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, Georgia

 

 

He's a power player. He did 30 reps at the combine, but he plays even stronger. He's an all-out MONSTER as a run blocker. He'll lock on and blow you off the ball. He'll absolutely wipe out the linebacker on plays where he heads to the second level. He can play any position on the line at a high level...largely because he's such a high-effort guy. Despite being shorter than the prototypical offensive tackle, he plays with "length"...he doesn't get into panic mode if the end gets a step on him...he'll just calmly adjust and ride him past the quarterback. When he was at guard, especially, you could pull him and he'd annihilate someone at the second level. The biggest knock on him is that he's liable to spend every other down on the sidelines. He's always hurting something...usually it's something relatively minor...but he can't play every game and he is almost never at 100%.

 

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

 

 

He's a totally different football player at center than he was at guard. When having to block one-on-one at left guard, he was a marginal starter/backup caliber player. At center, however...getting to spend more time at the second level...and on double teams in-line...he has really excelled. You would think this was where he was supposed to play all along. He looks like a sound technician...he looks strong...and while he's not a guy you want blocking much in space, he has just looked like a positive, steady presence in there. He was exceptional once he got to the second level. His confidence really took off. He seems to have the intelligence needed for the position--I guess that's his Stanford background coming in handy.

 

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

 

Above: "Please God, let me get this rep of 20 LBS."

 

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

 

 

His initial resurgence was in 2004, when out of nowhere, he started to make plays again. When he moved to defensive end, it was a natural fit. 3-4 defensive end is a spot that allows for, in most schemes, quite a bit of freedom. You can use two different types there--a nose tackle, an undersized 4-3 DT 1-gap type...and, in most schemes, their roles are very simple. There isn't really a whole lot of pressure placed on those guys. They tend to reap the benefits of the scheme, however, as they collect cleanup sacks and simply try to disrupt running plays. With his strength and tenacity, combined with a natural ability to play down the line (East-West), he has shown more range than your typical 3-4 defensive end. He can cover ground against the run from his gap to the sideline. He's a terrific leverage player. That said, while he's played better the past two years than he had since 2000, the injuries and pounding of 13 years of professional football are probably starting to catch up to him. But like Allen, I would welcome him back until he showed he couldn't do it anymore. Ironic, because 3 years ago, he was playing absolutely awful and I thought he was washed up.

 

Recognition-8-

Pursuit-6+

Run Defense (POA)-6+

Pass Rush-6+

 

Overall Rating: 6.9

 

 

 

Marques Douglas, DE, Howard, 6'2" 290 LBS

 

 

He's a natural fit in this scheme. He's the typical run stuffing, power 3-4 DE...and he shows the ability to occasionally make a play in the backfield, run and pass. He's strong, he gives consistent effort, he's a good leverage player, and he seems content to do his job. Guys like him are nice mainstays to any top run defense--the 49ers are not one right now, but it's not because he's not doing an excellent job (same goes for Young).

 

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

 

 

The main thing with him is recognition. He can hold his ground all day but he doesn't seem to have a consistent feel for where the play is going. He'll get spun around looking for the ball. He provides nothing as a pass rusher, but you're not looking for that at nose tackle. He has step one down--be freakishly strong and able to manhandle the blocker. Now he needs to figure out what the hell he's doing out there so that he can play more east-west and shut down running lanes.

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

 

 

He WAS a fairy solid inside linebacker and a truly tough guy. Before the injury, he was strong at the point of attack, had a taste for contact, and faced up on his tackles and was a pretty reliable guy. He has always had a severe lack of speed and athleticism, but he was a solid run defender and a good guy to use as a compliment to more of a freelancing playmaker in the linebacker corps. This past year, however, he looked like his timing was off or something. He was far less reliable as a tackler and he wasn't nearly as aggressive. He came on a little down the stretch, but he still isn't quite where he was...and, with the emergence of Brandon Moore and the selection of Patrick Willis in the draft, he's no longer really needed on this team...unless he can return to his old level and provide depth. He was always a guy that you wouldn't really hesitate to replace if an elite player came along...but he was pretty close to solid...and you could live with him because he did a lot of good things and didn't make all that many mistakes.

 

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

 

 

Above: "Ohhhh Godddd....if you let me drag this monster
3rd string running back down I'll never ask you for
anything ever again, I swear!"

 

He really has no business playing linebacker in the NFL. Let's start off with his only positive aspects--he has adequate straight-line speed (used to be good, but he's lost a step) and shows excellent awareness. OK, that's about it. Now onto his (many) faults: His biggest problem is that he's soft--when I say soft, I mean that he could be used as a quilt.. he dives at players' legs when he's not "catching" them. Rather than facing a guy head-on, he’ll make himself small and then try to grab at the waist, jersey, or legs, or dive and trip them up, giving them an extra 4 or 5 yards at the very least. Or, he'll just "catch" them (where he stands in the hole and just lets the ball carrier run into him at full steam) and get driven backwards for chunks of yards, basically struggling to wrestle him to the ground for about half a minute while his teammates arrive to try to bail him out. He's in way over his head. Even wide receiver Bobby Wade of the Chicago Bears was able to do this to Smith back in 2004. He had him "wrapped up" 2 or 3 yards from the 1st down marker, but Wade drove him back 4 or 5 yards and picked up the first down before Smith was finally able to bring him down. If a 5'11" 185-LB wide receiver can do that to him, imagine what a 220+-LB running back can do. You guessed it--he gets rag-dolled. Not to mention, aside from being an awful tackler becuase he can't get a guy down on the spot if his life depends on it...he also misses a ton of tackles outright. He lunges and grabs and struggles and just looks utterly pathetic out there. There's no place on a football team for a guy like this. In all seriousness; he is an anti-instructional video. Sure, he generally has an understanding of what's going on and what he SHOULD do (which is why you see him berating himself about a half dozen times per game)...and he actually isn't half bad in taking on blocks (partly because he knows he has no chance of defeating a block with strength, so he needs to move around and make educated guesses as to where the back is headed)...but when it comes to actually making the play, he's the worst I've ever seen. The only starting inside linebackers in this league who give him a run for his money in his inability to tackle are Mark Simoneau, Kawika Mitchell (not starting any longer), and Gary Brackett...and even the three of them will occasionally make a good play, whereas you could literally count on one hand the number of tackles even RESEMBLING "hits" he has had in his 10 year career. As for the other aspects of his game--they don't ask him to cover all that much...he usually engages a blocker when it's a passing play. The times when he is in coverage...he's mostly in a zone and runs to the ball to collect tackles 10-15 yards downfield to pad his statistics.

 

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

 

Tremendously athletic. In terms of pure "ability to cover," he's one of the best in the league. He has very good speed (and it's very smooth and deceptive), phenomenal quickness and agility, and outstanding reaction time. His problems are his numerous mental lapses. He can blanket just about anyone...but he doesn't know when to turn back and play the ball. This has been a common theme for 49er corners over the years...but with him, it's especially frustrating because he's the most talented cover corner the team has had since Deion (and now Nate Clements). He'll look back for the ball and slow down at the worst time, letting the receiver blow by...or he'll just never look back, period, and the ball will drop in over his head. I don't know if Walt Harris will continue his phenomenal play from last season (I kind of doubt it--not just because it was so out of the ordinary for him, but because not many corners could have a season as exquisite as he had last season), but if he's on the bench to start the year, his confidence might end up completely shot.

Key and Diagnose-4+
Man Coverage-6
Zone Coverage-6-
Hands-5+
Run Support-5
Tackle-5+

Overall Rating: 6.0^

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