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.