Every NFL Draft is important, but for the San Francisco 49ers, whose entire offseason plan for their rebuild was “the draft,” it’s essential.
So how are they doing?
Here are my grades of San Francisco’s picks this must-win weekend:
Round 1, Pick 11: Mykel Williams [Grade A+]
My No. 1 player in this class, taken at pick 11. A triumph of a pick. [Read my column here.]
Round 2, Pick 43: Alfred Collins, DT, Texas [Grade: B]
The B is for boom. The B is for bust. Collins has the size, burst, strength, and length to be a dominant, Pro-Bowl-level interior defensive lineman. But there’s a reason he was available for the 49ers here (and likely would have remained available for another 15 to 20 picks) — there are pad-level concerns (as there are with most tall defensive tackles), particularly when rushing the passer and his athletic testing scores were incongruous with his tape.
Then again he will immediately become the 49ers’ best defensive tackle on the roster the moment he signs his contract. (So long as he signs before the 49ers’ fourth-round pick.)
Round 3, Pick 75: Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State [Grade: D]
Value is an abstract concept. You should take the players you like, regardless of where someone else might select them.
But who was putting pressure on the 49ers to select Martin — a player I didn’t even rank at a position I found underwhelming in this cycle?
For the Niners to leave so many quality linebackers on the board to take a small (too small, in my opinion) as many as 100 picks too early was… fascinating.
The Niners admitted that they targeted Martin at this spot—outside opinions weren’t a factor. I question whether a player who was undoubtedly productive at the college level can translate to the NFL level at his size. His tape is littered with snaps where he is pinballed around by Big 12 offensive linemen, running backs, and even a hit from then-Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel (who is, concerningly, about the same size).
We’ll find out within minutes of the Niners putting on pads at training camp if he will be the team’s Dre Greenlaw replacement or merely another special-teams player.
Round 3, Pick 100: Upton Stout, NB, Western Kentucky [Grade: C]
I like Stout. I can see why the 49ers like Stout — he’s the second coming of K’waun Williams.
What I cannot understand is why the 49ers, who boast a copious list of needs, decided to bring in someone who plays a position that was, unquestionably, covered.
I can appreciate that Deommodore Lenoir wants to play outside corner. But what he’s great at is being a nickel back. He’s merely above-average as an outside corner.
Stout won’t be better than Lenoir at the only position he should play it at the pro level. So either he’s a depth pick at pick No. 100 — terrible value — or a pick that absconded responsibility to add starters (yes, starters) at other positions.
As for the player himself, he’ll be a pest in the best kind of way. At the very worst, you have a possible elite special-teams guy.
But again, we’re saying that for a Round 3 pick. Inauspicious.
Round 4, Pick 113: CJ West, DT, Indiana [Grade: A+]
Mykel Williams was my No. 1 prospect in the class of 2025. CJ West was my favorite prospect in the class.
He’s a mauler with a motor that won’t stop. His impact on the Indiana defense was immense last year — his get-off at the line of scrimmage, violent hands, and understanding of angles put him in the backfield snap after snap. He also had a feel in the run game that cannot be taught.
If I had to put all my chips on one player in this draft to outperform their draft slot, it would be West. This was as good a pick as Williams at No. 11.
Round 4, 138: Jordan Watkins, WR, Ole Miss [Grade: B]
Hey, an offensive player!
And a pretty good one, too.
Watkins projects as a contributor at all three wide receiver spots in the 49ers’ system — a necessity given the team’s lack of depth of talent at the position.
He has deep speed to play X receiver, the wiggle and toughness to play at Z, and the explosion off the line and craftiness to play in the slot.
Sure, he has hand issues and fumbles a lot, which is less than ideal, but he’s a good blocker and does his best work against zone coverage.
So yes, a solid pick.
Does he project as a standout at any of those spots? Not particularly, but the Niners need ready-to-play receivers and Watkins — with the clean releases Shanahan provides — should be one.
Round 5, Pick 147: Jordan James, RB, Oregon [Grade: C]
There are backs I preferred much more than James — RJ Giddens from Kansas State, in particular, was still on the board — but I see why the Niners liked the Oregon back — he’s a jack-of-all trades back for a team that needed something like that.
The positives: James is a really good blocker (it matters) with a solid punch (despite being 205 pounds), a fearless temperament, and the one-step-and-go explosion the Niners demand from running backs in their outside zone blocking system. He’s more acceleration than speed, and he shows some legitimate bounce when he does come into contact with defenders.
The downsides? His testing scores were woeful compared to his tape, and he is not a good pass catcher out of the backfield. This isn’t a discount Christian McCaffrey, he’s more of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none Sean Tucker (Tampa Bay) type who can be a lead(ish) back should McCaffrey be sidelined.
Maruqes Sigle, DB, Kansas State [Grade: B]
This is an all-traits, no-tape pick. But that’s the kind of player teams should be taking in the fifth round.
My concern with Sigle it that he showed no evidence of being able to read the field at Kansas State, and as a safety that’s more important than his very, very fast 40-yard dash score. That means you have to play him near the line of scrimmage. I know a few teams wondered if he was a big nickleback.
I imagine the 49ers see him as a box safety — he’s a solid tackler with great closing speed. Think: a faster but quicker Talanoa Hufanga. But Huf, for his coverage deficiencies, saw the field exceptionally well. We’ll find out real fast if Sigle can do that at the NFL level.
Round 7, Pick 227Round 7, Pick 249Round 7, Pick 252
