My final pre-draft thoughts on Chase/Sewell

[Murdock2420]

(04-26-2021, 03:27 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: We just have more holes than a draft can fix.

1) OL. Need at least two. Jonah, XSF, Hopkins, Spain, Reiff is decent. No one is outstanding. Hopkins is coming off an ACL. Jordan, Johnson, and Price are 1 snap away from being in there. Not sure Adeniji is much better.

Personally, I'd go high end tackle in R1 (Sewell or Slater) and another IOL in Rd 2 or Rd 3. Humphrey or Meinerz in Rd 2.

2) WR. Need two. We need a WR1 with deep speed to replace AJ. We also need a PR/KR jitterbug type to backup Boyd in the slot (Erickson's role).

A lot of the top WRs (after Chase & Bateman) are slot types (Smith, both Moore's, the kid from Louisville).


I think the top 3 picks should be: 1 WR + 2 OL.

We obviously have needs on D. LB, a pass rusher, DT depth. But not a ton of top end defensive guys I do not think. Likely defense (and a kicker) on Day 3.

Dream scenario:

1) Trade down.

The 49ers take Mac Jones. No matter what the Falcons do, a team in love with Fields/Lance overpays to trade up. Either we don't go down that far (say 8 with Carolina) or we do like Miami did and spend some of our picks to move back into the top 8 (say Detroit at 7).

We end up with Sewell + at least an extra 2nd this year + some future capital (2nd or 3rd). We use that extra capital to either move into the late first to get Bateman or trade for Julio. Land Meinerz/Humphrey with highest remaining pick.

The thing about the WR class is that it has the top heavy part with Bateman, Waddle and Chase. Then you have some slot guys, but there is so much talent in mid to late rounds for a 3rd WR that plays the boundary and can develop.

I've pimped Dymai Brown like no other and still think he will be a top 3 WR from this class.

Later I like Sage Surratt, Armon Ra - St. Brown, Cornell Powell (From Clemson!!!), Tylan Wallace, Nico Collins, Seth Williams, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Josh Palmer, Simi Fehoko, and Damonte Coxie.

If the team was in desperate need of a #1 WR then I get the hype for Chase but I see Higgins and Boyd as being more then capable of carrying the load. The talk is we need a guy for big plays, who plays outside and takes the top off a defense. Lots of guys I listed above can do that, and the best part is they will be later rounds and can develop into something special.

Dyami Brown - Brown is a terrific athlete and vertical route-runner that excels at getting deep where his burst to the football and ball skills led to big plays down the field.

Nico Collins - On the field, Collins is a big-play threat vertically down the field that pairs very good vertical speed with excellent ball skills. 

Tylan Wallace - Aligning mostly as the Z receiver predominantly to the right side only, Wallace has been a prolific option in the team's offense. Wallace’s talents were a bit hidden as a route-runner due to the fixated approach of required routes within the scheme, but he’s been able to show off his unique hand-eye coordination specifically at the catch point. Ideal Fit: Starting Z WR. (exactly what we need).

Ihmir Smith-Marsette - Smith-Marsette brings ample speed, return skills, and vertical receiving to the game. He’s a graceful runner with easy speed and is at his best when he’s charged with stacking defenders vertically. Ideal Role: Traditional Z-receiver.

And two of my other hidden gem favorites:

Simi Fehoko - Fehoko is a big-play threat whenever his number is called. He has a big frame with an exceptional catch radius for the position. He plays with a competitive streak and is physically tough at the catch point. He has some straight-line speed that has helped him get separation on 9 routes. 

Cornell Powell - Buried on the depth chart, Clemson wide receiver Cornell Powell did not catch more than 15 passes in any season from 2016-2019 but exploded onto the scene in 2020 when he hauled in 53 receptions for 882 yards and seven touchdowns. He truly shined when DJ Uiagalelei started in place of Trevor Lawrence and he averaged more than 120 receiving yards per game over the final six games of the season. His chemistry with Uiagalelei carried over to when Lawrence returned to the lineup and he had one of his personal best games of the season against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff. In a limited sample size, Powell had many exciting flashes when it came to route-running, hands, ball skills, and the ability to win after the catch. The concern with Powell really stems from a limited sample size and why it took him five years at Clemson to make any sort of impact. Powell is an intriguing developmental option that is an ascending talent based on how he produced in 2020. 


If we can walk away from this draft with say Sewell, Marshall Jr or Dyami Brown, then Meinerz in round 3 and target Fehoko or Powell in round 5 or 6, it is an absolute homerun of a draft no matter who they take in 4, 5, the other 6th and 7th.