SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Alex Smith, QB, Utah, 6'4" 212 LBS, 40 yard dash: 4.75
Made huge strides last year under Norv Turner...but still not enough to justify his #1 overall selection. For a mobile guy, he isn't much of a scrambler. He's good at escaping pressure, but he's not a threat to pick up many yards by himself. He remains mostly a straight-line runner who is much more effective when rolling out than from the pocket. He shows terrific accuracy on the move. His effectiveness outside the pocket was largely a result of only having 2 reads (the deep guy and the short guy), whereas in the pocket, he has to go through 4, sometimes 5 reads...and he still has trouble with that aspect of the game. His mechanics were VASTLY improved--his release was nice and high, strong, and over-the-top. He showed improved zip on his passes. His deeps balls were a little better and once in a while managed to find their target. That said, I'm still not sold. I don't see the intangibles in this guy at all--he usually looks like he couldn't care less...like he has a Tim Couch/David Carr kind of personality. I don't see the drive in him. He looks like he'd just as soon be pumping gas and/or getting wasted. I would say "this year will tell us a lot about him" or "this is make-or-break time for him," but the first line is cliche, and the second one may or may not be true--nobody knows what will happen. If 7 or 8 starters go down on offense, he has to get another free pass. Instead I'll just conclude by saying this: His success will ultimately hinge on new offensive coordinator Jeff Hostler. Should the team win games playing a conservative style of offense...he won't be able to hide behind Frank Gore and the "I'm a young QB who wins games" thing forever...just ask Ben Roethsliberger.
Set Up-5-
Delivery-6
Read Coverages-4+
Throw Short-6+
Throw Intermediate-4-
Throw Deep-4
Mobility-6+
Leadership-3
Overall Rating: 5.2^
Frank Gore, RB, Miami, 5'9" 214 LBS, 40 time: 4.65
He has this ability to run with leverage and this forward lean that I’ve never quite seen before. For defenders, it must be like trying to tackle a plow…or a shark by its fin. If you do manage to hold on, you’re going for a ride. It’s like a part of him is underground. He’s been misconstrued by the press as some sort of “undersized, finesse back” based on his height/weight ratio, but in reality, he’s the antithesis of it. He’s a tough, determined, power runner. He has good run vision, but at the same time, he’s one of those guys who doesn’t even need to hit the right hole all the time--he can run through things other backs can’t. His cuts aren’t very aesthetically pleasing, but when he needs to make the first guy miss, he can usually do it. He trusts his abilities and maximizes them…this carries over to his receiving. He trusts his hands and doesn’t fight the football. He can split out wide and shows a knack for getting separation in pass patterns. He’s a determined blocker as well…and while he can still improve in this area (mostly in generating more pop), he’s certainly already better than most backs in blitz pickup. He’s on the right track for becoming the standard in that regard. His biggest weakness is his lack of breakaway speed. He gets out into the open field quite a bit, and he’s all downhill from there, which helps him make up for it somewhat…but he’s a 4.65 guy at best (at least prior to this off-season’s workouts, in which he has done a lot of speed work…no word on that yet). He has ugly, choppy steps as a runner. How long can he hold up? Since he’s already had both knees blown out and repaired…and the reconstructive surgery actually makes the ACL’s stronger…I don’t think it’s going to be a major injury that does him in. He might wear down from all the pounding…any power runner will…so he’ll need to work on learning when to avoid unnecessary contact. That might be asking too much from a guy with his mentality, though. He’s one of those guys who might really feel it later in life…like Earl Campbell.
Instincts-6
Inside Running-8
Outside Running-5
Hands/Receiving Skills-7
Block-6
Overall Rating: 7.4
Moran Norris, FB, Kansas, 6'2" 252 LBS, 40 time: 4.72
There is not a better blocking fullback in the NFL today. He was oddly reminiscent of Fred Beasley-in-his-prime. He naturally carries around a muscular frame and gets a tremendous amount of drive and pop without needing to over-exert himself. His natural strength and hip roll are unbelievable. And what's most important--he, like Beasley, has that desire. He wants to crush linebackers. He's not worried about the other shit...though he can catch those 2 yard dump passes (that my grandmother could also catch) with the best of 'em. The only thing separating him from where Beasley was in his prime (1999 in particular) is in the snap-into-contact department. He's not nearly as explosive off the ball/athletic and doesn't get as much momentum...so he tends to rely on his frame and natural strength more. As far as receiving is concerned; he's pretty smooth at getting it all rolling downhill...about as much as you'd expect out of a blocking fullback. He doesn't have the experience at tailback Beasley had, so he won't give you the change-of-pace carries or short yardage hammer...but they don't (or at least, they shouldn't...last year was a different story) really need that as much with Gore's power.
Instincts-5
Inside Running-4
Outside Running-3
Hands/Receiving Skills-5
Block-7+
Overall Rating: 6.8
Arnaz Battle, WR, Notre Dame, 6’1" 217 LBS, 40 time: 4.52

For a guy with his ability with the ball in his hands, it's surprising he hasn't made more big plays. He's a strong, determined player. He can both power through the jam and break tackles after the catch. He has excellent change-of-direction and overall quickness. He doesn't have the straight-line speed to threaten anyone deep, and, truth be told, he has never really figured out the nuances of the wide receiver position. He still has the jack-of-all-trades/gadget guy mentality. I'll watch him and be reminded of Tim Dwight and simultaneously think of another player who I can't even name. He's very similar to someone...I just can't think of it. Regardless, he has too much RAC ability to sit behind a brick-handed system receiver like Darrell Jackson. Originally, aside from his durability, my biggest concern for him was his hands, but he improved markedly in that area, only dropping one pass last year (while catching 59). He's a willing blocker who immediately recognized that all of the prior successful players of his mold largely stuck around because they did the little things. I'm still intrigued by his potential, though. I think he has a chance to be a frontline guy if the passing game as a whole improves. His ability with the ball in his hands isn't something all that many receivers possess.
Hands-5
Patterns-5+
Receive Short-6
Receive Deep-4
Catch In Traffic-6+
Run After Catch-7
Block-6+
Overall Rating: 6.2^
Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland, 6'3" 256 LBS, 40 time: Unknown, probably rigged
So far it’s mostly workout hearsay to me. When you watch him on the field, his athletic ability really doesn’t jump out at you. As a pass catcher, the thing that impressed me most was how he ran after the catch. He’s a tough, physical, determined player…almost like a power running fullback in the open field. He’s extremely tough to bring down. He's not built like a typical tight end--he looks more like a fullback or an h-back...I guess that can easily be explained by him only being 6'3." He's Dallas Clark on steroids, but without the excellent set of hands. That said, he didn’t look particularly explosive--his speed and acceleration looked good, but he didn’t clearly outclass all other tight ends in the league in all those areas as his workout numbers would lead you to believe he should. His hands (they‘re extremely wide) need a lot of work--he doesn’t seem to have the “concentration” aspect of receiving down yet. He looked like someone with very limited experience as a pass catcher. He actually looked more effective as a blocker--I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise given how strong he is, but he showed a general understanding for how to get movement as a drive blocker…and he had the athleticism to hit moving targets as well. He does a good job of staying low and keeping himself square to his target…and, most importantly, he keeps his feet moving. So many players stop their feet and I never could really understand why...it's like they think their blocks probably won't matter or something. At any rate, I’m not expecting this guy to “revolutionize the position” any time soon, but I think it’s safe to say he’ll have much more of a presence this year than he did last season.
Hands-4
Patterns-5+
Receive Short-5
Receive Deep-5
Catch In Traffic-5
Run After Catch-7
Block-6
Overall Rating: 5.8^
Jonas Jennings, T/G/C,

Run Block In Line-8
Run Block On Move-7
Pass Block-6
Ability to Adjust-6
Overall Rating: 6.9 (X Made of glass)
Kwame Harris, OT, Stanford, 6’7” 307 LBS, 40 time: 4.88
I don't know if I can exactly put into words how awful he has been, but I'll try. First of all, he has progressively gotten worse since his rookie season (which was actually very promising). He started out a very aggressive, tenacious run blocker who flashed all the tools to be a dominant left tackle. When the team gave him the full-time starting role, he started out all right...but eventually, when Kyle Kosier stabilized things for a time, he began to fall apart. He returned later in the season to finish up semi-admirably, but it was too late. The Nolan regime moved him to right tackle in 2005 (calling it his "natural position" because he underachived...err...played that spot in college) and it's been a disaster ever since. He consistently "catches" players rather than punching. He really struggles to slide his feet--this didn't used to be the case...perhaps he's not as natural over there as they thought. A once-fairly confident young player is now nearing the end of his NFL career in embarrassing fashion. He shows no desire as a run blocker anymore; he looks confused. His technique gets worse by the minute. If Staley or Snyder don't start right away in his spot, he definitely has nude photos of Mike Nolan.
Run Block In Line-4
Run Block On Move-4+
Pass Block-3
Ability to Adjust-3
Overall Rating: 4.6
Eric Heitmann, OG, Stanford, 6’3” 295 LBS, 40 time: 4.99

Run Block In Line-6
Run Block On Move-5+
Pass Block-6
Ability to Adjust-6
Overall Rating: 6.2
Justin Smiley, OG, Alabama, 6’3” 305 LBS, 40 time: 4.88
He's the textbook definition of a "waist bender." He can't sink his hips and coordinate himself at the same time--he might start out low but he'll find himself snapping up from the waist and blocking on his heels as soon as he makes contact. He doesn't even keep his head bulled--he has it droop down toward his penis...like he's looking at the knees that he doesn't bother to bend. In other words, he doesn't play with leverage. He severely lacks strength and power. He's a pure finesse offensive lineman; he runs exceptionally well and is much better out in space. That said, if anyone really challenges him upon making actual contact, even at the second level, he's pretty much screwed. His pass protection is generally all right because he usually gets assistance from the center...but he's a guy I'd be looking to tee off on with a power player inside if I were an opposing defensive coordinator.
Run Block In Line-3
Run Block On Move-6-
Pass Block-4+
Ability to Adjust-5-
Overall Rating: 5.0
Bryant Young, DT/DE, Notre Dame, 6’3” 293 LBS

Recognition-8-
Pursuit-6+
Run Defense (POA)-6+
Pass Rush-6+
Overall Rating: 6.9
Marques

Reecognition-6
Pursuit-5+
Run Defense (POA)-7
Pass Rush-5+
Overall Rating: 6.0
Isaac Sopoaga, DT, Hawaii, 6’4” 315 LBS, 40 time: 5.01
Recognition-3
Pursuit-3+
Run Defense (POA)-5+
Pass Rush-3
Overall Rating: 4.8^
Brandon Moore, LB, Oklahoma, 6’1” 242 LBS 40 yard dash: 4.92
He’s a thick guy who naturally retains weight…and he has the mental toughness to go along with it, making him a difficult assignment. He has really good pass rush movement skills--he can uncoil at the hips and slip blocks. In addition, I’ve seen him flat-out run right over blocking backs en route to the quarterback. He has very strong hands. He is the definition of a “downhill” player. He doesn’t have a lot of speed or overall athletic ability, but he’s an aggressive, fearless player who brings a load. He’s somewhat similar to Jeremiah Trotter, only he’s much more versatile. You can play him at any linebacker spot and you can even make him a rush end. In many ways, he’s the antithesis of Derek Smith. He almost single-handedly turned that defense around last year when he moved to inside linebacker. He completely dominated. His biggest weakness is his pass coverage--with his lack of speed, he’s a liability if you ask him to cover a lot of ground…but good coaches find a way to use their players to their strengths and minimize occurrences where they have to perform functions they aren’t very good at.
Read and React-6+
Pursuit-5
Blitz/Rush-7
Run Defense (POA)-7-
Pass Coverage-4
Tackle-6-
Overall Rating: 6.8
Manny Lawson, OLB, NC State, 6'5" 247 LBS, 40 time: 4.43
His workout numbers are evident on the football field. The superhuman leaping ability and size/speed ratio don't diminish when he puts on pads. The biggest problem I forsee with him is that he's too "nice" to be a dominant pass rusher. Almost without exception, elite pass rushers/game changing front line guys have a mean streak. He seems all too content to play a purely finesse style of football...which can work to some extent given enough talent (which he has) and the right scheme...but it limits most guys who fall into that category. The good thing is that he's bright enough to learn the nuances of the position. As far as his play was concerned, he really struggled at the point of attack going against tight ends. He's a guy that they like to move around (putting him on both the weak and strong side) to take advantage of matchups. He's got unbelievable tools as far as being a "cover" linebacker is concerned--the height, unbelievable leaping ability, and tremendous speed--you really toy with the idea of putting him at corner in some nickel packages (which they have done and may do more of). Not only that--in only his rookie season, he already showed he was confident and knew what to do in those situations. Since he was their best guy to cover the tight end, we saw a lot more of him playing that spot (especially since none of the other linebackers on the roster could cover) and that took away from his pass rushing opportunities. That said, when he did get the opportunity to rush the passer, he didn't really show a lot of variety. Still, he seemed to have a natural feel for it...with Patrick Willis now on board to take some pressure off him in coverage in certain situations, I expect to see a lot more out of him in the pass rush department. I doubt he's ever going to be a dominating pass rushing 3-4 OLB like Merriman or Ware, but he can still be an 8-10 sack kind of guy who can do a variety of things for you.
Read and React-4+
Pursuit-7
Blitz/Rush-6-
Run Defense (POA)-4+
Pass Coverage-7+
Tackle-5+
Overall Rating: 5.8^
Jeff Ulbrich, ILB, Hawaii, 6’0” 249 LBS, 40 time: 4.81

Read and React-6
Pursuit-4
Blitz/Rush-5
Run Defense (POA)-5+
Pass Coverage-5
Tackle-4+
Overall Rating: 5.3v
Derek Smith, ILB, Arizona State, 6’2” 239 LBS, 40 time: 4.63
Read and React-6
Pursuit-6-
Blitz/Rush-5-
Run Defense (POA)-4+
Pass Coverage-5
Tackle-2
Overall Rating: 4.3
Nate Clements, CB, Ohio State, 6'0" 209 LBS, 40 time: 4.38
The thing that has always stood out to me about him is his tackling. He’s a tremendously consistent wrap-up tackler who packs a punch. He’s very comfortable playing a physical brand of football. He also seems to have this quiet confidence because he knows how athletically gifted he is. A lot of times he doesn’t seem to be putting in that much effort, but in his case, I think that’s more a testament to how fluid and natural he is at everything. He can run and leap…he’s a terrific punt returner with excellent field vision…he has good hands. The game just comes naturally to him…he seems to have more “time” than other players out there. I can’t really find anything wrong with him. He’s actually a pretty quiet player…but he deceptively goes about his business as a dominant cover corner. The only times when he really gave up a lot of completions were when they played him in excessive cushion coverages (which would make any corner look bad). His interception totals are up and down, but he forces a lot of fumbles. Athletically, he can cover pretty much anyone.
Key and Diagnose-6+
Man Coverage-7+
Zone Coverage-7-
Hands-6
Run Support-7+
Tackle-8
Overall Rating: 7.2
Walt Harris, CB, Mississippi State, 5'11" 199 LBS, 40 time: 4.44
Where that came from, I have no idea. His football intelligence was unfathomable...it was like he took brain steroids or something. He seemed to know exactly what route the receiver was going to run about 95% of the time. He was always a high-stakes gambler in the past...but last year, he seemed to consistently guess right. That said, he also showed a tremendous amount of poise. He has always had very good hands for the interception--and with the reads he was making, it resulted in an enormous total. His speed, in conjunction with his anticipation, was good enough to run with anyone on fly routes. He was very physical and quick off the jam. He even did an outstanding job of playing the run--he's a very aggressive player in all aspects. Really, no corner in football played better than him last season. I just don't really know how to rate him, though...because I don't know what happened. This could be a Brady Anderson 50 homers-type thing. I'll take my chances. I really have no other option.
Key and Diagnose-8
Man Coverage-7
Zone Coverage-8
Hands-7
Run Support-6
Tackle-6
Overall Rating: 7.4 X (Might Be Linked to BALCO)
ROOKIE
Shawntae Spencer, CB, Pittsburgh, 6’1” 176 LBS, 40 time: 4.41


Key and Diagnose-4+
Man Coverage-6
Zone Coverage-6-
Hands-5+
Run Support-5
Tackle-5+
Overall Rating: 6.0^