The San Francisco 49ers came into the 2013 NFL Draft with 13 picks and less than a handful of needs. It goes without saying that Trent Baalke and Co. were in a good situation to succeed as the draft began last Thursday. That being said, I doubt very much anyone could have anticipated what was to come.
Lets take a look at the 49ers' draft and analyze/grade each selection.
First Round, 18th Pick (from Dallas Cowboys): Eric Reid, Safety - Louisiana State
San Francisco traded up from 31 to 18 and yielded a third-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in the process. When the 49ers moved up, most people believed it was going to be for Sharrif Floyd or another defensive tackle on the board, but then they went with a player that wasn't on the radar of most experts there; Eric Reid. My initial reacion to this selection was "horrible." Upon further reveiw, I came to a simple conclusion that hadn't come across my mind before. San Francisco wasn't looking to change up its scheme in the secondary. Instead, it was attempting to replace Dashon Goldson with a like player. This is exactly what the 49ers did.
Reid leaves a lot to be desired in coverage, but he is your prototypical safety in the 49ers scheme. He will lay the wood against opposing offenses and act as an enforcer; pretty much the role was saw from Goldson over the last few seasons. Was this selection a bit of a reach? Yes. However, San Francisco only yielded a third rounder to the Cowboys in the process. Reid is a day-one starter for a Super Bowl team. You can't ask for much more than that in the first round, especially for a team with so little holes to fill on its roster. Grade: B-
Second Round, 40th Pick (from Tennesse Titans): Tank Carradine - Defensive End, Florida State
San Francisco moved down eight spots in the second round. In the process, it picked up a seventh rounder later in the 2013 draft as well as a coveted third-round pick in 2014. It ended up taking a player, Tank Carradine, that many projected would be a top-20 pick, even after tearing his ACL late last season. In fact, Carradine would have likely been a top two or three pick if it wasn't for that injury. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller had him as the No. 5 overall prospect on his final big board. Talk about value.
If healthy, Carradine is an absolute monster. He is just as good against the run as he is rushing the passer, which is a necessity for a 3-4 defensive end. In addition, Carradine appears to have recovered from his ACL injury and may be ready to go in time for training camp in August. If so, the 49ers defensive front is going to be absolutely stacked. As it is, San Francisco got a future All-Pro in the second round. Grade: A+
Second Round, 55th Pick (from Green Bay Packers: Vance McDonald - Tight End, Rice
San Francisco yielded a couple later-round picks to move up and nab a tight end it appeared the Seattle Seahawks were targeting with the next selection. While I was higher on Gavin Escobar than I was on McDonald, the latter brings a lot of upside to his game. At 6'4" and 260 pounds, McDonald will be a huge target for Colin Kaepernick in the passing game. He can play in the backfield as an h-back, in the slot and on the outside as a wide receiver and in his more natural position outside tackle as a tight end. He is a great run blocker, which is something San Francisco was looking to replace after losing Delanie Walker in free agency. This was, by all accounts, a solid pick. Grade: A
Third Round, 88th Pick (from Green Bay Packers): Corey Lemonier - Linebacker, Auburn
Talk about value. San Francisco picked up an under-the-radar defender who may be one of the most naturally talented pass rushers in the entire draft. He isn't a speed rusher per say, but brings a bunch of power and great anticipation to the table. Lemonier will come in as the third pass rusher behind Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks, but projects into being a starter down the line. Once again, it's all about building young depth behind players you can make expendable when their production starts to take a hit down the road. In this, San Francisco has become one of the best drafting teams. Grade: A
Fourth Round, 128th Pick: Quinton Patton -Wide Receiver, Louisiana Tech
I had a solid second-round grade on Patton, who was the most productive college receiver entering the 2013 NFL Draft. He is a true possession receiver in every facet. The Louisiana Tech product can beat defenders at the line, which gives him a solid cushion 10-to-15 yards down the field. Equally as important, he uses that 6'2" frame to hold off defensive backs at the point of contact. Patton runs one of the best route trees in the draft and is as sure handed as they come. Equally as important, he came from a spread offense, which translates well to what the 49ers do on offense. Our very own Matthew Erickson made the declaration in his scouting report that Patton could end up being the best receiver of the draft class. While I won't go that far, he translates into being a No. 2 receiver, at worst, in the NFL. Grade: A+
Fourth Round, 131st Pick: Marcus Lattimore - Running Back, South Carolina
Who didn't see this coming? San Francisco gets its heir apparent to Frank Gore, before Gore has even slowed down. Lattimore would have been a top-15 pick in the draft if it wasn't for another knee injury this past season; his second in three years. That being said, the ultra-talented running back has impressed scouts with his quick recovery from the ACL injury. In fact, he has indicated he could play this season. The 49ers, on the other hand, aren't so sure. Jim Harbaugh went on record saying that Lattimore won't return until he is 100 percent and that he might not play at all this upcoming season.
This really doesn't matter too much for the 49ers, who already have Gore, LaMichael James, Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon on the roster. They can take it easy with Lattimore. If healed 100 percent, Lattimore has a chance to be an All-Pro running back in the NFL. Crazy value in the fourth. Grade: A+
Fifth Round, 157th Pick: Quinton Dial - Defensive End, Alabama
A high-upside project defensive end if there ever was one, Dial will provide tremendous depth as a rookie and could really surprise a lot of people moving forward. A strong player at the point of contact, the Alabama product fits San Francisco's 3-4 defensive scheme to a T. He is stronger against the run than he is getting to the passer. Expect Dial to make a huge impact over the next few years as a situational player behind Ray McDonald, Justin Smith and Tank Carradine. This was, if nothing else, a solid pick: Grade: B+
Sixth Round, 180th Pick: Nick Moody - Linebacker, Florida State
I was looking for the 49ers to go Baccari Rambo with this selection. Instead, they made the decision to go with a special teams standout and a backup at multiple linebacker positions. This is a pick that contending teams with more than a dozen selections can afford to make. Moody will never be a starter in the NFL, but his impact will be well known in kick coverage and on special teams. As a former safety, Moody has the athleticism to be a solid backup. That's pretty much all Trent Baalke and company were looking for here. Grade: B+
Seventh Round, 237th Pick: B.J. Daniels - Quarterback, South Florida
Interestingly enough, the 49ers did not select Matt Scott here. They were said to be interested in a project quarterback that fit their system, and the Arizona product had a mid-round grade. Daniels wasn't on the radar of the scouting community and for good reason. He doesn't project as a starting or backup quarterback in the NFL. Maybe Jim Harbaugh was looking at testing his quarterback-guru skills, but this didn't make much sense. At the very best, Daniels will mirror Russell Wilson as a scout-team quarterback in practice. Grade: D
Seventh Round, 246th Pick: Carter Bykowski - Offensive Tackle, Iowa State
Really solid pick here. Bykowski fits San Francisco's scheme extremely well and will be a darn good reserve initially. Moving forward he could act as a primary backup at multiple offensive line position. Grade: N/A
Seventh Round, 252nd Pick: Marcus Cooper - Cornerback, Rutgers
I love this pick. Cooper is a physical defensive back who loves to lay the wood. He was pretty darn good in coverage for Rutgers and can play either cornerback or safety. In addition, he will be a premier special teams player. If you are looking for upside and talent in the late rounds; he's it. Grade: A
Final Grade: A (94 percent)