Round 3 Pick 67: San Francisco 49ers Select WR Jalen Hurd Baylor

[VanS]

6 hours ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

That would be awesome if we can have a Saints-esque draft that they had in 2017.

So break down his game and how you think Shanahan will use him. 

I watched every snap of Hurd's career at Tennessee.  An argument could be made that he was the best player on the 2015 Vols.  And for the record that was a team filled with many future NFL players (including current NFL superstar Alvin Kamara).  The Vols that year led every team they lost to in the 4th quarter including both Alabama and Oklahoma (two teams that made the college football playoff that year).  They were the team that year that was talented enough to jump on everyone but would choke the game away late due to bad coaching.  As a Vol fan I can tell you that Jalen Hurd was CLEARLY the best RB on the Vols roster that year.  Alvin Kamara was a great RB as well no doubt.  But Hurd was better.  Alvin really took off as a player in 2016 while Hurd declined.  That is the year people can make fun of Butch Jones for sticking with Hurd as the starter instead of Kamara. 

I bring all this up to tell you that Jalen Hurd has PHENOMENAL talent as a RB.  I compared Kamara to Marshall Faulk before the 2017 draft and people laughed at me.  The contention being how can I compare a guy who was a backup in college to one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.  Two years in that comparison doesn't seem laughable.  Now I'm not trying to pat myself on the back for the Alvin comp.  I'm just trying to let yall know that when I say Hurd was a better RB than Kamara in 2015, I'm not doing so to disparage Alvin.  I'm saying that to let yall know just how special of a talent Jalen Hurd is.  I was very dissapointed in 2016 when he announced his decision to switch positions.  I thought he had Pro Bowl talent at the RB position.  He reminded me of Eddie George.  

Thus going into this year I had low expectations for Jalen as a WR.  I thought he was gonna look out of place.  Boy was I wrong.  From his first game at Baylor I was ASTONISHED.  He had totally changed his body.  Became more lean and explosive.  His movements seemed so natural.  His route running was remarkably precise for a guy who just started playing wide receiver.  His hands were surprisingly natural.  He transformed himself from an Eddie George type running back into a natural wide receiver.  Its a pretty amazing transformation.

As a WR I would compare Hurd's game to Bills Hall of Famer Andre Reed.  I'm not saying Hurd will be a Hall of Famer.  I'm just saying that's who his game tape at WR reminds me of.  Just as Alvin reminded me of Marshall Faulk.  I expect Kyle to move Jalen all around.  I think the biggest thing he will look to exploit is Jalen's ability to run after the catch.  As a former RB, he's a load to bring down and he has elite open field running skills.  Look for Kyle to work Jalen across the middle of the field on shallow crosses and slants so that he can run after the catch.

Jalen Hurd is a special player.   He will be as successful in the NFL as Alvin Kamara.  I truly believe that.

Edited May 2, 2019 by VanS

[J-ALL-DAY]

5 hours ago, VanS said:

I watched every snap of Hurd's career at Tennessee.  An argument could be made that he was the best player on the 2015 Vols.  And for the record that was a team filled with many future NFL players (including current NFL superstar Alvin Kamara).  The Vols that year led every team they lost to in the 4th quarter including both Alabama and Oklahoma (two teams that made the college football playoff that year).  They were the team that year that was talented enough to jump on everyone but would choke the game away late due to bad coaching.  As a Vol fan I can tell you that Jalen Hurd was CLEARLY the best RB on the Vols roster that year.  Alvin Kamara was a great RB as well no doubt.  But Hurd was better.  Alvin really took off as a player in 2016 while Hurd declined.  That is the year people can make fun of Butch Jones for sticking with Hurd as the starter instead of Kamara. 

I bring all this up to tell you that Jalen Hurd has PHENOMENAL talent as a RB.  I compared Kamara to Marshall Faulk before the 2017 draft and people laughed at me.  The contention being how can I compare a guy who was a backup in college to one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.  Two years in that comparison doesn't seem laughable.  Now I'm not trying to pat myself on the back for the Alvin comp.  I'm just trying to let yall know that when I say Hurd was a better RB than Kamara in 2015, I'm not doing so to disparage Alvin.  I'm saying that to let yall know just how special of a talent Jalen Hurd is.  I was very dissapointed in 2016 when he announced his decision to switch positions.  I thought he had Pro Bowl talent at the RB position.  He reminded me of Eddie George.  

Thus going into this year I had low expectations for Jalen as a WR.  I thought he was gonna look out of place.  Boy was I wrong.  From his first game at Baylor I was ASTONISHED.  He had totally changed his body.  Became more lean and explosive.  His movements seemed so natural.  His route running was remarkably precise for a guy who just started playing wide receiver.  His hands were surprisingly natural.  He transformed himself from an Eddie George type running back into a natural wide receiver.  Its a pretty amazing transformation.

As a WR I would compare Hurd's game to Bills Hall of Famer Andre Reed.  I'm not saying Hurd will be a Hall of Famer.  I'm just saying that's who his game tape at WR reminds me of.  Just as Alvin reminded me of Marshall Faulk.  I expect Kyle to move Jalen all around.  I think the biggest thing he will look to exploit is Jalen's ability to run after the catch.  As a former RB, he's a load to bring down and he has elite open field running skills.  Look for Kyle to work Jalen across the middle of the field on shallow crosses and slants so that he can run after the catch.

Jalen Hurd is a special player.   He will be as successful in the NFL as Alvin Kamara.  I truly believe that.

Good stuff, he definitely has a natural movement for a guy his size and is smooth with his routes. I did see some drops from him which he needs to improve on but his ability after the catch is apparent. I saw a lot of his catches came out of the slot so I wonder if that's where he's used the most? Obviously Shanahan can get creative and use him in different ways.

The Niners now have a bunch of YAC monsters on the team with Hurd, Samuel, Kittle and even Pettis. All are great after the catch and clearly Shanahan rates that highly from what he is looking for from a WR. I expect a bunch of quick hitters to give these receivers a chance to do what they do best after the catch. I didn't watch Hurd so when we drafted him, I thought he was drafted to be a 2nd TE. But watching him now, he definitely can play WR as his movement and route running is very solid.

His injury history a thing or worry or he should be fine going forward? 

[NinerNation21]

1 hour ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

Good stuff, he definitely has a natural movement for a guy his size and is smooth with his routes. I did see some drops from him which he needs to improve on but his ability after the catch is apparent. I saw a lot of his catches came out of the slot so I wonder if that's where he's used the most? Obviously Shanahan can get creative and use him in different ways.

The Niners now have a bunch of YAC monsters on the team with Hurd, Samuel, Kittle and even Pettis. All are great after the catch and clearly Shanahan rates that highly from what he is looking for from a WR. I expect a bunch of quick hitters to give these receivers a chance to do what they do best after the catch. I didn't watch Hurd so when we drafted him, I thought he was drafted to be a 2nd TE. But watching him now, he definitely can play WR as his movement and route running is very solid.

His injury history a thing or worry or he should be fine going forward? 

I think Hurd was drafted to be a big slot and a manufactured-touch guy (screens, jet sweeps, quick slants, etc.) The more I watch him, the more excited I get. This dude has legit size and is extremely quick and agile. He's a rare athlete for his size and with more route training, he could be a deadly weapon. I thought he was drafted a round too early. But if he proves that he can be effective in the slot and in the backfield, he could be real fun to watch. 

 

[J-ALL-DAY]

1 minute ago, NinerNation21 said:

I think Hurd was drafted to be a big slot and a manufactured-touch guy (screens, jet sweeps, quick slants, etc.) The more I watch him, the more excited I get. This dude has legit size and is extremely quick and agile. He's a rare athlete for his size and with more route training, he could be a deadly weapon. I thought he was drafted a round too early. But if he proves that he can be effective in the slot and in the backfield, he could be real fun to watch. 

 

He seems to be gliding out there at times which is super impressive for someone his size. Definitely just a good football player above everything. Shanahan wanted more toys to play with and he sure has them at his disposal next season. Seriously, a offense consisting of McKinnon/Breida/Coleman/Juice at RB/FB and then Kittle/Pettis/Samuel/Hurd/Goodwin should be top 10 no excuses. If it isn't, then it is a bad look on Jimmy G and Shanahan. 

[NinerNation21]

7 minutes ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

He seems to be gliding out there at times which is super impressive for someone his size. Definitely just a good football player above everything. Shanahan wanted more toys to play with and he sure has them at his disposal next season. Seriously, a offense consisting of McKinnon/Breida/Coleman/Juice at RB/FB and then Kittle/Pettis/Samuel/Hurd/Goodwin should be top 10 no excuses. If it isn't, then it is a bad look on Jimmy G and Shanahan. 

Injuries are what could stop this offense, not opposing defenses. People look at the roster and say there's no "bell cow RB" or "#1 WR" but those roles are a thing of the past and have no use in this offense. This offense is all about each piece working together to get specific guys open at specific spots on the field. It's a systematic deconstruction of defenses and will be a thing of beauty to watch. 

Bosa said that opposing offenses can't double team everyone on the d-line, so some guys are going to get advantageous 1-on-1 situations. The same can be said about this offense. Opposing defenses can't defend every inch of the field, but you can sure as hell bet that Shannahan is going to expose those weaknesses with one of his many versatile pieces. 

[J-ALL-DAY]

5 minutes ago, NinerNation21 said:

Injuries are what could stop this offense, not opposing defenses. People look at the roster and say there's no "bell cow RB" or "#1 WR" but those roles are a thing of the past and have no use in this offense. This offense is all about each piece working together to get specific guys open at specific spots on the field. It's a systematic deconstruction of defenses and will be a thing of beauty to watch. 

Bosa said that opposing offenses can't double team everyone on the d-line, so some guys are going to get advantageous 1-on-1 situations. The same can be said about this offense. Opposing defenses can't defend every inch of the field, but you can sure as hell bet that Shannahan is going to expose those weaknesses with one of his many versatile pieces. 

No doubt, and Kittle is a legitimate #1 target if he continues what he did last season. Like who was the Patriots #1 receiver all these years after Moss? It was Gronk right? Not like they had a bunch of Pro Bowl 1,400 yards receivers during that stretch. We got a bunch of receivers that run good routes and are great after the catch. You even add McKinnon to that category. This should be a very efficient offense next season. Health is definitely going to be the key, but as far as weapons? We have plenty to do damage. 

[757-NINER]

7 minutes ago, NinerNation21 said:

Injuries are what could stop this offense, not opposing defenses. People look at the roster and say there's no "bell cow RB" or "#1 WR" but those roles are a thing of the past and have no use in this offense. This offense is all about each piece working together to get specific guys open at specific spots on the field. It's a systematic deconstruction of defenses and will be a thing of beauty to watch. 

Bosa said that opposing offenses can't double team everyone on the d-line, so some guys are going to get advantageous 1-on-1 situations. The same can be said about this offense. Opposing defenses can't defend every inch of the field, but you can sure as hell bet that Shannahan is going to expose those weaknesses with one of his many versatile pieces. 

This....THIS...and more of THIS. This is excatly why I've been telling everyone that this whole we 'need a #1 WR' narrative is not accurate when it comes this scheme. Yes, talent is definitely needed in this position group but a true go to guy isn't. What Shanny likes and covets is weapons at every level of the field. Talented guys that can take a 5-10 yard pass and turn it into a 30-50 yard gains. He wants to threaten every level of the defense and he is slowly acquiring those type of players to achieve that. Of course the health of these weapons will play a huge role in how this upcoming season goes but it its all about moving these pieces around the chess board for him, finding different ways to attack. And soon it will be checkmate for the rest of the league...

[J-ALL-DAY]

10 minutes ago, 757-NINER said:

This....THIS...and more of THIS. This is excatly why I've been telling everyone that this whole we 'need a #1 WR' narrative is not accurate when it comes this scheme. Yes, talent is definitely needed in this position group but a true go to guy isn't. What Shanny likes and covets is weapons at every level of the field. Talented guys that can take a 5-10 yard pass and turn it into a 30-50 yard gains. He wants to threaten every level of the defense and he is slowly acquiring those type of players to achieve that. Of course the health of these weapons will play a huge role in how this upcoming season goes but it its all about moving these pieces around the chess board for him, finding different ways to attack. And soon it will be checkmate for the rest of the league...

So here is the thing, no one is saying we NEED a true #1 WR....Just that a true #1 of the caliber of OBJ would do wonders for this offense...Which he would. And because all of these rules made to help offenses thrive, you pretty much are guaranteed a playoff birth and deep playoff run with a top level offense. I don't need to bring up those numbers again but it was by no coincidence almost ever offense in the top 6 advanced at least to the divisional round of the playoffs. 

[757-NINER]

5 minutes ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

So here is the thing, no one is saying we NEED a true #1 WR....Just that a true #1 of the caliber of OBJ would do wonders for this offense...Which he would. And because all of these rules made to help offenses thrive, you pretty much are guaranteed a playoff birth and deep playoff run with a top level offense. I don't need to bring up those numbers again but it was by no coincidence almost ever offense in the top 6 advanced at least to the divisional round of the playoffs. 

And again, a #1 WR isn't a prerequisite to having a Top 10 offense. Sure it helps, no doubt. But having a plethora of weapons at your disposal is much more effective and harder to gameplan for imo. So now most of your offensive production is tied to just one player and his availability.

Edited May 2, 2019 by 757-NINER

[J-ALL-DAY]

9 minutes ago, 757-NINER said:

And again, a #1 WR isn't a prerequisite to having a Top 10 offense. Sure it helps, no doubt. But having a plethora of weapons at your disposal is much more effective and harder to gameplan for imo. So now most of your offensive production is tied to just one player and his availability.

And again, no one said you need a true #1 WR to be a top 10 offense. But it sure helped offenses such as KC/NO/PITT/LAC/etc. 

[oldman9er]

" u spin me right round baby right round, like a record baby..... "

[NinerNation21]

4 minutes ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

And again, no one said you need a true #1 WR to be a top 10 offense. But it sure helped offenses such as KC/NO/PITT/LAC/etc. 

Sure it helps. But guys like OBJ, Julio, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald aren't common in the NFL and hoping to land one of these guys in the draft isn't a good strategy. To me, having a balanced offense and a coach that knows how to exploit defenses is a better option than going out and getting a #1 WR and hoping he fixes everything.

[J-ALL-DAY]

Just now, NinerNation21 said:

Sure it helps. But guys like OBJ, Julio, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald aren't common in the NFL and hoping to land one of these guys in the draft isn't a good strategy. To me, having a balanced offense and a coach that knows how to exploit defenses is a better option than going out and getting a #1 WR and hoping he fixes everything.

That wasn't the big debate in the past few months. It was about OBJ and if the team should have traded the #2 overall pick for him or not. So in this case, OBJ WAS available and could have been had. I think many were understanding of the teams decision to stay put and not trade that pick for OBJ, but some like myself, said OBJ>Bosa. With OBJ and the rest of the guys we have offensively along with Shanahan, this to me becomes a top 5-ish offense. And that would all but make this a playoff team. Saying that, I never said the offense couldn't be top 5-10 without OBJ, because that certainly can happen. 

[Chrissooner49er]

14 minutes ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

That wasn't the big debate in the past few months. It was about OBJ and if the team should have traded the #2 overall pick for him or not. So in this case, OBJ WAS available and could have been had. I think many were understanding of the teams decision to stay put and not trade that pick for OBJ, but some like myself, said OBJ>Bosa. With OBJ and the rest of the guys we have offensively along with Shanahan, this to me becomes a top 5-ish offense. And that would all but make this a playoff team. Saying that, I never said the offense couldn't be top 5-10 without OBJ, because that certainly can happen. 

Nope. Why? Because of this:

 

1 hour ago, NinerNation21 said:

Injuries are what could stop this offense, not opposing defenses. People look at the roster and say there's no "bell cow RB" or "#1 WR" but those roles are a thing of the past and have no use in this offense. This offense is all about each piece working together to get specific guys open at specific spots on the field. It's a systematic deconstruction of defenses and will be a thing of beauty to watch. 

Bosa said that opposing offenses can't double team everyone on the d-line, so some guys are going to get advantageous 1-on-1 situations. The same can be said about this offense. Opposing defenses can't defend every inch of the field, but you can sure as hell bet that Shannahan is going to expose those weaknesses with one of his many versatile pieces. 

'Nuff said.

[J-ALL-DAY]

5 minutes ago, Chrissooner49er said:

Nope. Why? Because of this:

 

'Nuff said.

There is nothing about that post that made my statement false lol. Time will tell if I'm right or not.