49ers NFL 2023 Draft Day 3 Selections

By Scooter_McG

The 2023 NFL Draft is a wrap. After the longest delay in 49ers history before making their first pick at pick 87, the 49ers ended up making nine total picks, with three yesterday and six selections on Day 3 - two in the 49ers magic round (aka round 5), one in round 6 and three in round 7. 

Day 3 has been a real gold mine for the 49ers in the ShanaLynch era, with numerous stars, starters and solid contributors added during their tenure. The expectations will be high that some of these players can have the same impact as their Day 3 predecessors. So let's take a look at the six picks they made on Day 3.

The 49ers first pick on Day 3 was used to add some much needed depth at CB. I hadn't really looked at Luter prior to the draft, but after reviewing his scouting reports and seeing some highlights I can absolutely see why the 49ers like him. He's got good length, he's got very good athleticism and moves well, and he will combat the receiver to make it hard on them right throughout the play.

He was actually too good for his conference. Teams avoided throwing his way. And for good reason - he allowed a completion percentage of only 45.3% during his time at South Alabama. He also had good ball production over his time in college, in particular in 2021. 

Luter fits right in with recent picks Lenoir and Womack as a player that has inside/ outside versatility, a combative attitude and a nose for making plays on the ball. 

The 49ers second 5th round pick was another elite athlete, high upside pick. Beal Jr played on the vaunted Georgia Bulldogs DL, but in mostly a rotational role as a pass rush specialist. He's raw, and he's an older prospect as a 6th year senior, but he has elite speed (sub 4.5s 40 time) and length (around 6'4" with nearly 35" long arms). Those have to be enticing tools for Kris Kocurek. 

While Beal didn't have top end production in college, he did record 36 QB pressures over the past two seasons. 

He'll need some developing, but Beal brings a speed element to the 49ers pass rush which they haven't had since Dee Ford. 

In the 6th round the 49ers added a LB to help replace the loss of Azeez Al-Shaair this offseason. Winters fits the mold of LB the 49ers have coveted during the ShanaLynch era to a tee. He may be undersized (5'11", around 225lbs), but he's fast (4.49s 40), he's aggressive, and he triggers quickly downhill. He also brings excellent pass rush/ blitzing potential, as evidenced by his 7.5 sacks last season. 

Scouting reports outline he has some issues in coverage, largely due to poor discipline, but guys like Greenlaw and Al-Shaair came into the league with similar issues. The way the 49ers play they want the LBs to fly around the field and be quick to trigger, and Winters seems a nice fit for the way the 49ers play. His pass rush production also fits nicely with Steve Wilks' aggressive, blitzing schemes (which Ji'Ayir Brown can also fit nicely into). 

With their first pick in the 7th round the 49ers added a second TE, highlighting some dissatisfaction with the depth behind Kittle. Willis is an interesting addition in that he didn't really play like a traditional inline TE at Oklahoma, but as more of an H-Back. And that is likely how the 49ers will look to use him. He offers excellent versatility and ability to line up in multiple positions, making him an excellent option as a #2/ #3 TE. 

One thing you will see consistently repeated about Willis is that he isn't a great athlete. Don't expect him to be beating defenders through his speed and acceleration, or to maul a DE from an inline TE position. But he is a smart player that knows how to use angles as a blocker, hit moving targets, and to get defenses lose him as a receiver.

Ronnie Bell is the sort of WR that doesn't stand out in any particular way physically - the best way to describe his physical traits would be "average". He's around 6'0", 190lbs. He runs around 4.5s-4.6s 40 time. He's not particularly elusive, though he does have decent explosive traits. 

But what Bell is, is productive. Has been since his sophomore year at Michigan, when he overtook more lauded and physically gifted players such as Donovan Peoples Jones and Nico Collins as the Wolverines most productive WR. He's a reliable player that helps keep the chains moving and can come up with the big play when needed. He came back from a torn ACL in 2021 to have his best season in 2022, showcasing his determination and resilience. 

Basically, he's Rod Tidwell. And it wouldn't surprise if he ends up carving out a nice career with the 49ers. 

With their last pick of the 2023 NFL Draft the 49ers added another LB, this time a player in Jalen Graham that played the same Star position that Fred Warner played in college.  

Graham is the second player from my mock draft the 49ers took, and yet another player in which the 49ers brought in for a visit before the draft. In fact, that's very much been the theme this draft with the 49ers taking a lot of players they are known to have met with during the draft process. 

Graham is another smaller sized LB prospect, but unlike Winters is a player that didn't test overly well. However, much like all the 49ers LBs, he plays fast and physical, with excellent instincts and a quick trigger. Of note, unlike Winters who has been critiqued for his lack of discipline at times, this is an area that Graham is praised for. He compensates for his lack of elite physical tools by quickly diagnosing plays and getting into the right positions to make plays. 

Summary   

As has often been the case with the 49ers since Lynch and Shanahan took over, I find myself liking the Day 3 selections more than the Day 2 selections. Each of the players picked comes with something they can hang their hat on and it is easy to see how they can carve out a role on the team. 

By and large the picks all have something in common - they are more football player than athlete. That's not to suggest these guys are all bad athletes, in fact some are excellent athletes, but what is notable is most of them bring strong college production and football IQ to the table. To be honest, the same can be said of the Day 2 picks. 

A notable exception there is Robert Beal Jr, who is more of a project but has elite athletic traits. That's the benefit of having a coach like Kocurek who has a tremendous track record of taking good athletes and putting them in positions to succeed. 

Lastly, another notable part of the 49ers draft is the lack of any OL. The 49ers added a bunch of OL last offseason, as well as a couple of FAs this year, and it would appear they are content letting those guys thrash it out. Given how it worked out last year, with Banks, Brendel and Burford all coming in and playing above expectation, I can see why the 49ers might feel comfortable with this approach. But there is no doubt that there is some risk attached to letting McGlinchey walk and replacing him from within (or FA addition Matt Pryor).  

Day 3 Of The 2023 NFL Draft: 49ers Edition

 

“Rounds 1-3 are the easy picks to make. Rounds 4-7 are the picks that make Super Bowl champions.” ~ Bill Polian

Best Available:

38. Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern
48. Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
51. Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
54. Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
57. JL Skinner, S, Boise State
59. Jalen Redmond, DL, Oklahoma
66. Blake Freeland, OT, BYU
67. Karl Brooks, DT, Bowling Green
68. Andre Carter II, EDGE, Army
70. Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M
79. Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas
80. Nick Saldiveri, OL, Old Dominion
81. Moro Ojomo, DT, Texas
82. Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah
84. Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina
85. Cory Trice, CB, Purdue
88. Chandler Zavala, IOL, NC State
89. Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
93. Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama
96. Colby Wooden, DL, Auburn
97. Parker Washington, WR, Penn State
100. Jaquelin Roy, DL, LSU
101. Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland
103. Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M
104. Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota
105. Anthony Bradford, IOL, LSU
107. Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame
109. Daniel Scott, S, California
111. Nick Herbig, EDGE, Wisconsin
112. Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State
113. Kaevon Merriweather, S, Iowa
115. Isaiah McGuire, DL, Missouri
117. Andrew Vorhees, IOL, USC
118. Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB
119. Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton
120. AT Perry, WR, Wake Forest
121. Kei'Trel Clark, CB, Louisville
122. Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
123. Luke Wypler, IOL, Ohio State
126. Richard Gouraige, OT, Florida
127. Sidy Sow, IOL, Eastern Michigan
128. Kyu Blu Kelly, CB, Stanford
129. Will Mallory, TE, Miami
130. Viliami Fehoko, EDGE, San Jose State
131. Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss
132. Henry Bainivalu, IOL, Washington
133. Braeden Daniels, OT, Utah
134. Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia
135. DeMario Douglas, WR, Liberty
136. Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska
137. Myles Brooks, CB, Louisiana Tech
140. Gervarrius Owens, S, Houston
141. Jay Ward, CB, LSU
142. Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama
143. Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn
144. Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State
145. Dante Stills, DL, West Virginia
146. Nick Broeker, OT, Ole Miss
148. Quindell Johnson, S, Memphis
150. Darrell Luter Jr, CB, South Alabama

49ers NFL 2023 Draft Round 3 Selections

By Scooter_McG

Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and the 49ers have made their first 3 picks of the NFL draft. They started the day with picks 99, 101 and 102, but traded up from 102 (adding picks 164 and 222) to pick 87.

Here's a review of the 49ers draft picks on Day 2.

Brown is a player the team had in for a visit and clearly liked him enough to feel they needed to move up to grab him. He's a highly instinctive safety prospect whose game is largely based on his football IQ getting him into good positions rather than relying on his athletic traits which are fairly average for a safety. 

Brown was a playmaker for the Nittany Lions, recording 10 INTs over the past two seasons as well as 3 forced fumbles, 9 pass breakups, 4.5 sacks and 153 tackles. His testing numbers at the combine were pretty pedestrian, but he plays faster on the field due to his ability to read the play. However, his instincts and average athleticism can get him in trouble when he gets too aggressive and doesn't have the speed to recover from false steps. 

Brown also has some versatility to his game, able to line up in multiple alignments, including single high, split safeties, in the box or in the slot.

Brown will most likely sit behind Tashaun Gipson and Talanoa Hufanga this year, but the expectation should be that he will team up with Hafanga longer term. 

Dear oh dear oh dear. Yes, the 49ers drafted a kicker in round 3. Yes, it was their second pick in the draft. Yes, it was a terrible pick. 

Look, maybe Jake Moody is the second coming of Justin Tucker (who, ironically, was undrafted). If he is then great, every team wishes they had a Justin Tucker. But history is very clear on this - the vast majority of good kickers are not drafted before day 3. And no matter how Shanahan wants to try and sell it as effectively a 4th round pick, it was a day 2 pick. And no Kyle, most kickers are not drafted in the 4th round. Heck, many of the best kickers in the NFL weren't drafted at all. And kickers that get drafted have a bad habit of not getting a second contract with the team that drafted them. 

Long story short, kickers are pretty easy to replace and generally get better as they get older... like, after their first contract. So drafting one isn't usually the best way to get strong production from a kicker. In fact, the kicker they just traded for, Zane Gonzalez (who was drafted in 2017 and is now on his 5th team) is probably only now getting to around the right age for a kicker to be hitting their stride. 

Anyway, ridiculous pick aside, Moody does bring a big leg to the table and an impressive college resume, in particular in 2021 and 2022, including a school record for points scored in a season last year (147). He will presumably beat out Gonzalez for the kicking job, given where he was drafted, so at least they drafted a player that will contribute. As to how much better than Gonzalez he will be (if at all), well, that's debatable.

The 49ers rounded out their 3rd round draft picks by adding TE Cameron Latu, a player I had in my mock draft and someone I think was an underrated prospect in the draft process. However... round 3 does feel a bit high for him. 

Latu's testing numbers don't jump out, but on film he looks very smooth and does a nice job getting open. Like Brown, he's another smart player whose football IQ is noticeable on the field in the way he sets up defenders against man coverage and finds soft spots against zone. He also has good hands and tracks the ball well. 

He's on the smaller side at just over 240lbs, and while willing he isn't the best blocker. He also has some work to do in ironing out some kinks in his route running. However, it is worth keeping in mind that Latu came to Alabama as a DE and had to learn the TE position during his time at college, which suggests there is also still quite a bit of room to grow into the role. 

I can see Latu getting some time split out in a role similar to the one they tried with Jordan Reed in 2020, but injuries prevented us from ever seeing that experiment come to fruition. 

Summary

All in all, I believe the three players selected by the 49ers today will contribute in 2023 and beyond. Moody should even start this year (snigger). But it certainly feels like there was some meat left on the bone with some of these picks, and that depth at OL, DE and CB remains a concern.  

Merry Draftmas!

 Best Available:

Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer Clemson LB Trenton Simpson Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr Arkansas LB Drew Sanders Alabama DB Brian Branch

Scooter's 49ers 2023 Mock Draft

By Scooter_McG

The 2023 NFL Draft is almost upon us!

However, with the 49ers not slated to pick until pick #99, the typical excitement that comes with the NFL Draft feels muted this year. In fact, 49ers storylines have been more focused on the QB room than the draft in recent weeks.

Even so, the 49ers are currently in position to add 11 new players to the roster this coming weekend, and some of those players may be expected to play significant roles in 2023. 

I'm not really into doing mock drafts as much as I used to be, preferring instead to just identify players I think would suit the 49ers and then delve into the players more once they are drafted. But I thought I would give my thoughts on how the 49ers draft may go. I've based this largely on three things: prospect rankings on nflmockdraftdtabase.com, players the 49ers are known to have met with, and my gut feel for who might/ might not be available and what the 49ers might do. 

In line with that, while I think the 49ers would love nothing more than to take an OT, TE and safety in the the third round, I just don't feel the value will be there for all those positions. 

So, this is how I think things will shake out for the 49ers. 

Pick 99: YaYa Diaby, Edge, Louisville. Big, athletic, high motor edge prospect built just the way the 49ers like them. 

Pick 101: Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pitt. This would no doubt be a pick that infuriates many a 49ers fan, the dreaded third round RB, but "Izzy" is the RB that Shanahan has been searching for. The team has missed the home run threat that guys like Mostert and Breida brought to the backfield. Abanikanda provides that plus good size to handle the beating. 

Pick 102: Nick Saldiveri, OT, Old Dominion. Not my preferred choice, but I fear the likes of Duncan, Freeland and Steen will be gone before the 49ers pick. Saldiveri I believe will be the "best of the rest", but still provides sufficient athletic upside and nasty demeanour to be long time starter at RT. 

Pick 155: Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota. Elite athlete with good ball skills and a scrappiness to his game that the 49ers like. Needs coaching, but I can imagine the 49ers see some Moseley-like upside to him.

Pick 164: Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama. Underrated TE prospect that knows how to get open downfield. I can see him fitting into the role the 49ers envisaged for Jordan Reed. 

Pick 173: Puka Nacua, WR, BYU. Raw and needs coaching up, but is a YAC monster with sufficient size and athleticism to play on the outside. Also an aggressive blocker. Has Shanahan written all over him.

Pick 216: Jalen Graham, LB, Purdue. Smaller sized LB prospect that played the Star position in college (same position Fred Warner played). He didn't test overly well at the combine, but plays with excellent instincts and physicality. 

Pick 222: Dante Stills, DL, West Virginia. The 49ers DL is already pretty stacked, and I have them drafting Diaby in the 3rd round. But Stills is a penetrating DL that has the inside/ outside versatility the team loves. Would have a battle to make the roster but I can see the 49ers liking him.

Pick 247: Jordan Howden, S, Minnesota. Not ideal to be waiting until round 7 for a safety, but this safety class is pretty bad and I couldn't justify taking one over the players I have above. Howden is a try-hard safety with good instincts but only ok athleticism. 

Pick 253: Chad Ryland, K, Maryland. The 49ers will add a rookie kicker at some point. May as well be here. Ryland may not be available, but there are a few to choose from.

Pick 255: Jake Witt, OT, Northern Michigan. Chances are you have heard of Witt by now. He won't get drafted due to his on-field production, but could get drafted due to his elite athletic traits. If he is there at 255, 49ers may as well take a flier on him and see what he can become with coaching up.

You'll note I don't have a QB being drafted by the 49ers. While they will no doubt add one for training camp, I don't see much value drafting one unless they trade Lance. 

Anyway, that's my take on the 49ers potential draft choices. Let's see what happens this weekend!

Mocking Blurred: 2023 San Francisco 49ers NFL Draft

No picks until late day 2 raises the degree of difficulty, and obscures the tea leaves. With that being said, here's my one and only attempt to predict what the 49ers will do come draft day. I decided to take advantage of the depth in the middle of this class by utilizing all available draft picks, while at the same time staying realistic as far as expectations of player availability.

3rd: # 99 Isaiah McQuire, Edge, Missouri

31 TFL in 35 games the last 3 seasons

3rd: #101 Byron Young, DL, Alabama

54 games of durability with experience up and down the defensive line who is a technician

3rd: #102 Marte Mapu, S, Sacramento St

The new Jimmy Ward swiss army defender

5th:# 155 Braeden Daniels, OT, Utah

5 position versatility and never missed a game in 4 years. Noticing a theme here?

5th:# 164 Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama

80% of his catches went for 1st downs or TD's
5th:# 173 Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty

Ray Ray's understudy
6th:# 216 Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina

0 fumbles in 2022 with smooth cuts at high speed. Perhaps he makes the other 6th rounder, Mitchell trade bait by the deadline

7th:# 222 Antonio Mafi, OG, UCLA

56 games at at both L/R guard. Mauler who buries 'em. Banks diet candidate who will be a starter next year

7th:# 247 Mekhi Gardner, CB, LSU

Classic zone CB for Wilks zone heavy secondary
7th:# 253 Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville

Practice squad candidate with generational potential if he ever gets it
7th:# 255 Ali Gaye, Edge, LSU

Wake up call for the oft injured, underdeveloped Gambian. Kris Kocurek is on the phone. Pick up the phone, Ali

In Search of Gold Helmets

By Scooter_McG

Usually at this time of year we get inundated by reports about the 49ers and the big name draft prospects they are linked with. But not having a draft pick until the end of the third round makes the draft much less of a focus. Instead, 49ers content has largely focused on what is happening at QB as that is the much bigger storyline, given the uncertainty around (leader in the clubhouse) Purdy's availability following surgery and ongoing debate and rumours over how the team feels about the future of Trey Lance. 

And it makes sense. The team is already loaded with talent and rightly finds itself considered one of the early favourites for the Super Bowl this coming season, despite the uncertainty at QB. The biggest unknown factor that will impact how the team performs will likely be the QB spot. And what happens in the draft likely won't change that too much. 

But that doesn't mean the 2023 draft is unimportant for the 49ers. Maybe it isn't critical to their success in 2023, but it can certainly play its part. And more importantly it can set the team up for success in the future. 

But with their first pick not happening until pick 99, how should the 49ers approach the draft? What traits should the 49ers be looking for?

At a very blunt level, draft picks can be measured broadly across three main categories: athleticism, production in college and character. Within each category there will be a number of traits that go into defining what constitutes a "good" prospect. 

A prospect that scores highly across all three categories will likely be a very high draft pick. The 49ers are unlikely to find any such prospects available to them. For most draft prospects, teams will need to determine which traits and categories are most important to them.

The 49ers find themselves in something of a unique position in that they have a lot of elite talents already on the roster. While finding more elite talents should always be a goal, when your team is already so top heavy with talent it becomes very important to find solid players to put around them that can get the job done on the cheap. 

With this in mind, if I was the 49ers I would be placing most of my focus on the categories of character and production. Yes, the players need to meet certain athleticism thresholds or they simply won't be able to hold their own in the NFL, but beyond that threshold the team would be well served bringing in players that have proven their ability to get the job done in college and are committed to getting the most out of themselves. They don't really need to take flyers on special athletes in the hope they can put it all together. 

Now that isn't to say they shouldn't make exceptions. We know there are some positions the 49ers highly value athleticism - for example at RB. If there was one aspect to the running game the 49ers have missed the past two seasons it has been a RB with electric speed, and if they feel the right athletic talent is available they shouldn't hesitate. I would also suggest that a position like EDGE is one where going for the athletic specimen is probably worth it given the coaching staff at the 49ers. But when it comes to positions like OL, TE and S, which are all likely positions the 49ers will try to address relatively early, there is no need to swing big on the special athlete over the high character, productive college player with decent athleticism. Gold helmet guys should be the target, to complement the special talents already on the roster.    

So what does that mean for potential draft picks? Well, for one, I would take a guy like Tyler Steen or Cody Mauch over a Jaelyn Duncan. Duncan is the athletic specimen with high upside, but both Steen and Mauch come with good college tape and are known as high character players. Now that isn't to say Duncan isn't high character athlete in his own right, and if he is then great, but on the field it is clear that Steen and Mauch play with the right attitude that fits what the 49ers want. 

At TE, I'd love to be able to get a guy like Sam LaPorta. Team leader, great athlete and strong production. But extremely unlikely he will fall to somewhere the 49ers have a chance of getting him, despite the overall strength of the TE class. But failing landing LaPorta, I'd rather see the team go for a player that shows the right sort of attitude to get after it in the running game (so long as they can also offer something as a pass catcher) than go for the elite athletic pass catcher that offers little as a blocker. For example, I'd much prefer Cameron Latu than Zack Kuntz. 

At safety, I'm a fan of Jammie Robinson. He won't wow anybody as an athlete, but he understands football. Great instincts. And he's a high effort guy that plays with passion. He's exactly the type of safety I'd be trying to bring in, to sit behind Gipson for a year while also offering the versatility to provide depth in the slot.