Revisiting the 2019 Draft

[onejayhawk]

There are threads about the rookies. This is one for the 2nd year players. Did they develop? Did they decline? Are they still on the roster?

Chiefs

2.24 WR  Mecole Hardman  Georgia Primary punt returner and WR3. Will likely become WR2 in 2021 when Sammy moves on, but we hoped for better.  2.31 DB  Juan Thornhill  Virginia Was looking like a future Pro Bowler when he had a serious leg injury. A year later, he's not yet 100% 3.21 DL  Khalen Saunders  Western Illinois He's had his moments, but was passed by an UDFA. May or may not play out his contract 6.29 DB  Rashad Fenton  South Carolina He was passed by rookie L'Jarius Sneed. Useful ST player and dime CB    6.42 RB  Darwin Thompson  Utah State ST player, but not cracking the lineup even in garbage time. Fumble recovery in the Super Bowl is his career highlight. 7.02 OL  Nick Allegretti  Illinois Now the starting RG

Edited December 30, 2020 by onejayhawk

[CWood21]

1.12 - Rashan Gary [EDGE; MIchigan] - Looked absolutely lost as a rookie when the game was clearly too fast for him.  This year has been a completely different story.  Looks like a guy who is about to break out into a star.  Shows the ability to rush the passer and set the edge well.

1.21 - Darnell Savage [S; Maryland] - Struggled as most rookie safeties do, and like Gary seemed to have the game get too fast for him.  Really seemed to have turned the corner the last few weeks with 4 INTs in the last 5 games.

2.44 - Elgton Jenkins [OG/C; Missisippi State] - Arguably our best OL and that's saying something given the Packers still have David Bakhtiari on the roster.  Has gotten more snaps at C with Corey Linsley out.

3.75 - Jace Sternberger [TE; Texas A&M] - Been a solid back-up TE.  Was showing the glimpses that made him a 3rd round pick but a concussion has held him out the last few games.

5.150 - Kinglsey Keke [DT; Texas A&M] - Really blossomed as a rotational big, and he's arguably DL2 after Kenny Clark.

6.185 - Ka'Dar Hollman [CB; Toledo] - Mainly a ST player.  Nothing special, not horrible either.

6.194 - Dexter Williams [RB; Notre Dame] - PS fodder.

7.226 - Ty Summers [LB; TCU] - ST player.  Gotten some burn at ILB, but was passed over by Kamal Martin and Krys Barnes.

Overall, this was a class that was largely viewed as a disappointment.  But it's looking like a potentially franchise-altering mode.

[MikeT14]

ROUND 1, PICK 15 (15th overall):

Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State

uh, lol. We know the story. He was ill-prepared, immature, and is off the team. 

ROUND 1, PICK 26 (26th overall):

Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State

Has had a great 2nd season. The addition of Chase Young, and the move to a 4-3 has been very beneficial. He might not ever be spectacular, but he could be a great DE for a long time.

ROUND 3, PICK 12 (76th overall):

Terry McLaurin, WR, Ohio State

Probably future stud. Has played well despite having like 6 different QBs throw to him in 2 years. 

ROUND 4, PICK 10 (112th overall):

Bryce Love, RB, Stanford

Still has not seen the field due to injuries.

ROUND 4, PICK 29 (131st overall):

Wes Martin, G, Indiana

Started a couple games. Was the worst PFF rated guard. 

ROUND 5, PICK 15 (153rd overall):

Ross Pierschbacher, C, Alabama

Cut in 2020. With the Eagles.

ROUND 5, PICK 35 (173rd overall):

Cole Holcomb, LB, North Carolina

Is actually pretty solid. Will never be great, but is good enough to at worst be the main rotational linebacker. 

ROUND 6, PICK 34 (206th overall):

Kelvin Harmon, WR, North Carolina State

Has shown promise but injuries have killed him. 2021 is a big year for him. 

ROUND 7, PICK 13 (227th overall):

Jimmy Moreland, DB, James Madison

There's been good and bad. He's mostly been our 3rd or 4th corner. Has a number of penalties. 

ROUND 7, PICK 39 (253rd overall):

Jordan Brailford, EDGE, Oklahoma State

With the Vikings.

[NinerNation21]

1.2: Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State: From the minute he stepped foot on the field, he was instantly the most impact defender the 49ers had. Absolute game-wrecker from day one, but had his rookie moments. As a pass rusher, he couldn't be stopped. He routinely beat just about everyone he faced. As a run defender, he's solid but there's room for improvement. There were a few times in his rookie year where he crashed the line thinking he was going to be the trail defender, only to see the play actually coming straight at him and he was put in no-man's land. 

2020 was obviously an extremely sad and frustrating season for the 49ers and Bosa was no exception with his torn ACL. On the positive side, his recovery seems to be going really well and should be back to normal for the start of TC. Bosa has All-Pro ability and should be the face of our defense, along side Fred Warner for years to come.

 

2.36: Deebo Samuel, WR South Carolina: Deebo has been quite the catalyst for the 49ers offense. Kittle's emergence to greatness in 2019 gave the 49ers' offense an identity of toughness and explosiveness. Deebo has ratcheted that identity up another level by bein an absolute bully on the field. In 2019, Deebo was used all over the place with success, which made most 49ers fans think he could be a #1 WR. In 2020, like literally every other player on the roster, he got hurt for a significant period of time. His usage has changed a bit in 2020 as he seemed to have settled in the role of quick-hitting, at/behind the LOS passing option in the offense. I don't know if that's a product of his skill limitations, the emergence of Brandon Aiyuk as a legit #1, or his nagging hamstring injury, but Deebo routinely gets the ball into his hands quickly and drags defenders 3-6 yards with him. 

Deebo, Aiyuk, and Kittle have the makings to be one of the best set of offensive weapons the 49ers have had in quite some time. As long as his injuries are kept in check, he's going to be a dynamic play maker for years to come.

 

3.67: Jalen Hurd, WR, Baylor: The hype surrounding Hurd since his 2 TD game in pre-season his rookie year has been loud. He makes just about every 49er fan salivate at the thought of him lining up in the slot and terrorizing little slot corners with his size, speed, and toughness. Unfortunately, he had a season-ending back injury his rookie year, then tore his ACL in TC this season. We've only seen glimpses of what could be with Hurd, but he hasn't been on the field long enough to show it off.

Hurd needs to show up to TC 100% healthy and play the full 2021 season to have a future with the 49ers. He should have a fair shot at winning the slot WR role and if healthy, he could be yet another YAC monster in the 49ers offense. 

 

4.110: Mitch Wishnowsky, P, Utah: This was the pick that made 49ers fan collectively meltdown. We all hated this pick from the very beginning as there's no way a punter could show enough value to be selected this high. While still a head scratcher, Mitch has been a top 10 punter for the past two years. With that, he's fun to watch on kickoffs and punts because he absolutely enjoys blowing up returners. He's had a few "hit-stick" type hits on ball carriers so far. If we drafted Mitch in the 6th round, he'd be considered a really good pick. Being in the 4th, he's an OK pick. Taking the pick value out of the mix, he's actually be a very good punter for us.

 

5.148: Dre Greenlaw, LB, Arkansas: Greenlaw might actually be the steal of our draft class. He's been a stud since he's been with the 49ers and has made some big time plays. In his rookie year, he picked off Russell Wilson in OT and returned it to mid-field, which should've lead to a game winning FG if it weren't for our rookie PS kicker who had to play because of yet another injury. He also made the famous Clinch By An Inch play in week 17 last season against the Seahawks to win the division for us. 

Outside of the splashy plays, Greenlaw and Warner form an extremely dynamic LB duo. So much so that it made trading away Kwon Alexander this season a very easy decision. Greenlaw is a fast, strong cover LB that is one of the surest tacklers you will ever see. When he has you in his sights, you're going down. Greenlaw was originally viewed as no more than a depth LB, but he has proven to be a starting LB that doesn't come off the field. He has a bright future.

 

6.176: Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford: Smith didn't last long with the 49ers. He was released early-to-mid 2019 to make room for someone else and the Giants snagged him up. 

 

6.183: Justin Skule, OT, Vanderbilt: By all accounts, Skule was not ready to be on an NFL field last season. But, as the most 49ery thing to happen, both of our starting tackles went down with an injury in 2019, which pushed Skule into the starting lineup for 8 games. He was not great by any stretch of the imagination, but he also wasn't a complete turn style. It could've been a lot worse. This gave some 49ers fans hope that Skule may actually be a decent swing tackle. But in 2020, he seemed to lose whatever he had in 2019 as he's been pretty bad when on the field for an extended amount of time. Skule will be battling for a roster spot in 2021. 

 

6.198: Tim Harris, CB, Virginia: The common theme with Harris is injuries. He has struggled to stay healthy enough to compete in practice, which has religated him to the PS for most of his time with the 49ers. This season, injuries to our secondary has given him a little playing time, but it's been strictly on special teams. It's honestly hard to say if Harris has a future with the 49ers. 2021 could be a make or break year for him.

 

UDFA: Kevin Givens, DT, Penn State: Givens was a priority UDFA and quietly put together an intriguing rookie year in TC and pre-season. He ended up on the PS in 2019, but burst onto the scene in 2020. With the departure of DeForest Bucker, Givens had an opportunity to pick up some serious playing time. It's difficult to know if he won that PT by rights or by injuries as Solomon Thomas went down with an ACL tear in week 2. This gave Givens essentially a starting role along with Kinlaw and DJ Jones. 

Givens has been a pleasant surprise this season. His 1 sack and 7 total pressures don't wow you, but watching him in games, he's knifing into the backfield to disrupt run plays often and he does his fair share to collapse the pocket from the inside. With Solomon Thomas most likely leaving this offseason, Givens should have a real shot of cementing his role with the 49ers interior D-Line rotation. Each year, the 49ers find a real gem in the UDFA pool and Givens was our gem in 2019.

  

Edited December 30, 2020 by NinerNation21