San Francisco 49ers
2012 NFL Draft Team Analysis - AFC
EAST
Buffalo |
Miami
| New England
|
NY
Jets
WEST
Denver |
Kansas City | Oakland |
San Diego
NORTH
Baltimore |
Cincinnati
Cleveland |
Pittsburgh
SOUTH
Houston
| Indy |
Jacksonville |
Tennessee
2012 NFL Draft Team Analysis -
NFC
EAST
Dallas |
NY
Giants
| Philadelphia
|
Washington
WEST
Arizona |
San Francisco
|
Seattle |
St. Louis
NORTH
Chicago |
Detroit
| Green Bay |
Minnesota
SOUTH
Atlanta
| Carolina |
New Orleans |
Tampa Bay
- 2011 San
Francisco Draft Breakdown
- 2010 San
Francisco Draft Breakdown
The Draft Was ... an attempt to find the final pieces of the puzzle. The Niners got little to no value with any pick and there weren’t any sure-thing starters to rely on. Instead, they got a complementary deep threat in the first round in WR A.J. Jenkins and took a toy to play with in LaMichael James in the second. They addressed needs, but there was more tinkering than building.
Best Value Pick: DE Cam Johnson, Virginia, 7th round
Worst Value Pick: WR A.J. Jenkins, Illinois, 1st round
They Should've ... done more for the defensive line. Depth up front was a problem that had to be addressed, and wasn’t. The Niners took a big guard in Joe Looney in the third round in a bit of a reach considering Indianapolis was able to get Alabama DT Josh Chapman with the first pick in the fifth round
Division Draft Ranking: 3
Overall Draft Ranking: 17
First Round
WR A.J. Jenkins, Illinois
6-0, 190
Overall Pick No. 30 CFN Overall Ranking: 109
CFN Analysis: How’s that Michael Crabtree pick working out? The former
sure-thing star prospect has been okay, not great, and the
Niners need more firepower. There were inklings that Jenkins was
rising up draft boards in a hurry, and now Alex Smith has
another option to stretch the field and add more pop to an
attack that couldn’t match the production of its great defense.
However, considering guard is a must, the Niners have to be
ticked Minnesota moved up to grab Kevin Zeitler.
After falling off the radar a bit, like the rest of the Illini,
he showed this offseason that he’s worth a longer look after
tearing off a blazing sub-4.4 40 and proving to be an elite
athlete. He has the tools, the elite speed, and the smarts to be
ready to handle being a No. 2 or 3 receiver in a good passing
game. With nice hands to go along with the rest of his tools, he
has the talent, but the production was inconsistent with two
really, really good weeks; that was about it. The problem will
be his size with no ability to get physical whatsoever, and
he’ll never block anyone, but that won’t be his job.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
Second Round
RB LaMichael James, Oregon
(Jr.) 5-8, 194
Overall Pick No. 61 CFN Overall Ranking: 77
CFN Analysis: A fun pick for a rising team, the 49ers went with speed
taking WR A.J. Jenkins in the first round, and now they have
James to use as a speedster in a rotation with the plodding
Frank Gore. James will be a terrific toy to play around with
using him on special teams, third downs, and any other areas to
get him on the move. For a team that needed to make more impact
plays, it’s making a statement with this pick. Jim Harbaugh will
know how to use him.
A devastating producer, he tore off a sub-4.4 in offseason
workouts to go along with all the elite quickness and
athleticism expected. However, he’s really, really small
and won’t come up with any power whatsoever. No one will expect
him to blast through the line, though, and he could carve out a
very nice career as a Darren Sproles type who can be a top third
down playmaker and a change of pace back. No one will touch him
in the open field and he’ll hit enough home runs to get everyone
out of their seats when he gets on the move. But is he a
function of the Chip Kelly offense? Maybe, and he was erased by
the good defenses that were able to key on him, but that doesn’t
take away from his raw skills. He might not be able to last a
full 16-game season, and there will always be question marks
about his character after a few big controversies, but some
offensive coordinator is going to love the different ways to
play around with the options.
CFN Projection: Second Round
Fourth Round
OG Joe Looney, Wake Forest
6-3, 309
Overall Pick No. 117 CFN Overall Ranking: 185
Versatile, his biggest worth is as a producer either at center
or guard no matter what the system. Smart and a leader, he’s a
high-character guy with the right attitude and the right make-up
to find a home somewhere on a line. While he’s not a top
athlete, he knows how to use his weight and his leverage to
frustrate his man throughout a game. But can he get healthy? He
suffered a broken foot this offseason and had to fight through a
slew of bangs and bruises throughout his career. Hitting the
weight room and redefining his body is a must, and he projects
to be a good backup at a few positions rather than a top starter
at any one spot, but he’s the type of guy coaches want to have
on their team.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
Sixth Round
C Jason Slowey, Western Oregon 6-2, 295
Overall Pick No. 199 CFN Overall Ranking: Unranked
While he’s a feisty battler, he’s undersized and under powered. He was great in offseason workouts and started to climb up the draft charts, but he’s a swing blocker for the interior without the quickness and ability to be a top option in pass protection.
CFN Projection: Free Agent
Seventh Round
DE Cam Johnson, Virginia (OLB) 6-3, 268
Overall Pick No. 237 CFN Overall Ranking: 83
Versatile and tough, he’s able to work as an outside linebacker and could become a pass rusher as either a 4-3 end or a 3-4 linebacker, he has the body and the athleticism to work in a variety of roles. He moves well and is an athletic marvel in space with smooth cutting ability to go along with surprising take-on strength when blocked. But can he jack up the intensity all the time? When he’s on, he’s great, but he seems to go unnoticed for long stretches. Everything is in place to be a terrific pro, but there’s something missing – it seems like he’s simply not able to find the consistent fire and isn’t a killer. He’s a much better prospect than a college football player, but there’s a huge upside.
CFN Projection: Third Round