Realistic Expectations for 49ers’ Rookie Class

By Brian Cox on Friday, August 8th 2014
Realistic Expectations for 49ers’ Rookie Class

First Round

In the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the San Francisco took defensive back Jimmie Ward with the 30th pick. Ward played for Northern Illinois in college. He has very good instincts and great ball skills. Ultimately I expect Ward to take over as the starting free safety within 2-3 years and current free safety, Eric Reid, move over to strong safety. In 2014 though, the 49ers have veteran Antoine Bethea at strong safety and Ward looking to get the nickel cornerback role. I think Ward will win the nickel spot and contribute a lot to the 49ers’ defense.

 

Second Round

The 49ers surprised a lot of people by taking Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde with the 57th pick overall. It was also surprising that Hyde was there that late in the draft. At the time, the 49ers had Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, Marcus Lattimore looking to make his return, and LaMichael James. With Hunter out for the year and James out for about a month, Hyde is probably going to get a lot more action than previously planned. With his footwork and hands coming out of the backfield, Hyde is a versatile back that also brings a lot power. He should get a lot of playing time and really thrive in this offense.

 

Third Round

The 49ers had three picks in the third round: Marcus Martin out of USC, Chris Borland out of Wisconsin, and Brandon Thomas out of Clemson. Martin was considered the best center in the draft and most experts didn’t expect him to fall to the third round. The 49ers were in need of interior linemen and Martin is perfect for them. In 2014 he will contend for the starting center position right away and could end up beating out Daniel Kilgore for it. Depending on what happens with the Alex Boone holdout, Kilgore could be the starting right guard while Martin plays center. Either way, I think Martin wins the job at some point this season or next season.

 

With NaVorro Bowman missing about half the season, one of the middle linebacker positions is up for grabs. At Wisconsin, Borland was a tackling machine and always found himself near the ball. He will be competing with Michael Wilhoite for the starting spot and certainly has his work cut out for him. I think Wilhoite will win the competition but Borland will make for a very good backup and will have a big impact on special teams right away.

 

Thomas provides the 49ers with great depth on the offensive line. However, Thomas will miss the entire 2014 season due to an injury he sustained in college. Ultimately I think Thomas will be a very solid starter on the 49ers’ offensive line and he’s able to play pretty much anywhere except center.

 

Fourth Round

In the fourth round the 49ers picked Bruce Ellington out of South Carolina and Dontae Johnson out of North Carolina State. Ellington needs to work on his route running since he hasn’t been playing football for that long, but he has great quickness. Ellington will provide the 49ers with very good depth at the wide receiver position and with LaMichael James out for a little while Ellington will look to make his bones returning kicks.

 

Johnson is a very big defensive back who can play both safety and cornerback. So far in training camp he has practiced strictly as a cornerback. Look for Johnson to make the roster and give the 49ers some depth at what most people consider their weakest position. If Johnson ends up getting a significant amount of playing time I don’t think he’ll do too bad but he certainly has some ground to make up on his technique. Johnson is such a good athlete he was able to get away with things in college that will get him beat in the NFL.

 

Fifth Round

 The fifth round was another round the 49ers made three picks in. They were able to get Aaron Lynch from South Florida, Keith Reaser out of Florida Atlantic, and Kenneth Acker out of Southern Methodist. Lynch has an incredible amount of talent but had some character concerns. When he was a freshman at Notre Dame, he weighed a lot more than he does now. To play outside linebacker in the NFL, he’ll need to put that weight back on. If he can get his size and strength up, he’ll be able to contribute a lot in the future. In 2014, however, I see him on the practice squad or being cut. If he goes to the practice squad another team will most likely sign him though.

 

Reaser is another guy that will sit out for the entire 2014 season due to injury. He’s not very big but before his injury he was incredibly fast. If he can come back from his injury and get all of his speed back, he will have a lot to offer this 49ers defense. Speed like that is rare at the cornerback position.

 

Acker is another big cornerback. So far in training camp he has been making a good impression on the coaches and making good plays. However, unless he really does well the entire preseason, I don’t see him making the final cut. He’s another guy the 49ers might try to stash away on their practice squad because there is a lot of potential there.

 

Seventh Round

Kaleb Ramsey out of Boston College and Trey Millard out of Oklahoma were the 49ers’ final two picks in the draft. Ramsey is another one who could possibly be put on the PUP list in 2014 and sit out the entire year. If he doesn’t, he won’t make the roster in 2014. The 49ers are deep with defensive linemen and Ramsey doesn’t bring anything special.

 

Millard is a typical Jim Harbaugh “football player.” He might also sit out the entire season but if he doesn’t he’ll probably make the roster due to his versatility as a fullback and what he would be able to contribute on special teams.

Stay In Touch

Scores

No NFL games.
NFLFantasy
NFLFantasy
NFLFantasy
NFLFantasy
NFLFantasy
NFLFantasy