Game Thread: THE 2014 NFL DRAFT DAY ROUND #1

[ChrisPozz]

Eric Branch:

GM Trent Baalke on if the 49ers considered trading up for LSU WR Odell Beckham …

... who went No. 12 to the Giants. The 49ers, of course, had the No. 30 pick:

“We certainly liked him as a football player, no doubt about it,” Baalke said. “But … the price of doing business when you’re trying to move from (No. 30) up into the top 10 or close to the top 10 becomes pretty stiff. And you’re giving up a lot of football players to go get one football player. And if you look at history, a lot of time it works against you.”

 

[AngryNiner]

Did Lee get drafted? If he did I missed it so they could still draft Lee by moving up which I believe they will, maybe not to draft Lee but move up in the draft.

I dont recall him being drafted. I am saying that i am happy we didnt draft Lee. So i'm hoping that we wouldnt trade up to get him. To me Lee would be a good mid round guy mostly because of his return ability.

In terms of drafting a WR I am still really hoping for Moncrief.

 

[poewelch84]

The fact that more people don't know this as a possibility and probably likely infuriates me but I'll keep quiet for now.

---------

Matt Barrows:

Trent Baalke said the nickel position plays 60% of the defensive snaps. "So that's a start in our opinion," he said of Ward's likely spot.

When I first saw the pick I thought safety is a wasted pick but the more you look at the player plus what everyone was saying is this guy is going to play CB for the Niners so they drafted a CB in my mind or a guy they think can play CB and at worst start at Safety.

 

[michaelwarner]

yes he might be able to play Nickel CB because of his 4.55 speed but again he never played that position. hard for a rookie to come in and play right away at a position he never played.

I've spent the last hour reading about Jimmy Ward and the overall point of view about him is that he's so valuable because he's played all over the defensive backfield and is one of the best slot defenders in the draft. He played in the slot his whole career. He fills a huge hole in our defense and Baalke said as much during his press conference.

Think what Honey Badger did with the cards last year. He was a stalwart in the slot and that's exactly what they expect Ward to be.

Hate the pick all you want but know what you are talking about.

 

[michaelwarner]

The fact that more people don't know this as a possibility and probably likely infuriates me but I'll keep quiet for now.

---------

Matt Barrows:

Trent Baalke said the nickel position plays 60% of the defensive snaps. "So that's a start in our opinion," he said of Ward's likely spot.

Chris, I'm not sure what you mean by this. Don't keep quiet. I like hearing you talk about this stuff...

 

[poewelch84]

I think it's pretty Simple, Chris is saying that the fact people don't realize the Niners view him as a CB and not S and are trying to grade the team like the drafted a position with depth is what is frustrating.

 

[michaelwarner]

I think it's pretty Simple, Chris is saying that the fact people don't realize the Niners view him as a CB and not S and are trying to grade the team like the drafted a position with depth is what is frustrating.

Got it. I only ask because I read a good amount about Ward pre-draft, not as much as other DB's because frankly I thought he'd be long gone before we addressed the Safety position, and never did I read anything that he possibly could be viewed as a CB. Joyner definitely, but not Ward.

 

[NinersFan80]

I think it is pretty obvious they will be moving Ward to CB (Nickel). You can't base the pick off of the position that is next to his name that he was in college. Our front office/coaches believe he can be a great Nickel CB for this team so they took him.. I can't judge the pick until we see how he does in the training camps, preseason, and during the season.

 

[deep9er]

I've spent the last hour reading about Jimmy Ward and the overall point of view about him is that he's so valuable because he's played all over the defensive backfield and is one of the best slot defenders in the draft. He played in the slot his whole career. He fills a huge hole in our defense and Baalke said as much during his press conference.

Think what Honey Badger did with the cards last year. He was a stalwart in the slot and that's exactly what they expect Ward to be.

Hate the pick all you want but know what you are talking about.

yep, read he also started 12 games at LEFT corner, so he can cover too. the "S" is certainly tainting his value at first glance.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

yep, read he also started 12 games at LEFT corner, so he can cover too. the "S" is certainly tainting his value at first glance.

I think when the dust settles this will end up a good pick. My initial shock is that I saw some moves that looked like they could have made that would have made sense. Then again, I am an asshole in my living room and have no idea what moves were attempted etc.

 

[NinersFan80]

yep, read he also started 12 games at LEFT corner, so he can cover too. the "S" is certainly tainting his value at first glance.

I wonder if there was a CB instead of a S by his name what people would have thought.

 

[RobertPhD01]

A good pick at that spot in the lower 1st rd. Kind of an exotic pick for our D but definatly a need!! Now more of what we need speed!! Archer, The guy from Africa, and a center! Go 49ers!!

 

[MHSL82]

If he's no good as a S, but we have the vision to see how good he'll be as a CB, wouldn't that mean we would pick him later? (Unless people saw him as a good S but we just have too many. We fool them by picking value at lower cost, not by reaching, right? The fact we see him as good value for CB is irrelevant when considering that we need to pick him before others would (as a S).

 

[purguy12]

He still needs to learn the position. Nickel CB spot is tough. You can't just throw anyone in there. He won't play much this year. That is my guess.

I hope I am wrong and he becomes a stud and I will be the 1st one to say I was wrong. I did give this a pick a B in future pick because I like the Idea of 2 young Safetys for us but for now or next year he won't be able to crack the line up at safety.

 

[Kendal]

Hope the 9ers trade up today for a WR who can stretch the D or a CB with upside, maybe both.

 

[TobyTyler]

I get the frustration, Baalke likes to get cute instead of just going with the consensus best pick and we end up with guys like Ward. I would feel better if the Jenkins pick and really the entire 2012 draft didnt loom heavy over this pick but at this point, the pick is in and things could be a lot worse. We Could have drafted Marqise Lee.

Agreed. Baalke wants to make a splash but he is just not as good a talent evaluator as he thinks he is.

 

[purguy12]

Agreed. Baalke wants to make a splash but he is just not as good a talent evaluator as he thinks he is.

Not true. Reid was a great pick last year. Most people had him 4-5th best Safety in the draft and guess what he ended up being the best. So Baalke is fine he just sometimes gets too cute. This was a too cute moment.

 

[TobyTyler]

Not true. Reid was a great pick last year. Most people had him 4-5th best Safety in the draft and guess what he ended up being the best. So Baalke is fine he just sometimes gets too cute. This was a too cute moment.

One decent pick does not a good talent evalutor make. Remember the 2012 draft?

1 (30) - A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois
2 (61) - LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
4 (117) - Joe Looney, OG, Wake Forest
5 (165) - Darius Fleming, OLB, Notre Dame
6 (180) - Trent Robinson, FS, Michigan State
6 (199) - Jason Slowey, OL, Western Oregon
7 (237) - Cam Johnson, DE/OLB, Virginia

It doesn't get much worse than that. Not a single player who has made even the slightest impact.

 

[michaelwarner]

Day 2 favorites
WR
Lee
Matthews
Moncrief
Latimer
Herron(3rd)
Landry (3rd)
A-Rob
Adams

CB's
Desir
McGill
Baptiste
P. Gaines

RB's
Hyde
Hill
West

OLB
Attachou
Lawrence
Van Noy
Murphy

ILB
Skov
Borland

DLine
Nix
Hageman
Ealy
Tuitt
Jernigan

C
Richburg
Martin
OL
Jackson
Thomas
Sua-Filo

 

[michaelwarner]

Wrong Thread. Sorry.