Demetric Evans and Mock Draft 5.0

"This will be a loss. He was highly productive. He needed to get paid so I cannot blame him..." -- Redskins fan on the 49ers' signing of Demetric Evans

"Bummer, wanted him back." -- Another Redskins fan on the 49ers' signing of Demetric Evans

Demetric Evans Negatives
• Never had more than 3.5 sacks in a season
• Never started more than 11 games in a season
• ...hence, not an impact player
• Can he be a consistent contributor?

Demetric Evans Positives
• Coming off the best season of his career (11 starts, 3.5 sacks)
• Durable; never missed a game due to injury
• Blue-collar type player; hard worker that sets a good example for others
• Prototypical size for a 3-4 DE, can be a force against the run
• Smart, experienced veteran
• Team player and asset to the community

I'm actually happy about the signing. In Demetric Evans, we've acquired a hard working veteran who's proven to be a capable starter but will be playing in rotation with other talented defensive linemen. It really says something about the guy when he chooses to play for a team that would put him in a rotation over another team for which he'd probably be a starter. Also, I feel it should be noted that September 28 has been coined as "Demetric Evans Day" in Shreveport, LA in honor of his contributions to the community through his 92 Blessings Foundation. It's just another one of those things that speaks of the quality of his character. Next year, look for him to start ahead of Kentwan Balmer, at least for a while, and to provide an example for him with his professionalism and hard work ethic. A lot of stock is being put into Balmer and a mentor to help groom him would be an ideal situation for the team.

The first week of free agency has passed, so at this point, we sort of have an idea of what direction the team may be going in for the rest of the offseason. Sounds like time for another mock draft...

Mock Draft 5.0

1. OT Andre Smith, Alabama
Andre Smith has been catching a bad rep lately. As bad as his character has been portrayed as of late, plain and simple, he's still a phenomenal talent for a tackle. Pairing him on the right side of the line with Chilo Rachal with Joe Staley on the opposite end will more than solidify the line for the next decade. His addition will turn what was a tremendous weakness for the last 5 years into a position of strength, and will dramatically improve the quality of the offense. He's not a flashy pick, but his presence will do more for the team than any QB, WR, or RB at this point can do. Right now, it's a toss up between Smith and BJ Raji for the #10 spot.

2. RB Rashad Jennings, Liberty
I've been on RB Shonn Greene's nuts for a while now. Last season, he proved to be the tough, between the tackles, thick-legged runner that the team needed to spell Frank Gore. However, his offseason workouts have been less than spectacular and may be signs of an unathletic, unconditioned prospect. On the other hand, Rashad Jennings' stock has only been going up with some amazing workouts. I guarantee that the 1-2 punch of Gore and Jennings running behind Chilo Rachal and Andre Smith would rivet. With this pick, the team will definitely get some crap from fans for passing on a pass rusher, which is arguably the bigger need. There's a good number of pass rushers that may be available at #43 including Clay Matthews, Aaron Maybin, Larry English, Connor Barwin, Michael Johnson, and Clint Sintim. Picking any of those guys at this point would heed no argument from me. In fact, Shonn Greene has a good shot of being available in round 3 if the team decides to go that route instead.

3. OLB Cody Brown, UConn
After skipping on upgrading the pass rush for the first two picks, the first pick of day 2 should be obvious. Cody Brown has fantastic burst off the edge with the upper body strength to explode into the backfield. While he has past experience standing up, he still needs to work on his footwork, so he may be relegated to 3rd down duty and special teams where he would excel. In San Francisco, he would be surrounded by a solid group of LBs that could help him develop into an every down force.

4. QB Tom Brandstater, Fresno State
Grabbing your QB of the future in the 4th round isn't a bad deal at all. Brandstater probably displayed the best set of skills at the Combine of all the QBs and shot up some draft boards. With that said, QB Stephen McGee also deserves some consideration. He's probably a better athlete than Brandstater, but he's also very raw, and will take a couple years to develop. Luckily for the both of them, they'll have a lot of time for that if drafted.

5. ILB Jasper Brinkley, South Carolina
The 49ers have been searching for a Robin for Patrick Willis' Batman since his drafting. Like I've said numerous times before, while Takeo Spikes is a perfect complement, he is just getting old and an eventual successor is needed. Last mock draft, I had Franz Joseph being the guy. While I still wouldn't argue that pick, Brinkley has risen up some draft boards and looks to be recovered from his knee injury. Sitting a year behind Spikes would help him work on his two most significant weaknesses: football instincts and his knee injury. Think of it this way... Patrick Willis is Jack Bauer and Brinkley is a shitload of C4 and the D-line is a locked door preventing Jack Bauer from saving the country. Brinkley is used to blow a hole in the line while Willis charges in and cleans house. Fuck yeah.

5. WR Mike Wallace, Ole Miss
Despite all the other additions that have been made, the team still lacks a burner needed to spread the field and open up running lanes. Jason Hill is supposed to fill this role, but his speed in shorts doesn't transfer to his speed in pads. Furthermore, a successor for return specialist will be needed once Allen Rossum leaves. Mike Wallace is all about pure speed. If he can learn to harness that talent, he may even turn into a solid starter.

6. DT Chris Baker, Hampton
In the beginning of the season, the team's most glaring weakness was its inability to stop the run. Even before QBs were abusing Mark Roman in the secondary, RBs were pounding new ones into our D-line at will. After Mike Sing took over, that started to change, but the fact remains: we need some beef on the line. Elite nose tackles are as hard to find as franchise QBs and shut down CBs. At this point, Aubrayo Franklin and Isaac Sopoaga are efficient, but some depth is desperately needed. Chris Baker has some experience in the 3-4 and is effective plugging the run. His strength against the run would be an asset and fitting him into the rotations would help keep other players fresh.

6. DE Phillip Hunt, Houston
As talented as he is, Phillip Hunt's measurables and lack of experience against top competition are keeping him from being a higher draft pick. Being snubbed by the Combine, it will be interesting to see how he works out at his pro day. At this point, he draws comparisons to current 49er Parys Haralson and will make plays with his tenacity and hustle. I would love to see a player like him pan out and become a James Harrison type terror. He definitely has the tools and the long gorilla arms for it but needs to fit into the right system.

7. TE Dan Gronkowski, Maryland
While Moran Norris answers the team's questions at FB, it's still up in there who the 3rd TE will be. Dan Gronkowski fits in as a blocking specialist which will hopefully relieve some of the blocking duties from Vernon Davis, another former Maryland TE. His big size and reliable hands led coaches to award him All-ACC accolades. Also, with Moran Norris' age somewhat a concern, a FB of the future is not out of the question, either.

I'm sleepy. Good night everybody.