in this spot in reality (just not a big fan of Bell yet), but my guy (Kroft) was taken in the 3rd. Tartt would have been another guy I'd have looked at here, but not only do I assume he's off the board (since we already took him), I'd have taken Ajayi over them in a heartbeat anyway. I think the Dolphins got the steal of the draft. I have no idea what dropped him to the 5th, but he's a 3-down back and was my favorite in this class. My 2nd favorite (Cobb) also would have been preferable to Davis, who I have some concerns with. I would be okay with occasionally not going to South Carolina for draft picks.

 

4th - Ben Heeney - Would have expected him to go bottom of the 3rd/top of the 4th, but he fell to the top of the 5th. Would not have gotten past my 2nd 4th at this point. Great high-motor player, would have been nice as a depth guy for us inside.

 

4th - Brett Hundley To be clear, I love Smelter, and absolutely wanted him as a prospect. I thought he'd see a considerable drop due to the injury and possibly not playing all year combined with only 2 years of experience and the style of offense run at Georgia Tech. In the middle to late rounds, I'm not disappointed in grabbing a guy you really want a bit early (rounds 4-7), as now it's like playing with roulette on who will be available. Still, I'd have passed at this point assuming I can get him later, and given the drafting of Green-Beckham earlier, I'd not be broken up about losing Smelter (assuming somebody grabs him before I would).

 

At this point, I thought Hundley would be taken, and I'm not taking a chance on passing on him. Once again - I don't see how Baalke is comfortable with only two QBs on the roster, especially since one of those two is Blaine Gabbert. There are enough questions about Kaepernick's future to wonder why we didn't start developing a guy now. Some thought he was the third best QB with 2nd round potential, I grab him now as a second luxury pick (as my brain says to go with OLB/TE/T), but one I'm glad I get.

 

5th - Tyrus Thompson - Pretty stoked he's here at this point...big T for the team who might be able to play inside.

 

6th - Ben Koyack Another guy in the Trey Millard/Delanie Walker mold for competition.

 

7th - Alani Fua He went undrafted, but I wouldn't know that. In my mock I had him in the 5th, but that was before guys I had going in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th kept falling to me.

 

7th - La'el Collins This is just a fail by just about every GM. A first round talent falls all the way through the draft because of a (scary, yes) incident where he's not considered a suspect? How do you not just throw out a 7th, call him and tell him to get everything he needs to taken care of, and have that prospect when he comes back? Even if something happens and he never plays an NFL down for whatever reason, only complete total fools are going to call it a 'wasted pick.'

 

So in summation:

 

1) Dorial Green-Beckham, WR

2) Eric Rowe, CB

3) Henry Anderson, DE

4) Jay Ajayi, RB

4) Ben Heeney, ILB

4) Brett Hundley, QB

5) Tyrus Thompson, OT

6) Ben Koyack, TE

7) Alani Fua, OLB

7) La'el Collins, OT

 

Green-Beckham plays the 3rd WR role and sees significant time on offense. Rowe can start opposite Brock, or at least play as a roleplayer in nickle roles. Anderson can get in the rotation at DE with Jerod-Eddie and Carradine. Ajayi gets significant snaps as a 3rd RB. Heeney is a special teams guy right away, and if needed might play inside due to injury/rest of a starter. Hundley and Thompson are purely developmental. Koyack is a guy that can compete with Millard/Miller, but might just take a year to add strength/develop into another Delanie Walker-type guy. Fua is mostly special teams/developmental unless he shows a lot of promise rushing the QB right away. Collins is a wildcard pick that could easily be immediately active as the back-up tackle on gamedays.

 

VERDICT:

@y2lamanaki is a loser who tags himself in forum posts to let himself be reminded of how much of a loser he is. Also…*sigh*...Baalke wins this round. Anderson and Ajayi aren’t bad picks, and because of how often Armstead and Tartt were also injured, they might even out. Brown and Collins cancel each other out at best. That leaves Eric Rowe, Brett Hundley, and Ben Koyack to compete with Eli Harold, Mike Davis, Blake Bell, and Bradley Pinion. Neither is stellar, but I’ll be kind and let Baalke win one.


 

@big9erfan

Quote

 

1 -DGB

2- Eric Rowe

3 - Harry Anderson - you considered him, I'd take him

4 (117) - Buck Allen - I love David Cobb but I think I like Allen a little more

4 (126) - Jake Ryan - I think of him as a poor's mans Chris Borland

4 (132) - Smelter is a fine pick at this spot

5 (165) - James O'Shaughnessy - this is where I take my TE

6 (190) - Derron Smith - this is where I'm finally taking a safety and he's got the versatility to play both FS and SS

7 - I pass. It's a crap shoot at this point. Maybe I take Pinion if he's still there in the 7th

 

VERDICT:

This one goes to Trent Baalke. Big9erfan was the third to start off with the dreadful DGB/Rowe combination. Anderson probably is no different than Armstead (although found a full 2 rounds later, of course). Allen is probably better than Davis, and O’Shaughnessy is better than Bell, but none of the picks add up to the level of pick Brown was, which puts Baalke’s draft over the top. Of course, big9erfan handicapped himself a bit by passing on his two 7th round picks. Merely keeping Brown or taking the easy way out and selecting Collins at the bottom of the draft would have been enough to push big’s draft over the top. And speaking of big9erfan, has anyone seen him lately? We never seemed to agree on anything other than the first 3 picks of 2015 (and that did not have positive results), but I miss the guy.


 

The following picks were made as mock drafts, and no longer had the benefit of hindsight to know where players ultimately were selected

 

@Melbourne 9er:

Quote

 

Pick 15 - Trade. Trade pick 15 with Pitt for 22, 87 and 2016 3rd. (Pitt move ahead of Houston for Landon Collins).

 

Pick 22 - Trade. Trade pick 22 plus pick 151 with NO for 31 and 44.

 

Pick 31 - Shane Ray - 34OLB Missouri. Ray's drop stops here as Baalke takes the best player available. You can't have enough pass rushers and the risk is worth it at this point.

 

Pick 44 - Devin Smith - WR LSU. Can take the top off the defense, runs good routes, has good hands. Also BPA.

 

Pick 46 - Carl Davis - DT Iowa. Can play anywhere along the line and will be a force against the run. Eventual Cowboy replacement.

 

Trade. Trade pick 79 and 126 to Jacksonville for 67 and 2016 5th.

 

Pick 67 - Donovan Smith - OT Penn St. At last we have a legitimate backup OT. May be a bit early for a backup but we sucked when Davis was out last year and concussions are not good. Can also backup at guard or take over from Boone if he decides to leave.

 

Pick 87 - Alex Carter - CB Stanford. Has the size that Baalke covets in his CB. Is a tough player as well, hopefully in another Stanford CBs mold!!!

 

Pick 132 - Kwon Alexander - LB LSU. We need ILB and Alexander can do this in a 3-4. Can start as backup and play special teams. Borland replacement.

 

Pick 190 - Kurtis Drummond - S. Back up safety and can play special teams. Eventual replacement for Dahl.

 

Pick 246 - Nick Marshall - CB Auburn. Who knows what he can do but if we can stash him on the PS he may be able to be taught the CB position nuances that he doesn't have yet.

 

Pick 254 - Terrell Watson - RB Asuza Pacific. We have to pick a RB, it's tradition and this is a big boy that knows how to reach the end zone. Will be interesting to see if the level of competition made him as good as his numbers are.

 

If we get Ray I can see Brooks and his contract gone sooner rather than later. We may be able to trade him for a mid to late pick. If Ray is gone I would look at Kendricks or another ILB.

 

We get a legit deep threat, a starter on the D-Line (or a rotational guy until Smith and Dockett die of old age), the best OL depth player since Snyder was good and genuine depth in the secondary. We also improve our ST and get extra picks in 2016.

 

Rip it apart!!

 

VERDICT:

This is a clear win for Trent Baalke, as much of this class outside of Alexander, Smith, and Ray did nothing. This mock also shows exactly how complicated this game is when evaluating mocks rather than post-draft picks, as only one of the players Melbourne 9er selected in the first 5 rounds was actually available when he selected him. Had Melbourne 9er stopped after his first mock trade, he could have selected Shane Ray, but otherwise Ray, both Smiths, Carter, and Alexander were all unavailable where they were picked. With some clever rearranging, he could take Ray or Donovan Smith in the first, and Alexander a little earlier, but it still wouldn’t be enough to beat Baalke’s draft.


 

@Fureys49ers

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2015 Draft

 

1st - Trae Waynes/Kevin Johnson/Marcus Peters - CB

 

I believe an obvious need for our team and we could have our pick of the litter if things work out when it comes to this pick. My first pick would be Johnson, between his ball skills, instinct, size and versatility scheme wise I think this guy could become a very CB in the NFL. Waynes would be my second choice for many similar reasons as Johnson but I feel like he becomes a little too robotic at times and isn't as fluid, same could be said with Peters as far as talent and skills go but with the obvious character concerns and with our recent trouble of staying out of the news this would be a big detractor. I could also see us taking a young WR to develop and learn under Q, obviously one of the top 3 in the Cooper, White, and Parker but there is no guarentee any of these guys will be here and for value purposes see Strong, Perriman and Green-Beckham as slight reaches. DL wouldn't be out of left field either and although I feel we have solid depth across the line barring no injuries we really don't have a difference maker or someone who draws extra attention which will no be crucial with our ILB depth and talent taking a huge hit. Somone like Shelton, Brown or Goldman could be that man for us.

 

2nd - Denzel Perryman - ILB

 

Although I'm not one for overreacting and jumping the gun feeling that ILB is a "must draft" with the departure of Willis and Borland but when you look at the facts we need depth as well as a restock in the talent department here. Yes Bowman is coming back, from completely tearing apart his knee, and yes Wilhoite played admirably in spot duty, Moody brings some youth and athleticism and are newest acquisition of Bishop brings experience and depth to the position. With all that being said, this spot went from far and away our strongest part of our defense to now one that has stop gaps as starters. I like Perryman a lot, he reminds me of a combination of Willis and Borland. A high football IQ guy who although isn't as athletically gifted as Willis plays all over the field and overcomes his athletic shortcomings with instincts and awareness like Borland. He is always around the ball and packs a punch when he delivers a hit to ball carriers and WRs a like. May not be the strongest at dropping back but again his football knowledge more often than not leads him to be in the right place at the right time. Doesn't need to come in and start right away a la Willis and Borland, but would be important depth and a guy we can train and develop to be our future. Plus I won't lie here, thinking of this man and Haynes running down on special teams together to cover kicks...won't even lie, I'm getting a little excited.

 

3rd - Stefon Diggs - WR

 

Now I know some of you are saying just because we brought him in for a visit and have been linked to him doesn't mean we are going to take him. But I think the interest is there and the common sense and fit is there as well. Decent sized at 6' 200lbs with above average hands and speed to outrun defenders, of course like most young WRs his understanding of coverages, defenses, spacing and route running need work but the tools are there for this guy to develop. Brings the added element of speed and deep threat ability which as we all know has been lacking for quite sometime at our receiving corps. and can learn behind Q and Smith all the while giving our KR and PR teams some juice and a potential threat to give us good field position if not a threat to take it all the way which our team has not had since I can remember, true story Ginn and James. I'm still in favor of giving Patton his fair shot at some PT and with Q, Smith, Patton, Diggs, Simpson, Davis and McDonald, oh yea, dare I say Bush, I think Kaep has more than enough talent and options to use at his disposal.

 

4th - Henry Anderson - DE

 

Now while I think a big run stuffing, space eating NT to free up our ILBs is something we need more than a DE for one reason or another it would appear our FO appears to shy away from those types of players. I think Dorsey, Williams and Dial form a very formidable trio of players who can fulfill the required duties however and with the injury question marks we have on our DL I believe the depth is more important right now. With that said there has been discussion on our DEs and how it seems the players we have either excel at applying pressure on the QB or holding their ground and playing the run well. I too have noticed this and while I'm not opposed to it, as depth in my mind is a crucial part of a DLs success and a solid rotation to keep guys rested and healthy, does not mean we can try and find a younger version of Justin Smith. Although taller and more naturally built to be a 3-4 DE Anderson's game is very translatable to the Cowboy's. High effort, high energy player who's all around game allows him to play in all situations. A blue collar, rugged hard nosed end who could learn from watching Smith play this year or from hearing him coach from the sidelines . (Come on Justin, either way you would be a tremendous help to our team and be helping out your pal Jim "The Stache" Tomasula.)

 

4th - Quinton Spain - OG

 

A massive man at 6'5" 330 plus if I remember correctly who is a mauler in the run game and really knows how to finish off blocks would be a young moldable Iupati replacement. Maybe he won't start as I am pulling for Thomas' recovery back to his high level of play from college but some depth in the middle of our OL wouldn't hurt either. With him, Martin and Looney giving us young solid depth and Pears being our swing OT I think our OL has the depth and talent for the future. I know Pears was the worst rated player in football or something like that last year but its said he's a better OT than OG and let's be honest, anything is better than Jonathon Martin.

 

5th - Brandon Bridge - QB

 

In the mold of Kaep himself, big, tall, athletic QB with a good arm. Will take much time to develop but the cupboard is really quite bare when it comes to depth here anyways. We've probably had the worst back up QB situation for the past 3 years between Colt McCoy and now Blaine Gabbert but hopefully Bridge can give our coaches someone to groom and put their own stamp on the way they want their QB to play and think. Scheme wise wouldn't have to change much as Bridge is very similar to Kaep athletically. Maybe his wheels aren't quite as efficient but then again who's are. Not ready to give up on Kaep yet as I feel this is a huge season for him. A lot of the teams "heart" left this offseason with Gore, Smith and Willis but when that happens players remaining must step up, and being the QB of our team it's Kaep's turn to carry the burden of being the face of our franchise and our leader, it's time to buckle up the chinstrap, quit shaving designs in your hair and flattening the bill to your ball cap and step up. Not saying he needs to light the world on fire, just demonstrate leadership and confidence on the field and not always look so damn lost or to other players for confirmation and for god's sake please identify pre-game where the play clock is so ya can take a peak at it every once in a while, just food for thought.

 

6th - Jordan Richards - S

 

Maybe undersized and not the greatest athlete to step on the grid iron but again he's one of those players that just understands the game. Great football IQ, leader of a sound Stanford defense and knows how to position himself to be successful and in the right place at the right time. The most important thing is he is consistent week in and week out and is accountable which is more than could ever be said about Craig Dahl. Will be able to learn even more while sitting behind Bethea and Reid and will be another stud special teamer.

 

7th - Terry Williams - NT

 

More of a selfish selection here but its my mock and this is what I want. For years now I've wanted a NT like Williams, as wide as he is tall and eats up blockers like he's in a buffet line at Golden Corral. Might be the only outstanding quality he possesses but that's fine with me, a two down run stuffer who can take some of the beating received in the trenches away from Williams and Dorsey and spell them when needed. Uses hands well and being a hair over 6'1" plays with good leverage. For pushing the scales at 350 has active feet for a man of that size and doesn't leave them behind him when engaged with OL.

 

7th - Mike Burton - FB

 

With Bruce Millers news out there now and how the NFL and teams are cracking down things of that nature I'm not quite sure where he will sit with us for the next season. One of my favorite players on our team and made a mistake but unfortunately with all the attention these kind of things are receiving now a days and the focus of punishing said mistakes we may part ways. I know some of you are excited to see what Millard can do, as am I, but competition never hurt anybody and Burton is a sound lead blocker who possesses more than a little skill when it comes to catching balls out of the backfield which is key whenever #7 is at the helm for us. Uses his good size and feet to position himself well between the defender and ball carrier and has a ton of experience from his playing days at Rutgers.

 

Fureys was happy with any of the three cornerbacks listed, but unfortunately for this game, spelled out that Kevin Johnson was his first choice, so he ultimately ended up with Johnson. Sorry bud. Your payment didn’t come through properly.

VERDICT:

This one goes to Fureys, even with ending up with the worst of his three cornerback choices. What’s really impressive about this draft is that it was a mock posted beforehand and most of the guys were actually available where he chose them. Henry Anderson, Jordan Richards, and Mike Burton weren’t available where he had them, but some minor rearranging could have gotten everyone but Richards (Johnson, while not available at #17, was available at #15 where this draft pick takes place). While some of the picks have injury concerns...really, so did our draft class. But Perryman/Anderson would probably be the preferable combo to Armstead/Tartt, Diggs would be a WR the likes that we haven’t drafted since T.O. (Crabtree is the only other guy in discussion currently). Spain - while a major reach in the 4th, would help cancel out Brown to a degree. Really a good draft overall, even with a miss up front.


 

@48 1/2ers

Quote

 

With Free Agency about wrapped up a little mock draft might be fun to kick around.

 

Trade 1(15)+5(150) to Cleveland for 1(19)+3(77)+7(204)

 

1(19.) Marcus Peters CB Washington- The most talented DB in the draft, character concerns are valid. Press-man coverage is top notch with the length, strength, and athleticism to handle any receiver lined up ahead of him. High risk high reward.


 

2(46.) Shaq Thompson OLB/ILB/SS Washington -A weapon in every sense of the word. PWilly’s void is going to be felt regardless but if we do run our hybrid 3-4 4-3 defense we stick Shaq at backer with Bowman and Borland he can eliminate the threat of Jimmy Graham (or any athletic TE) and Russell Wilson (or any duel threat QB). He didn’t test and measure well for a projected mid-first round pick so I think here in the middle of the 2nd is possible and great value for us. A talent that doesn’t come around often.


 

3(77.) Tre McBride WR William & Mary – Plays a very mature game, fights for catches positions his body well and strong out of breaks. Body type and size is exactly what we are missing with our receivers right now, with great speed (4.41). Recruited to Harvard for academics. Great field and game awareness, with return ability.


 

3(79.) Xavier Cooper DE Washington St – Scouts say he might have left earlier than he should have. Perfect size for our 3-4 DE with shocking athleticism (6’3 293 4.8 40). Great at shedding blocks and using his hands, that shows he doesn’t just rely on his athleticism but can use his acceleration if he needs

 

4(126.) Cameron Artis-Payne RB Auburn- Limited resume of work, Junior College transfer. Ball security is fantastic finishes off runs falling forward.


 

4(132.) Donavan Smith OL Penn St- Massive frame 6’6 330 lbs with the versatility to move inside. A backup with potential to become a very good guard down the road if Boone leaves.


 

6(188.) Brandon Bridge QB South Alabama- A Kaepernick clone in terms of athleticism, body type, and potential. Tends to have too much confidence in his arm at times and doesn’t have the “touch” yet. His receivers were pretty awful from what ive seen. Very humble background with a strong work ethic.


 

7(204.) DeAndre Carter WR Sacramento St- Short (5’9) but built (190lbs) receiver with incredible production. 1,300 yards receiving 17 tds last season. Rout running, reading the field, and hands are his best traits all translate well to higher competition, would make an impact as a return man. Hard worker who was recognized during the week of practice for NFLPA bowl for stealing the show until a bone bruise to his knee sidelined him in the game.


 

7(246.) Travis Raciti DE San Jose St. Had a huge sophomore season while at 3-4 DE following that the team switched to a 4-3 and he struggled. Very athletic. Plays with desired motor and scouts say he is a film junkie. 6’5 285lbs with room to get stronger and improve.


 

7(253.) Nick Marshall CB Auburn- Total shot in the dark pick here, highly scouted out of HS as a DB. Has the body and athleticism to succeed. But instincts and technique will need maturing. Not much value on special teams either for now.

 

VERDICT:

48 1/2ers certainly had an eye for talent, as he had three really good picks with Peters, Thompson, and Smith. The difficulty here is that none of them were available when he chose them. Only one of the three could have been picked. Because this a mock I judge on who was there, and Peters, Thompson, and Smith are a better trio than Armstead, Tartt, and Brown, but Baalke’s roleplayers exist and 48 1/2ers took a lot of chances that hurt the depth of the draft. I think this is a push. 48 1/2ers also gets the final *NAILED IT* of Are You Smarter Than an NFL GM, because moving forward everyone will have chosen after the pick. While not a draft pick, DeAndre Carter came to us as a UDFA.


 

@NinerNation21:

Quote

 

I've been working on this since before the combine and I wanted to do this before FA started.

 

Starting Cap: $143.28 mil / Adjusted 49ers Cap: $149.86 mil

 

Starting Cap Space: $7.1 mil

 

Cuts

OLB Ahmad Brooks - $4.7 mil (Post June 1st cut)

SS Craig Dahl - $1.7 mil

WR Trindon Holliday - $0.6 mil

CB Leon McFadden - $0.6 mil

 

Total savings: $7.6 mil - New Cap Space: $14.7 mil

 

Restructures

OLB Aldon Smith: 5 year 46 mil extension, 2015 cap savings: $4.7 mil

WR Stevie Johnson: Shift 4.6 of 5.5 base salary into pro rated bonus, 2015 cap savings: $2.4 mil

 

Total savings: $7.1 mil - New Cap Space: $21.8 mil

 

Re-signings

CB Chris Culliver: 4 yrs $38 mil - 2015 cap hit: $4 mil

RB Frank Gore: 2 yrs $6.5 mil - 2015 cap hit: $3 mil

ILB Mike Wilhoite: 1 year ERFA tender - 2015 cap hit: $0.6 mil

LS/TE Kyle Nelson: 2 yrs $1 mil - 2015 cap hit: $0.5 mil

 

Total Spent: $8.1 mil - New Cap Space: $13.7 mil

 

Free Agent Signings

QB Shaun Hill: 1 yr $1.2 mil - 2015 cap hit: $1.2 mil - Veteran presence for Kaep to learn from, plus mobile enough for coach Logan to like.

 

DE Adrian Clayborn: 1 yr $1.6 mil - 2015 cap hit: $1.6 mil - A one year prove it deal for guy that will fit nicely in a 3-4 defense.

 

SS Kurt Coleman: 2 yrs $1.75 mil - 2015 cap hit: $0.8 mil - A cheap back-up replacement for Dahl with better skills.

 

Total Spent: $3.4 - New Cap Space: $10.3


 

2015 Comp picks:

4th round pick for Whitner

7th round for Dixon

 

Draft

*Trade* - 1st, DEN 4th, 5th to Browns for 1st (12th)

1.12: WR Davante Parker, Louisville: To me, Parker is the most complete WR in the draft and #1 WR. My comp for him is A.J. Green. He is a smart and savy WR with supreme athletic skills.


 

2.14: DE Mario Edwards, Florida State: Great fit as a 3-4 end, one of the better 3-4 end prospects in the draft. Will not serve as a dominant pass rusher but will be a stout run defender with his power and push.


 

*Trade* - 3rd to Panthers for 3rd & 4th

3.25: OT/OG Ali Marpet, Hobart: Versatile lineman that cal play tackle and guard. I think we need more tackle depth than guard depth and Marpet can provide depth at both. He is better at guard than tackle but won't be asked to play much tackle right off the bat so he has time to learn.


 

*Trade* - 4th (CAR) & 6th to Dolphins for 4th

4.14: RB Jeremy Langford, Michigan State: We need speed at the RB position and while Langford is not blazing fast, he is still plenty fast and strong to be a good change-of-pace to Hyde/Gore. Langford will be asked to learn during the first year and take Hunter's role in the second year.


 

4.33 COMP: CB LaDarius Gunter, Miami: His stock dropped a bit during the combine but his tape impressed me enough to take him here. He has the length we need at CB and can provide depth at safety.


 

7.15: WR Darren Waller, Georgia Tech: May be taken before this pick due to his combine but that is also the reason I wanted to draft him. With his size (6'6 230 lbs) and athletic ability, he could work his way on to the roster with a strong rookie year of learning.


 

7 COMP: QB Brandon Bridge, Southern Alabama: Comps are to Kaep with his long build, rocket arm, and bad mechanics. His tape is interesting but it also shows bad mechanics. I think Logan will LOVE to work with Bridge and could turn him into a decent back-up.

 

VERDICT:

NinerNation21 made three trades up the board in this draft, which was pretty impressive, because he would have actually had to trade up from each of those picks in the actual draft to select Parker, Marpet, and Langford. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite make it high enough to have been actually able to select Marpet or Langford, and Edwards had already been gone at his pick as well. With some minor arranging, he could have had everyone in the class but Edwards. Still, Baalke narrowly takes this one as outside of Marpet, there wasn’t a super strong player in this class. Parker, Edwards, and Langford certainly wouldn’t improve upon Armstead, Tartt, and the rest.


 

Player Review:

 

Ajayi, Jay - Chosen by dan77733 (4th), y2lamanaki (4th)

Ajayi was a 5th round choice of the Dolphins. He proved to be a talented runner when healthy with a ridiculous breakout campaign in 2016. The problem is that he struggled with injuries including a season-ending ACL tear in 2018. He is currently a free agent.


 

Alexander, Kwon - Chosen by Melbourne 9er (4th)

Alexander was a 4th round pick of the Buccaneers. By this point in the offseason, most of us should be familiar with Alexander, now a member of our 49ers. He has started every game in which he’s played, but that number has only hit 16 once in four years. A tackle machine while playing, but also one that misses a lot of them. Still - a hit for a 4th round pick.


 

Allen, Buck - Chosen by big9erfan (4th)

Allen was a 4th round pick of the Ravens. Allen had a mostly unspectacular four years in Baltimore and is now currently a free agent. He racked up 1,249 rushing yards, 814 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns with some below average yards/per numbers.


 

Amos, Adrian - Chosen by oldman9er (4th)

Amos was a 5th round pick of the Bears, and has had a really stellar career (especially for a 5th round pick). Amos is considered a top safety in the league, and really showed his promise from day one as he was named a member of the 2015 all-rookie team.


 

Anderson, Henry - Chosen by y2lamanaki (3rd), big9erfan (3rd), Fureys49ers (4th)

Anderson was a 3rd round pick of the Colts. He got off to an impressive start to his career, but then got hit hard by the injury bug in subsequent seasons. He was traded to the Jets for a 7th and rewarded the Jets with his first healthy 16-game season in 2018. When on the field, he’s a really good player. The problem (until last year) was that he couldn’t stay on the field.


 

Artis-Payne, Cameron - Chosen by 48 1/2ers (4th)

Arits-Payne was a 5th round pick of the Panthers. He has played in a few games over 4 years and the Panthers liked him enough to sign him again for 2019. His numbers aren’t bad, but he’s had mostly a reserve role.


 

Bennett, Michael - Chosen by Forge (5th), dan77733 (5th)

Bennett was a 6th round pick of the Jaguars, but never amounted to much. He was active for 2 games with the Falcons and then cut last year (depth for the team missing Grady Jarrett for a couple of games), but is currently back with the team.


 

Bridge, Brandon - Chosen by Furey49ers (5th), 48 1/2ers (6th), NinerNation21 (7th)

Bridge went undrafted and never signed with an NFL team. He’s now in the CFL.


 

Brown, Trent - Chosen by Forge (7th), dan77733 (7th)

You know the Trent Brown story, right? Great 7th round pick.


 

Burton, Michael - Chosen by Fureys49ers (7th)

Burton was a 5th round pick of the Lions. A blocking FB almost in his entirety, Burton is actually a pretty good throwback FB. He would not have made it to 2017 with the team, nor did he do so with the Lions, as he ended up in Chicago in 2017.


 

Carter, Alex  - Chosen by oldman9er (3rd), Melbourne 9er (3rd)

Carter was selected in the 3rd round, one slot after Eli Harold, by the Lions. He has been a complete bust of a 3rd round pick, appearing in only 2 games in his career, and registering 0 meaningful stats.


 

Carter, DeAndre - Chosen by 48 1/2ers (7th)

Carter went undrafted and signed with the 49ers. He never got to appear in a game for us though stuck around the franchise for a few years before he was cut and bounced between Philly and Houston in 2018. He’s set to head to camp with the Texans in 2019.


 

Cobb, David - Chosen by oldman9er (4th)

Cobb was a 5th round pick of the Titans. In 2015, he averaged only 2.8 YPC and hasn’t played in the NFL since.


 

Collins, La’el - Chosen by dan77733 (7th), y2lamanaki (7th)

Collins went undrafted and was eventually signed by the Cowboys. Collins had a disastrous couple of days before the draft and was removed from each team’s draft board for something that was ultimately not his fault and something for which he was never a suspect. Collins has rewarded the Cowboys by starting 46 of the 47 games he has played in, including all 32 over the last two seasons. He’s been pretty good, too.


 

Cooper, Xavier - Chosen by 48 1/2ers (3rd)

Cooper was a 3rd round pick of the Browns. He was mostly a rotational player in his career (you may remember his brief stint with us in 2017), but he never amounted to much. He didn’t make a roster last season and is currently without a team.


 

Davis, Carl - Chosen by Melbourne 9er (2nd)

Davis was a 3rd round pick of the Ravens. When on the field, he has been a relatively average player, but he never entirely panned out in Baltimore and is now continuing his career in Cleveland. Who would have thought that sort of career move could low key pan out?


 

Davis, Mike - Chosen by Forge (4th)

Mike Davis was horrible his first two years here despite being a popular pick. He ended up with the Seahawks and fared much better, even having a solid breakout year in 2018.


 

Dawson, Paul - Chosen by dan77733 (3rd)

Dawson was the final pick in the 3rd round by the Bengals. Considered a steal at the time, he proved to be not even worth what was given up to select him. Dawson would register 16 tackles in his career and is out of the NFL.


 

Diggs, Stefon - Chosen by Fureys49ers (3rd)

Diggs was a 5th round pick of the Vikings. Diggs was an excellent pick by the Vikings in the 5th, and he was able to contribute quite a bit to that offense from day 1. Now on his second contract, Diggs remains a top WR in the game and has already amassed over 3,400 yards and 24 touchdowns.


 

Drummond, Kurtis - Chosen by Melbourne 9er (4th)

Drummond went undrafted and was signed by the Texans. He was active in 24 games across two years, but didn’t pick up many stats. He had signed with the San Antonio Commanders of the AAF, but to the best of my knowledge, he is now still technically a free agent.


 

Edwards, Mario - Chosen by NinerNation21 (2nd)

Edwards was a 2nd round pick of the Raiders. He was a primary starter in 2015 and 2017 on the DL but played as a rotational player with the Giants in 2018. He’s now with the Saints on a small 2-year deal.


 

Emanuel, Kyle - Chosen by dan77733

Emanuel was a 5th round pick of the Chargers and a solid pick for that round. He was active in many games, and was a solid player who worked his way into the starting rotation. He played out his rookie contract, but retired this offseason citing health concerns.


 

Fisher, Jake - Chosen by Forge (2nd)

Fisher was a second round pick of the Bengals. He spent four years on the roster. And if you want to know how well the pick worked out for them, he’s now playing tight end for the Bills.


 

Fua, Alani - Chosen by y2lamanaki (7th)

Fua wound up going undrafted and was signed by the Cardinals. He picked up 2 tackles in 19 active games, so he’s not exactly a UDFA success story.


 

Glenn, Jacoby - Chosen by oldman9er (6th)

Glenn went undrafted and was signed by the Bears. He only appeared in 8 games over 2 years, though did record an INT and 6 passes defensed in his short career.


 

Green-Beckham, Dorial - Chosen by dan77733 (1st), y2lamanaki (1st), big9erfan (1st)

A 2nd round pick of the Titans, Dorial Green-Beckham was everything he was cracked up to be - an incredibly talented receiver with star potential that didn’t care enough to realize it and wound up in trouble with the law too often. It’s not a great sign when after a 500 yard/4 TD rookie season, your team gets rid of you rather than capitalize on the promise. Especially one as needy as the Titans.


 

Gunter, LaDarius - Chosen by NinerNation21 (4th)

Gunter went undrafted and was signed by the Packers. Gunter had an amazing opportunity in 2016 as he was able to start in place of the injured Sam Shields and started 15 games overall. Despite the playing time (and being the primary guy to hold OBJ to his poor playoff game), he never caught on with another team and was most recently with Orlando in the AAF.


 

Harold, Eli - Chosen by Forge (3rd)

This is a story we all know well. Eli Harold was supposed to be a possible steal as an edge rusher in the third, but he only managed five sacks in his 49ers career. And - without exaggeration - more than half of them came when the opposing offense thought it was more advantageous to double team both defensive tackles and leave Eli Harold entirely unblocked, then bother to have the tackle easily contain him.


 

Heeney, Ben - Chosen by y2lamanaki (4th)

Heeney was a 5th round pick of the Raiders. In his rookie year, he showed flashes of promise, but it was all downhill from there as injuries ended his 2016 and 2017 seasons and he is now out of the league.


 

Hundley, Brett - Chosen by y2lamanaki (4th)

Hundley was a 5th round pick of the Packers. He was given a golden opportunity to start 9 games in 2017 for an injured Aaron Rodgers, and he did certainly disappoint. For his career he’s under 60% completion percentage and is on the bad side of the TD/INT ratio.


 

Johnson, Kevin - Chosen by Fureys49ers (1st)

Johnson was a first round pick by the Texans, sandwiched between our original pick in that draft and where we actually picked Arik Armstead. He flashed potential in his rookie season, but then fizzled out some on the field. A lot of that was due to a slew of injuries, which seems par for the course around here.


 

Kendricks, Eric - Chosen by oldman9er (1st)

Kendricks was a 2nd round pick of the Vikings. Kendricks has been a good, reliable starter for the Vikings for four years. None of his numbers jump off the page, but he’s done everything asked and has appeared in 59 of 64 possible games since he was drafted.


 

Koyack, Ben - Chosen by y2lamanaki (6th)

Koyack was a 7th round pick of the Jags. He hasn’t amounted many stats, but he was a decent blocking tight end for the Jaguars in 2016, 2017, and the end of 2018. He’s still set to be with the team for training camp in 2019.


 

Langford, Jeremy - Chosen by NinerNation21 (4th)

Langford was a 4th round pick of the Bears. He had a good share of the reps in his rookie season, but only was able to average 3.6 YPC. His numbers all dropped from there, and eventually he began to bounce around the league. He has 1,183 yards from scrimmage and 11 total TDs in his career.



 

Manton, Justin - Chosen by oldman9er (7th)

Justin Manton has a pro-football-reference page, so I can confirm he exists. Here it is if you don’t believe me: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MantJu00.htm


 

Marpet, Ali - Chosen by NinerNation21 (3rd)

Marpet was a 2nd round pick of the Buccaneers. Marpet has started all 56 games in which he’s played for the Buccaneers and has been a solid interior lineman for them (starting at all 3 interior spots).


 

Marshall, Nick - Chosen by Melbourne 9er (7th), 48 1/2ers (7th)

Marshall was a former college quarterback switching to cornerback in the NFL, and went undrafted. He was signed by the Jaguars and actually made the team his first two years, but with little DB success (saw most of his time as a kick returner). He’s now in the CFL.


 

Mbu, Joey - Chosen by oldman9er (7th)

Mbu went undrafted and was signed by the Falcons. He has only appeared in a handful of contests and registered single digit tackles in his career. He had a promising short career with the Commanders in the AAF and is now signed with the Dolphins.


 

McBride, Tre - Chosen by 48 1/2ers (3rd)

McBride was a 7th round pick of the Titans. He has 10 receptions and a touchdown in his career. He is currently set to head into camp with the Redskins.


 

O’Shaughnessy, James - Chosen by big9erfan (5th)

O’Shaughnessy was a 5th round pick of the Chiefs. O’Shaughnessy never got going in Kansas City and was traded to the Patriots, where he was cut and picked up by the Jaguars. He didn’t necessarily light the world on fire there either, but did improve and started a handful of games in 2018. He’s back with the team in 2019, though that is largely due to having almost literally nobody else at the position.


 

Parker, Davante - Chosen by NinerNation 21 (1st)

Parker went just before our original pick at #14 to the Dolphins. Parker has had the injury bug, and it has stunted his career. When he’s on the field, his play has been pretty good, but not spectacular.


 

Peters, Marcus - Chosen by Forge (1st), 48 1/2ers (1st)

Peters went one pick after we chose Armstead at #18 overall to the Chiefs. Peters has had a great career thus far. He won Rookie of the Year in 2015, has been to the Pro Bowl twice, was an all-pro in 2016, and already has 22 INTs in his young career.


 

Perryman, Denzel - Chosen by Fureys49ers (2nd)

Perryman was a 2nd round pick of the Chargers. Perryman’s not a problem when on the field, but getting on the field is the familiar problem. Injuries have really hampered his career to this point. If he can stay healthy, he’d remain a strong 2nd round pick.


 

Raciti, Travis - Chosen by 48 1/2ers (7th)

Raciti went undrafted and signed with the Eagles. He has never appeared in an NFL game.


 

Ray, Shane - Chosen by Melbourne 9er (1st)

Ray was a first round pick of the Broncos. At times, he has flashed the massive amount of potential he has, but injuries have not helped him out and he has only played a full 16-games one time (and in that season, he set a respectable career high of 8 sacks as a second year player). He is currently a free agent, but I imagine some team will bring him into camp after the draft.


 

Richards, Jordan - Chosen by Fureys49ers (6th)

Richards was a 2nd round pick of the Patriots. Richards has been an average player known more for his tackling than ball skills. He’s now with the Raiders on a 2nd contract.


 

Rodgers, Jake - Chosen by dan77733 (6th)

Rodgers was a 7th round pick of the Falcons. He has never appeared in an NFL game and has bounced around a lot of practice squads.


 

Rowe, Eric - Chosen by dan77733 (2nd), y2lamanaki (2nd), big9erfan (2nd)

Rowe was selected one pick after Jaquiski Tartt by the Eagles. He appeared in all 16 games as a rookie, but was traded to the Patriots after one year. With the Patriots, Rowe was often injured, and he was average at best when he played. He’s now already on his third team with the Dolphins.


 

Ryan, Jake - Chosen by big9erfan (4th)

Ryan was a 4th round pick of the Packers. On the field, he showed a lot of promise and appeared to keep developing year over year. However, he was often banged up in those first three years and then missed all of 2018 with an ACL tear. He signed with the Jaguars in the offseason.


 

Smelter, DeAndre - Chosen by Forge (4th), big9erfan (4th)

Smelter was an infamous Baalke ACL pick and never amounted to anything despite having loads of potential when drafted.


 

Smith, Derron - Chosen by Forge (6th), big9erfan (6th)

Smith was a 6th round pick of the Bengals. He totaled 7 tackles with the team in 2 years, recovered a fumble with the Browns, and then played for the San Antonio Commanders before that league sorta fizzled out. However, he played well enough there for the Vikings to pick him up.


 

Smith, Devin - Chosen by Melbourne 9er (2nd)

A second round pick of the Jets, Smith was never able to live up to his athletic potential and made only 10 catches in his short career. He has kicked around the Jets practice squad and is now signed to go into camp with the Cowboys, so his career has not yet officially ended.


 

Smith, Donovan - Chosen by Melbourne 9er (3rd), 48 1/2ers (4th)

Smith was a 2nd round pick of the Buccaneers. Smith has been a relatively average tackle, but at the same time, he has started all 64 possible games for the Buccaneers. This class was one that has seen a lot of injuries, so that counts for something.


 

Smith, Za’Darius - Chosen by dan77733 (4th)

Smith was a 4th round pick of the Ravens and was a great selection. He was known for having a lot of pass rushing potential and he flashed at times in his first three years, but was able to really showcase his play with the Ravens last year. It earned him a big second contract with the Packers.


 

Spain, Quinton - Chosen by Fureys49ers (4th)

Spain went undrafted and was signed by the Titans. Spain has started all but two games in which he’s been active, including being the main starter at left guard for the Titans the last 3 years. For a UDFA, he’s a great story. Probably just an average starter, though. He’s now with the Bills on a 2nd contract.


 

Strong, Jaelen - Chosen by oldman9er (2nd)

Strong was a third round pick of the Texans. He was given plenty of opportunity to succeed, but was never able to fulfill the potential he had. He sits currently at 330 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on his career. He was out of the league in 2018, but is currently signed to the Browns for a chance to revive his career in 2019.


 

Thompson, Shaq - Chosen by 48 1/2ers (2nd)

Thompson was a first round pick of the Panthers, and has pretty much been the player the Panthers expected to find at the spot as he has been the primary starter at OLB for all four years. And if the NFL still played a 14-game schedule, Thompson would have been active for every game in his career. However, it’s a 16-game schedule, which means Thompson misses 2 games every year.



 

Thompson, Tyrus - Chosen by oldman9er (5th), y2lamanaki (5th)

Thompson was a 6th round pick of the Vikings, but has never appeared in an NFL game. Thompson


 

Waller, Darren - Chosen by NinerNation21 (7th)

Waller was a 6th round pick of the Ravens. Waller never caught on as a receiver and eventually was tried at TE. Overall, his career has not been stellar and he has less than 200 career yards and only 2 TDs to his name. A year-long suspension in 2017 likely didn’t help his development.


 

Watson, Terrell - Chosen by Melbourne 9er (7th)

Watson went undrafted and signed with the Bengals, though never played for the team. He later saw the field for both Pennsylvania teams, but put up pretty poor numbers and is now out of the league.


 

White, Kevin - Chosen by Forge (7th)

A former UDFA of the Falcons. White never made an NFL roster.


 

Williams, Terry - Chosen by Fureys49ers (7th)

Williams went undrafted and signed with the Bears as a UDFA. He never has played in an NFL game.


 

Williams, Ty - Chosen by oldman9er (7th)

Williams went undrafted and was signed by the Chargers. Williams has been very productive for a former UDFA, including a 1,000-yard season in 2016. His 2,500+ yards and 17 tds over 4 years (mostly 3) was enough to earn him a big second contract from the Raiders this offseason.


 

Wilson, Ramik - Chosen by Forge (4th)

Wilson was a 4th round pick of the Chiefs. He did start all 11 games he played in 2016, but that’s among his career highlights other than being active and healthy for all 16 games with the Rams last year (and through the Super Bowl). He’s currently a free agent.

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This is just an incredible amount of work going through all this @y2lamanaki. These are without a doubt the best thing this site has going for it. A very well earned tip of the cap to you sir. 

Pretty funny how good this draft ended up turning out for Baalke, though none of the guys really have had their success on the 49ers. Even Armstead will likely have a better career in his next contract for whatever team he's on. 

My favorite thing to look at are the notable gems a few people pick in the late rounds like @Fureys49ers Diggs pick in the 5th, @NinerNation21with the Ali Marpet pick in the 3rd, @Melbourne 9er hit the Kwon, and @oldman9ernailed the Amos pick too.

Cool stuff, I hope this never dies.  

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15 minutes ago, y2lamanaki said:

VERDICT:

@y2lamanaki is a loser who tags himself in forum posts to let himself be reminded of how much of a loser he is.

LMAO!!! No. No. No and more no. I don't think for a second that one person could think this. 

 

I love the months leading up to the draft. The fun of watching vids, trying to conceive of team fits, adjusting big boards, the philosophical struggle and balance of BPA versus need. It's all a blast of anticipatory... fap fap in an otherwise slow football time of year. 

.. but once it is over.. the picks all in.. and nothing left to do but study the actual players selected some more.

It's an amusing and innovative draft game and all, but sometimes, these things just show what a huge crap-shoot the draft is. We can study the tape, discover and memorize the stats and drill results.. and try to translate the college to pros projection.. but we just don't have an inside track on some of the things that really matter most. The medicals and interviews are typically a mystery. The true character of a player's will and focus, once they get that first big contract. Whether the prospect meshes well with the team structure and scheme. How a prospect responds to a random and unforeseeable injury. Probably even more that we go in rather blind on. 

Despite all of that, there are some that enjoy looking back to see how they did... or how others did.. and maybe they get a boost of pride or shame of it. I just don't. I don't look. I don't feel it either way. I don't like patting myself on the back, or punishing self; I fail often enough in real life. :P 

I just woke up, sat down with my coffee, and apparently dragged in my soap box without having planned to. You are all saints if you read through this drivel. As you were.... 

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My picks have been awful in these LOL. Far too often go against my actual board (see the Thomas pick...ugh), or just decide to roll with the 49ers selection far too often. I've done better in communal settings back in the day of FFMD lol. 

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2 hours ago, Forge said:

My picks have been awful in these LOL. Far too often go against my actual board (see the Thomas pick...ugh), or just decide to roll with the 49ers selection far too often. I've done better in communal settings back in the day of FFMD lol. 

This was my problem early on for sure. After they draft someone I start watching a bunch of highlights and talk myself into the player. I know in the draft thread I was calling for Diggs all the way up until we drafted Smelter. I can’t remember who but I was debating Diggs vs another receiver and neither of us got our wish. Both of us would have probably had the better pick, couldn’t have been much worse.

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15 hours ago, Forge said:

My picks have been awful in these LOL. Far too often go against my actual board (see the Thomas pick...ugh), or just decide to roll with the 49ers selection far too often. I've done better in communal settings back in the day of FFMD lol. 

And I'm supposed to respect your opinion on the Burns vs Sweat debate???? 

But the draft is a complete crap shoot. So it doesn't surprise me mosts mock drafts on here are worst than even a guy as heavily criticized as Baalke. But we also don’t do this full time and spend damn near a year preparing for the draft like teams do. So it's still screw Baalke lol. 

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This started right around the time I was trying to work in the film business so I was barely doing anything draft related. I clearly missed out. 

So is this in essence a shadow draft? Where we post our picks live as the draft happens? 

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2 minutes ago, John232 said:

This started right around the time I was trying to work in the film business so I was barely doing anything draft related. I clearly missed out. 

So is this in essence a shadow draft? Where we post our picks live as the draft happens? 

After. We did do a shadow draft last year, unfortunately it's tough timing for me since I have to be moderating the draft forum

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1 minute ago, Forge said:

After. We did do a shadow draft last year, unfortunately it's tough timing for me since I have to be moderating the draft forum

Ah ok. Is the Shadow Draft in the NFL Draft forum? or is someone doing one here? Regardless, I'd want to take part in both. 

 

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Just now, John232 said:

Ah ok. Is the Shadow Draft in the NFL Draft forum? or is someone doing one here? Regardless, I'd want to take part in both. 

 

In here. @y2lamanaki will do the thread for it if he's doing it this year, then I believe he adds it into the "are you smarter than" series. 

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I don’t think I did it right, think I just created a mock draft before the draft but this is really cool. Thanks for putting in all that work @y2lamanaki. I would have been super stoked with the way my mock draft turned out if like you had said, we arranged some of the picks to make them work and instead of Kevin Johnson I went with Waynes, who I felt more comfortable with but wasn’t sure his ceiling was as high as Johnson’s or Peters. 

I’ll make sure to follow the rules this year.

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Just now, Fureys49ers said:

I don’t think I did it right, think I just created a mock draft before the draft but this is really cool. Thanks for putting in all that work @y2lamanaki. I would have been super stoked with the way my mock draft turned out if like you had said, we arranged some of the picks to make them work and instead of Kevin Johnson I went with Waynes, who I felt more comfortable with but wasn’t sure his ceiling was as high as Johnson’s or Peters. 

I’ll make sure to follow the rules this year.

That's how it started out (creating mock drafts), and every year prior to this one that Y2 was based on mocks prior to the draft, I believe. In this year, I started a thread after the draft asking what people would have done differently, and I believe that "Are you smarter than" morphed a bit into that, though I think that Y2 still includes pre draft mocks as well. 

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2 minutes ago, Forge said:

That's how it started out (creating mock drafts), and every year prior to this one that Y2 was based on mocks prior to the draft, I believe. In this year, I started a thread after the draft asking what people would have done differently, and I believe that "Are you smarter than" morphed a bit into that, though I think that Y2 still includes pre draft mocks as well. 

Gotcha, I may just do both again to better my odds at seeming like I know what I’m talking about haha.

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