The NFL Combine

"You don’t want to put too much stock in [Combine workouts], but the workouts are part of the puzzle when it’s all said and done. A guy who tests well shows that he’s athletic, but the most important thing is what you see on tape. You don’t want to lose sight of his athleticism. In the drills, you are able to see how they move around, how fast they run, how they run, how they catch the football and all that stuff plays into it. You can’t forget about the tape which is the most important thing in evaluating a football player." -- Scott McCloughan, General Manager

NFL Combine

Before I talk about free agency, I gotta go over the slowest Combine ever. Here's a rundown of some key positions that the Niners were probably keeping an eye on...

Quarterback:
Mark Sanchez put on a very sketchy performance which is actually good news the Niners. I really don't want him to be picked at #10, and I think he sub-par display has moved him out of position as a top-10 player. However, there were a couple later round prospects that displayed enough talent for teams to seriously consider them on day 2. Most notable of the group are QBs Stephen McGee and Tom Brandstater. McGee showed tremendous athletic ability and smoked the other QBs with a 4.66 40-time. Brandstater shined during group drills and displayed the best arm of the Combine. Either one of these picks would be more than adequate as the 3rd QB of the team. At this point, there aren't any 3rd-4th round QBs that seem to have enough value that early in the draft.

Running back:
At this point, I don't see any RBs cracking the top 10. Knowshon Moreno and Chris Wells will be elite RBs someday, but there is not a lot of need for a RB for the first 10 teams. However, if the Niners were to trade down, picking up either one of these players would be VERY tempting. Chris Wells is the most legit power back of this class and is exactly what Scotty Mac has been describing as the perfect complement to Frank Gore. In the later rounds, Shonn Greene posted some very disappointing numbers in his drills. Greene's a one year wonder, so he really needed a strong workout to prove his worth. He might not even be worth the Niners' 2nd rounder anymore. After him, we got a lot of big backs that like to dance. If you're confused by what I mean by that, just picture former 49er RB, Kevan Barlow. Anyway, Rashad Jennings and Andre Brown are two backs that fit the mold and can be found in the mid rounds. Both would make good complements for Gore if they can resist the urge to "dance." Both had solid workouts at the Combine. Jennings displayed impressive strength with the bench press and Brown answered questions about his speed with a surprising 40-time. In the later rounds, PJ Hill and Gartrell Johnson aren't in the same class as the other mentioned RBs, but they can be capable wrecking balls for short yardage situations.

Wide receiver:
Is Michael Crabtree still the #1 WR prospect of the draft? Yes. Is he still the #1 player in the draft? Probably not. Crabtree was coming into the offseason with scouts drooling over his Reggie Bush-like playmaking potential. However, an injury may prevent him from answering questions about his speed which may raise some red flags about his durability and his legitimacy as a top playmaker. With that said, I still don't think he'll be available at pick #10. The other two top WRs, Jeremy Maclin and Percy Harvin, turned in slower-than-expected 40-times (just like everyone else) but their stocks haven't changed much. I still can't justify picking up a WR at #10. If anything, Derrius Heyward-Bey probably possesses the best height-speed combination of this class. Grabbing in the 2nd, if available, would be a steal. Other burner that the Niners should look out for is Mike Thomas, who can be picked up on day 2.

Offensive lineman:
The battle for the top tackle spot is becoming more clear with Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe entrenching themselves as locks for the top 5. On the other hand, Andre Smith has watched his own stock take a freefall with a careless mistake that has caused scouts to raise suspicions about his already questionable maturity. Before, he was regarded as the top tackle available in the draft. Now it looks very likely that he will drop to the Niners at #10. With that said, if that were to happen, I don't see how McCloughan and company could pass on him. I expected more from mid-round prospects Phil Loadholt and Fenuki Tupou. They're two players that are known for their powerful playing style yet only managed 24 bench reps. It'll be interesting how they perform at their pro day workouts. The same goes for OG Duke Robinson, who has passed on the bench press because of an elbow injury.

Defensive lineman:
In 2001, two nose tackles, Casey Hampton and Shaun Rogers, came out of Texas and dominated O-lines in the NFL. They were 1st and 2nd round picks, respectively. This year, the Boston duo of BJ Raji and Ron Brace is eerily similar and represent the two top NT prospects of the draft. Raji is still the top prospect but Brace is not too far behind. With that said, I'd love to see Raji go #10 to the Niners. Elite NTs are as rare as elite QBs, elite LTs, and shut-down CBs. The Niners have been looking for a brickhouse NT for the last five years and this might be their chance to grab one. On the other hand, for some reason, I'm still not sold on Brace. I can't shake the idea that his enhanced level of play in college was due to the fact that he had Raji right next to him every time. Brace needs to show that he can handle the double team in order to prove his worth as a legit NT. Furthermore, there's also the chance that the Niners miss out on either one of them. The drop off in talent for NTs after those two is HUGE. The team may have to look much later in the draft for some value. A couple players to look out for are Chris Baker, Roy Miller, and Terrance Knighton; all of whom can be selected in the last couple of rounds.

Outside linebacker:
Brian Orakpo is making a case to let scouts know he can be a legit 3-4 OLB. Orakpo showed some good acceleration in his 40-yard dash, as well as impressive numbers in the bench press and vertical leap. However, he needs to prove that he can move in space with his hand off the ground. Until he can do that, he still looks more like a 4-3 DE to me. Fortunately, the 2nd round 3-4 OLB prospects showed a lot of promise. Connor Barwin, Michael Johnson, Clay Matthews, and Larry English all posted solid numbers at the Combine. Their pro days will reveal more about their LB skills. Also, Lawrence Sidbury also had a strong showing with some strong numbers. Clint Sintim didn't do much to improve his stock and but still deserves a lot of consideration in round 2. At this point, his game tape may be enough for teams to overlook his average measurables.

Inside linebacker:
If it weren't for a torn ACL in 2007, Jasper Brinkley would probably have been an early 1st day pick. At this point, he looks to be a 5th rounder at best. Assuming the 49ers re-sign Takeo Spikes, picking up Brinkley would be an ideal situation in which he can take another year to rehab his knee while learning from the best inside LB tandem in the league. Also, Rey Maualuga might've limped himself out of the top-10. However, he is still the darkhorse pick for the 49ers as he is then ideal future successor for Takeo Spikes.

Defensive back:
Even before the Combine, some were questioning whether Malcolm Jenkins would be a better fit at CB or FS. His disappointing 40-time and stiff hips in position drills reinforced those notions. While he will still be a high first round draft pick, his stock may have dropped a bit due to a potential position change and there is a strong chance that he will be picked up by a team, such as the 49ers, looking to use him as a safety. Other than that, David Bruton showed excellent athleticism with high marks in each of the drills he participated in. Whoever picks him up on day 2 will get a steal.

Conclusion:
As before, the Niners are in terrific position to grab a top player at a position of need. Here are my top 10 prospects of the draft so far...

1. OLB Aaron Curry
2. OT Jason Smith
3. OT Eugene Monroe
4. WR Michael Crabtree
5. CB Malcolm Jenkins
6. QB Matthew Stafford
7. DT BJ Raji
8. DE Brian Orakpo
9. OT Andre Smith
10. DE Everette Brown

I would happy if the Niners picked up any one of these players. Of course, this could change by draft time and at least one of these players will probably fall out of the top 10. This list ranks their value, not what spot I predict they'll get picked at. There's a very good chance that the Niners will have their pick of at least three of these guys, probably consisting of that last four listed. So who should the Niners pick? Same answer as always: best player available (hopefully BJ Raji). Now for some mock drafts... By the way, I whipped these up in about 10 minutes so they're not as good as I'd like them to be. I'll try to do one that involves a trade if I have time later.

Mock Draft 4.0
1. DT BJ Raji
2. LB Clint Sintim
3. OT Phil Loadholt
4. RB Andre Brown
5. FS David Bruton
5. QB Tom Brandstater
6. FB Quinn Johnson
6. CB Bruce Johnson
7. LB Jasper Brinkley

Mock Draft 4.1
1. OT Andre Smith
2. LB Clint Sintim
3. RB Shonn Greene (Yes, I think he could drop to the 3rd round)
4. FS David Bruton
5. QB Tom Brandstater
5. LB Frantz Joseph
6. FB Quinn Johnson
6. CB Bruce Johnson
7. DT Roy Miller

As for free agency, which starts tomorrow at 9:01 pm, I won't have time to write up a preview. If anything, we'll lock up a couple of our own free agents (Takeo Spikes?...), release Jonas Jennings, go after FB Moran Norris again, probably sign an O-lineman (Khalif Barnes?...), perhaps a wide receiver (Nate Washington?...), and maybe a quarterback (JP Losman?...). Stupid franchise tag. It's gonna be a slow free agency...