2013 NFL Draft: Initial Impressions

By: Brian Sanchez

I've been deeply entrenched in this years NFL Draft crop for about ten days now and have formed some early opinions about the class. Granted, these opinions come before the NFL Draft Combine, so these are only my initial impressions; a.k.a take them with a grain of salt.

1. Depth

The first thing I noticed when trying to establish my Big Board this year was how uniquely difficult it was. This problem stems from the fact that this draft is as deep as one I can remember. And I am looking at this depth in multiple ways. The first issue NFL GM's will have problems with is the fact that in the first round alone it is difficult to separate players. I can find at least ten players that are ranked in the twenties and thirties that could easily end up being better than a number of top ten picks. Then if you look past that, this draft goes three rounds deep of solid players in my opinion. The first round is stacked with immediate starters. The second round will have plenty of immediate starters as well. Then the back end of the second round and the entire third round is chalked full of players that should immediately step in to a rotation and help their team in year one. Since there will be a number of teams reaching as usual, you can look for this talent pool to spill over in to the fourth round. What does this mean? Stay tuned for day two of the Draft, because your team should be drafting players that will impact the upcoming season in rounds two, three, and even four.




2. The Trenches

Alabama Guard, Chance Warmack

Oh man do I love physicality in all sports, especially football. I think if you can win the battle in the trenches, you are already on the road to success. For guys like me, and teams that think the way I do, this draft is like Christmas. What could be even better than that? The dominance in the trenches of this draft is on both sides of the ball. On my Big Board right now, the top five players are either an offensive or defensive lineman. In fact, 15 of my top 32 players available play either the offensive line or the defensive line. The scarier part, the positions do not carry great value in the NFL Draft so they will fall on draft day. What does this mean? It means that very skilled and strong linemen are going to be falling down to the playoff teams at the bottom of the draft, thus supplying the good teams in the NFL with immediate starters in the trenches.



3. QB

West Virginia QB, Geno Smith

For every awesome Qb there was in last years draft, there is a marginal talent that teams will reach for in this years draft. As of right now there are many people, myself included, that think Geno Smith will be the number one overall pick this year. He is certainly not an Andrew Lick or a RGIII and may just end up as a mobile QB that can't really play the position. The best WB in the draft may just be Tyler WIlson from Arkansas, but his team last year was so inept that it made him look bad and may cost him when teams look at tape. After those two you have Mike Glennon, Matt Cassell EJ Manuel, Zac Dysert, Ryan Nassib, Landry Jones, and Tyler Bray. This whole draft class screams out, "Christian Ponder" in my eyes.




4. RB

Alabama RB, Eddie Lacy

"Hello? Anyone home? No? OK." This is the standard conversation between draft evaluators and the RB class. There is a very strong chance that no RB is taken in the first round. Eddie Lacy form Alabama grades out as my highest rated back so far, but I doubt he is a first rounder. After him the cupboard is pretty bare. Giovanni Bernard from North Carolina and Joseph Randle from Oklahoma St. are likely second round picks but they are not immediate starters or solutions for any team. This class has a lot of third to fourth round backs that can run between the tackles and do everything decently, but no starters and no game breakers. In the middle rounds I see some value as backups in: Stepfan Taylor, Montee Ball, Marcus Lattimore, Johnathan Franklin, and Le'Veon Bell.



5. WR

Tennessee WR, Cordarrelle Patterson

Take everything is said about the RB position and throw it out the window when it comes to this years wide outs. Through the first two rounds there are plenty of receivers for teams to take that will make immediate impacts. And not only that, it's the type of receiver that will be available. Every one of the top 10-15 wide outs has a unique skill that not only makes them good, but makes them game breakers. The best in my opinion is Cordarrelle Patterson from Tennessee. One of the most underrated prospects is Keenan Allen from Cal if there is another receievr who deserves more respect it's Tavon Austin from West Virginia. The one player who can make the biggest leap through the combine is Terrance Williams from Baylor. Finally, my sleeper pick for a big time receiver is Aaron Dobson from Marshall.



6. CB

Alabama CB, Dee Milliner

There is good depth at the position, but the real story is the top end of the class. There is a lot of talent within the top five corner backs, paced by Alabama's Dee Milliner. But the guys like Xavier Rhodes, Desmond Trufant, Johnathan Banks, and Blidi Wreh-Wilson all have the ability to be named starters in their first year. The truly intriguing part of this CB class is that there is plenty of talent after those initial five but they come from small schools where you have to question the competition they faced. The schools I'm talking about are: Southeast Louisiana, San Diego St., Boise St., and William & Mary. The corners from each one of those schools has either good size or good coverage skills but they were not going against elite talent, so it will be up to each GM individually to grade them.

Putting on my GM Hat

What I Would do with the Warriors
By: Brian Sanchez @SportsReportDU

     The Warriors have a chance to be good this coming season.  It will be a breath of fresh air when most times the Warriors take the court they will either have the edge down low or be able to compete with any combination of bigs.  4 of the starting 5 is set, Curry at the point, Thompson at the 2, Lee at the 4, and Bogut at the 5.  Right now at the 3 is Dorell Wright and Richard Jefferson.  I don't mind Jefferson on the team, I know he is not worth the contract but we can't worry about it especially because we didn't make the mistake of signing him to it.  Dorell Wright has an expiring contract and is the best trade asset on the team and I will take advantage of it.  I say he has the most value because he is decent, has the expiring contract, and while there are better players on the team than him he is the one we can trade away and not really miss.  So, I have 4 draft picks, the expiring contract of Dorell Wright and 3 holes to fill (back up PG/SG, back up PF/C, and another 3 whether it be a starter or back up).  Here we go...

     First I want to address the back up guard spot.  I think Charles Jenkins is serviceable and I want to keep him on the roster.  But we need a guard who can eat up big minutes and even more so, start if Curry goes down.  Jenkins is OK, but I would not expect to make the playoffs with him as the starter.  So the first order of business is look for a PG on the trade market who is attainable.  Found him, Kyle Lowry from the Rockets.  Lowry is a good PG who can defend very well, hit 3's and plays like a bowling ball.  He would be an excellent 3rd guard along with Curry and Thompson.  Lowry could take 20-25 minutes night at the point.  It would also relieve pressure from Klay Thompson because Lowry could run the point with Curry as the 2.  And I think if Curry got more time off the ball he would score much more coming off of screens and not worrying about setting other player up.  This could also work because Lowry could have a good shot at defending 2's when he plays with Lowry.  Also, if Curry gets hurt you have a PG in Lowry who can easily be a starter, he has been for years, that way a Curry injury does not end Playoff hopes.  Then Charles Jenkins slides back in to the back up PG role.

     How do I get Lowry you ask?  Well, I have the leverage because both the Rockets and Lowry want to be done with each other.  This is where Wright comes in handy.  What I would do is trade Dorrell for Lowry and swap first rounders with Houston and throw in the 35th pick.  The Rockets own picks 14 and 16 and I would take 14.  The Rockets would do this because they could get some perimeter shooting with Wright as well as get him off the books the next year.  And they would move up 7 picks in the draft while still having pick 16.  At 7 the Rockets could choose the PG of their liking, a big man, or hope one of the top 6 prospects fall.  So all the Rockets do is improve their draft position and trade a player they don't want for an expiring contract.  I come away with the PG I covet and complete a solid three guard rotation.  Moving back to 14 does not bother me because a lot of the player I like at 7 will probably be there at 14.  And I got rid of the 35th pick which I did not have a roster spot for but kept my 30th pick.  (If the Rockets said they would do the deal if they got pick 30 instead of 35, that'd be fine)

     Now comes the Draft.  I filled my hole at back up guard, now I need to address SF and a back up big.  At 14 I have the chance to do both (people need to realize we do not have the assets to trade for Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, Danny Granger, or Nic Batum).  The two players I'm looking at are Terrence Jones, SF Kentucky and Meyers Leonard, center from Illinois.  The Decision becomes two-fold.  Can Terrence Jones play SF in the NBA or is he going to be an undersized overly athletic 4 which doesn't help the team?  The second question becomes what free agent can be signed that fills the hole that the draft pick doesn't.  Since the Warriors basically only have the Mid Level Exception (we'll say 4 million dollars) to work with, there are more options of veteran bigs that can be signed than veteran small forwards.  So, given that information, with the 14th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft the Golden State Warriors select, Terrence Jones SF Kentucky.  Jones is very athletic and strong.  He can rebound as well as handle the ball.  He has a good face up game and an incredibly quick first step which means he can take guys off the dribble.  Jones has everything it would take to become a good defender.  His biggest flaw is his lack of a shot, but get him to attack the rim relentlessly and the shot matters much less.  I am comfortable starting Richard Jefferson and having Terrence Jones take the bulk of the minutes as his back up.  The natural hope would be for Jones to take the starting job from Jefferson and move RJ to the back up 3.  With the remaining picks, I take Jared Cunningham SG out of Oregon St. 30th overall to be another guard.  He can score and is a big time draft sleeper.  Then with the final pick in the late 2nd round I take the best International player available since I have no roster spot open for anybody.

     Now the final piece of the puzzle, the back up big man.  Although I liked Meyers Leonard I found it much more feasible to find a veteran big to play down low.  This big must be able to play the center in case Bogut gets hurt and play a little 4 to spell David Lee.  I like Jeremy Tyler but prefer him in the Chalres Jenkins role as the 4th man.  Not to mention if I want to win I never let Biedrins touch the floor again.  The goal is to have a 3 man rotation down low just like the 3 man rotation with Lowry, Curry, and Thompson.  There are three big men which I believe could be had for just the MLE (as that is all I have to work with, thanks Biedrins) Kenyon Martin, Darrell Arthur, and Jordan Hill.  Arthur is the most likely to get more than the MLE so we will cancel him out.  Kenyon Martin made $2.5 mil last year and Hill made $2.9 mil.  I think for the $4-5 mil that the MLE will be worth, Kenyon can be had.  And this is especially true if Joe Lacob would really dip into the luxury tax like he said he would (which I am not buying now that he has to pay for a new stadium).  Martin brings incredible toughness and rebounding and could give minutes at both the 4 and the 5.  Lee, Bogut, and Martin make up my 3 man rotation with Jeremy Tyler as a kicker.

     

So here is my new roster with basically no money to spare: 

Starting 5:

PG Stephen Curry

SG Klay Thompson

SF Richard Jefferson

PF David Lee

C Andrew Bogut

Reserves:

PG Kyle Lowry

PF/C Kenyon Martin

SF Terrence Jones

PF/C Jeremy Tyler

PG Charles Jenkins

C Andris Biedrins

SG Jared Cunningham

NBA Mock Draft 2.0

The Order is Set
By: Brian Sanchez @SportsReportDU

1. New Orleans Hornets- Anthony Davis, PF/C Kentucky

The obvious pick here.  Is the Draft Lottery really random or is it crooked?  I said it was rigged on the show, but I'll let you think what you want.  The Hornets will be positioned to compete for the 8th seed. Jack, Gordon, Ariza, Aminu, Landry, Davis, Okafor and another lottery pick?  Not bad.  

2. Charlotte Bobcats- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF Kentucky

It is highly unfortunate for the Bobcats that they won't be getting Anthony Davis.  Now the team that is supposed to go No. 1 has only kept the pick 2 out of the last 14 times.  They don't get Davis but they do get MKG.  He is a defender, competitor, leader, warrior, and winner.  He is a good start to the rebuilding process in Charlotte.

3. Washington Wizards- Bradley Beal, SG Florida

The Wizards have a solid line up going in to this season.  They like Chris Singleton at the 3 and have Seraphin and Nene down low with John Wall running the point.  They need scoring on the perimeter and especially at the SG spot.  Beal struggled from 3 last year (33%) but has NBA range and projects out to being a good perimeter scorer.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers- Harrison Barnes, SF North Carolina

It looks like Kyrie Irving will be very good for a long time.  He needs help on the perimeter.  Jeremy Lamb would be a huge stretch here and so would Dion Waiters.  As long as Harrison Barnes is on the board he is the 3 point shooting SF that the doctor ordered in Cleveland.

5. Sacramento Kings- Thomas Robinson, PF Kansas

This would be ideal for the Kings.  They have Cousins at Center but need someone to work next to him.  Robinson might be the perfect fit.  He's an athletic, hard working, high character, high effort, good rebounding PF.  He may not have ideal size but he makes up for it with strength and hustle.  He will be a very nice compliment to Cousins down low in a division where there are some pretty good 4/5 combinations.  

6. Portland Trailblazers- Andre Drummond, PF/C UConn

The Blazers want a big to pair with Lamarcus Aldridge down low and they get one of the biggest bigs in the draft.  Drummond has the ability to become one of the leagues top Centers, the only question is will he have the drive to make it happen?  He's worth the risk to the Blazers because at the very least he will be an athletic big body.

7. Golden State Warriors- Arnett Moultrie, PF/C Mississippi St.

The Warriors get to keep their pick and would prefer to be able to fill their hole in the starting line-up at SF, but with Barnes gone that isn't happening.  Then it comes down to needing depth at guard and Forward.  They need a combo guard type who can back up both PG and SG with some energy.  That puts Dion Waiters and Austin Rivers on the short list.  While they got good starters down low in Lee and Bogut all they have behind them is the young and still unready Jeremy Tyler and the awful Andris Biedrins.  Moultrie can back up at both the 4 and the 5.  Bogut has had injury issues so the Warriors might want someone better suited to start at Center than Biedrins or Tyler.  Moultrie is an athletic big who rebounds very well.  He was a SF for a year in college so he has good ball handling skills and a face up game.  He has been labeled as a draft sleeper so taking him at No.7 wouldn't start a riot.  If Terrence Jones shows well in his pre draft work outs I will most likely put him here.  

8. Toronto Raptors- Damian Lillard, PG Weber St.

A lot of people have Jeremy Lamb going here but I don't think the Raptors will be comfortable moving Derozan to the SF position.  What they do need is a PG.  Lillard is lightning quick and a good scorer.  They need potent players like Lillard in Toronto especially because they are one of the least likely teams to attract a good offensive PG in free agency.  Lillard would add a dynamic aspect to the Raptors.

9. Detroit Pistons- John Henson, PF North Carolina

I am not convinced that this is the right move, but I am pretty convinced that this will be what the Pistons do.  Greg Monroe has been awesome at Center for Detroit but they need someone who can actually defend down low.  Henson is unbelievably skinny but can block shots with the best of them.  They hit on a defensive but skinny player before in Tayshaun Prince, maybe they'll do it again.  

10. New Orleans Hornets- Kendall Marshall, PG North Carolina

Marshall is a pure pass first PG who has the leadership to run a team.  The Hornets are thin at PG and with Lillard off the board Marshall is an easy selection if they decide they want a PG.  Marshall could develop in to a great team leader as the Hornets take a huge leap forward here in this draft.

11. Portland Trailblazers- Dion Waiters, PG/SG Syracuse

The Trailblazers already addressed their need at Center with Drummond and their other big need is at the point.  Both of the top PG's in the draft are gone so they will settle for a combo guard who can run the point as a back up.  Waiters is only 6'4" but he is a bulldog and a very good scorer.  He likes to get inside and is working on his game as a PG.  I think his versatility and toughness are two attributes that could help in Portland.  

12. Milwaukee Bucks- Tyler Zeller, PF/C North Carolina

After trading big for small and getting Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut the Bucks need more big bodies. They have Larry Sanders, Ekpe Udoh, and Luc Richard Mbah Moute but those guys are more 4's than they are 5's.  Zeller can play the 5 and provide offense.  He has good moves in the post and a nice little jumper from 10 feet.  

13. Phoenix Suns- Jeremy Lamb, SG UConn

The Suns need a scorer at the 2 and they get a good one here at pick 13.  It looks like they have post players in Lopez and Morris as well as a good wing man in Jared Dudley.  Both PG's are off the board so they can not draft the eventual replacement for Steve Nash.  Lamb is a phenomenal shooter, especially from 3.  He is more than that though, he is a total scorer who will probably start right away.

14. Houston Rockets- Austin Rivers, SG Duke

The Rockets have committed so many top picks to post players that they need to spend picks on perimeter scorers.  Rivers is going to be a dynamic scorer and he'll even be able to handle some time at the point.  He'd probably be a top 5 pick next year, but since he came out this year it works to the Rockets advantage.  

15. Philadelphia 76ers- Perry Jones III, SF Baylor

Perry Jones has the abilities of a top 5 pick.  His motor has been questioned and people wonder whether or not he'll work hard enough to put it all together and realize his potential.  With the depth on the wings for the 76ers and the lack of options down low at this spot the 76ers could take Jones III and sit him behind Iguodala and Thad Young which should help his development.  This is one of the better equipped teams to deal with the potential bust of Perry Jones III.

16. Houston Rockets- Meyers Leonard, C Illinois 

The Rockets need a Center despite spending so many picks on post players.  Leonard is very, very big and has shown some raw abilities (especially on defense).  He has good athleticism for his size and has the strength to hold his own as a starter who can rebound and defend right away.  

17. Dallas Mavericks- Terrence Ross, SG/SF Washington

The Mavericks need help on the perimeter and especially help with 3 point shooting.  Ross will provide all of that and more.  At 6'7" he can play both the SG and SF and is one of the best 3 point shooters in this draft.  He is very similar to First Team all rookie SG Klay Thompson but with a little less game going at the rim.  Still a good comparison and a very good pick at 17.  

18. Minnesota Timberwolves- Jared Sullinger, PF Ohio St.  

The Wolves really, really need a SG but there just isn't one available who is a viable option.  Sullinger could easily be taken higher so the Wolves should take him just because he's here.  Stock piling talent is the name of the game for Minny.  Sully could be used in a draft day trade or used as a future trade option.  He would also be great if any of the Minny bigs go down.  

19. Orlando Magic- Terrence Jones, SF/PF Kentucky

The Magic may very well be losing Dwight Howard but if they want to keep him they need to add as much talent as possible to convince him to stay.  Jones is a tweener and fell this far because of his lack of a jump shot and the fact that he doesn't play with full intensity all the time.  He could be a good piece whether it's in addition to Dwight Howard or all the players they get in a trade.

20. Denver Nuggets- Marquis Teague, PG Kentucky

The Nuggets have no real needs right now.  They could just take the best available in Harkless, but they have so many players who can play the SF.  The most iffy spot on the bench is at PG.  Andre Miller is expected to return but he is incredibly old.  Teague gives them another PG option especially if Miller does not return.  If Andre does come back, they can groom Teague for the future.  

21. Boston Celtics- Moe Harkless, SF St. Johns

Boston needs a whole lot off the bench and Harkless is a heck of a value pick here.  He is an athletic SF who is a good defender.  He can find time on the court right away because of his athleticism.  Pierce and Allen are getting old so the Celtics need to take good young wing players.

22. Boston Celtics- Fab Melo, Center Syracuse

Melo should have been a lot higher of a pick but his commitment to being great was highly questionable in college and he appeared to have no motor.  He has re-committed himself this summer and is much better shape and looks focused.  Because of the Celtics dire need for a Center, they are going to take the chance and hop Doc Rivers can get him to play to his fullest.

23.  Atlanta Hawks- Tony Wroten Jr., PG Washington

Wroten is an intriguing PG prospect for a team that needs depth at the point.  Wroten is big (6'5") and has the ability and athleticism to attack the rim.  He has a terrible jump shot and has a reputation as a bad teammate, but the Hawks need PG help and Wroten Jr. has too much upside to pass up.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers- Quincy Miller- SF Baylor

Quincy Miller came in to his freshmen year as a potential top 10 pick, but after an ACL injury he never really got in to a rhythm.  He apparently hated the thought of learning so much that he entered the draft anyways.  This is a pure potential pick for the Cavs.  They already have Barnes so Miller doesn't have to start, but he could grow in to his game at the pro level.  He is worth a shot here based on his upside.  

25. Memphis Grizzlies- Evan Fournier, SG France

Chad Ford of ESPN reported that the Grizzlies are looking to stash a pick over seas this year.  Fournier is by far the best international prospect in a thin international class.  He has the ability to score and it looks like it'll be able to translate to the NBA.

26. Indiana Pacers- Doron Lamb, SG Kentucky

The Pacers are a solid team with few holes.  It looks like they may be losing the shooting of Leandro Barbosa during free agency.  Doron Lamb is one of the top 5 3-point shooters in this draft.  He is a good option to have coming off the bench for just his shooting.

27. Miami Heat- Draymond Green- PF/SF Michigan St. 

The Heat need players who are ready to contribute now.  Green is a do everything big man, yes he is a tweener but with his intangibles he is still worth it.  Green can shoot, rebound, and pass well and will give a champions effort on defense.  He is a guy who makes everyone around him better, he would be Miami's Glen Davis.

28. Oklahoma City Thunder- Jeffrey Taylor, SF Vanderbilt

Taylor is an elite athlete who can defend and has good range on his jumper.  There is a very good chance that he moves up from this spot, but if he is there for the Thunder they will jump on him.

29. Chicago Bulls- John Jenkins, SG Vanderbilt

The Bulls need shooters and Jenkins may just be the best one in the draft.  He is a small SG but he has NBA range with a quick release and a surprising ability to finish at the rim.  He would be a very nice piece for this team to add.

30. Golden State Warriors- Royce White, SF/PF Iowa St.

White has the ability to go much higher than this.  He also has an anxiety disorder that leaves him deathly afraid of flying.  This means it will be hard for him to fly on road trips and may leave him losing sleep because he is scared.  This is what caused him to fall off the court.  On the court he is a do it all SF.  He can rebound very well and score inside.  At this late of a pick he is an amazing value for the Warriors.  The reward outweighs the risk by a mile on this one.  

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Rounding Out the 49ers Draft

The Rest of the Gold Helmets
By: Brian Sanchez


Day 3 of the NFL draft was all about adding depth for the San Francisco 49ers and I think they did an exceptional job of doing so.  They made some great value picks that should all make the team and make the 49ers now one of the deeper teams in the league.  All of the picks from today have their weaknesses, of course, or else they wouldn't be on the board.  But the 49ers did an exceptional job of picking a certain type of player and they all have strengths that outweigh the weaknesses.  The type of player the 49ers drafted was team leaders who were either incredibly fast or incredibly strong.  They were also nearly all team leaders or captains.  Let's take a look at the new gold helmets:

Round 4 (pick 117)-Joe Looney, OL Wake Forest
     The 6'3" 309 lb. linemen is a big time value pick for the 49ers.  This is a very physical, very strong interior linemen.  Every time someone is a good value pick it means they should have gone higher, and there are always reasons why.  Looney tore a ligament in his foot during the Senior Bowl and he may not even be ready to go by training camp of this year.  The 49ers are comfortable with all the options they have at RG this year (Kilgore and Boone) so they took Looney and project him to make an impact over time.  Other teams who needed linemen wanted them to play right away leaving Looney, who the 49ers traded up for, to be a back up as soon as he is healthy and possibly push for a starting role the year after.
     Looney is a very physical very strong who is known more for his ability to throw defenders around than anything else.  He does slide his feet well so he does project out to be a good pass blocker.  But that is not the most important role for an interior linemen, there job is to block the run.  Looney's good feet mean he will be a good pulling guard and when he did so in college he was very good at getting to the second level and hitting moving targets.  His one weakness is the fact that his upper body is disproportionally stronger than his lower body.  This laves him sitting to high in his crouch sometimes making him easy to bull rush.  This is not too much of a problem to have, nothing time in the weight room with a professional trainer can't fix.  He is expected to make a full recovery from the torn ligament in his foot and then he will hit the ground running.  Todd McShay said that if he would have had a healthy foot he would have goon in the late 2nd/early 3rd because of his run blocking ability.  

Round 5 (pick 165)-Darius Fleming, OLB Notre Dame
     This 6'1" 245 lb. OLB will have a chance to immediately become a back up behind Aldon Smith.  The 49ers only have one back up OLB right now and that is Parys Harralson, a player whom I don't think s anything special.  Larry Grant could play some OLB but he should be primarily used to give Patrick Willis and Novarro Bowman plenty of time off.  So, Fleming has a chance to make an impact.  He is a physical specimen at his height and is a natural pass rusher.  even though he is short at 6'1" he hot the bench press an eye opening 27 times.  He also ran a 4.77 40 yard dash which establishes just how athletic this guy is.  He was a 4-3 DE in college but will easily make the jump to a pass rushing 3-4 OLB for the 49ers.  He uses his strength to bull rush O-linemen effectively and uses his speed to be a great player in pursuit and his lateral quickness makes him a threat from sideline to sideline.  Also, with his size and speed he can make a definite impact on the special teams. This is an impressive player who made a lot of plays in college and he is actually an underrated cover OLB showing he can at least cover well enough to not be a liability.  And with his experience at DE there is no reason he could not be inserted in pass rush situations to do just that.  With his size and speed he can definitely be a playmaker for the 49ers and if he shows off enough in training camp he could see a good number of snaps in the regular season on defense and be a starter on special teams.  Keep track of Fleming, he had a 3rd round grade and only fell because 4-3 teams did not like him as a DE (and rightfully so as that is not his position) meaning he was another good value pick for the 49ers.

Round 6 (pick 180)-Trenton Robinson, FS Michigan St.

     I love this pick as much as I do the Fleming pick.  This could end up being one of the best picks in the draft.  I have seen Robinson ranked anywhere from the 4th best safety in the class to the 9th best, but either way, most had him going before the 6th round.  The on down side to Robinson is his size (5'10" 195 lb) which is not prototypical and considered undersized for a safety in the NFL.  Bill Polian likened him to a younger Bob Sanders which always evokes confidence.  The basic term to describe Robinson is: where goes the football, there goes Robinson.  He clocked in a 4.52 40 yard dash, which is second among all safeties.  While he is smaller his tackling only suffers a little as he is a decent tackler.  But he was not picked for his tackling (although he likes to play in the box to stop the run) he was picked for his playmaking and ability to intercept the ball.  Mel Kiper Jr. even said he was the best zone coverage safety in this draft.  Robinson excels at reading QB eyes and zipping over to the ball and cutting in front of WR's for an interception.  He seems to have no holes other than his size, which he is still effective with.  He has a sixth sense about where the ball is going and can cover slot receivers but probably not at the level of a CB.  He has plus coverage skills for a safety but just adequate for a CB.  The only reason anyone could see him in the 6th round is because of the size, and the 49ers already established they will take an undersized guy with Lemicahel James as long as he is super tough, and Robinson certainly is.  The 49ers needed depth at safety having only CJ Spillman and Colin Jones who are fantastic special teams players but not so much at safety.  Robinson can certainly see team on punt returns but leep an eye on him as he could become one of the top replacements at the safety position.

Round 6 (pick 199)-Jason Slowey, C Western Oregon
     Slowey represents more of a long term investment for the 49ers but why not take a shot at the end of the 6th round?  Slowey is coming out of Western Oregon which is a NCAA D-II program.  He is one of the best linemen in D-II, but he played LT.  at 6'3" 303 lbs he does not have the size to play at tackle.  The 49ers drafted him and already have changed his position (so clearly they did their homework) to center.  He has been noted by many as being one of the nastiest linemen in the draft.  That right there is music to the 49ers ears.  While he did not look like he could become a tackle at the NFL level many think he could soon be ready to play guard.  The only reason it will take him a while to be ready for SF is because they are moving him to center.  That takes more time than moving him to guard, but if he could do that easily he may well be the replacement for when Jonathan Goodwin is gone.  With Slowey now, the 49ers have good depth on the O-line.  Either Kilgore or Boone will start at RG.  Either way Boone is the top tackle replacement, and if he is the starting RG and needs to move tackle then Kilgore will take over at RG.  Looney is a back up at the guard position and they also have Mike Person out of Montana St. from last years draft who can pay either guard or tackle.  then you add in Slowey and there is no real need on the O-line anymore.

Round 7 (pick 237)-Cam Johnson, OLB/DE Virginia

     Cam Johnson is the reason why I think this is such a solid draft for the 49ers, he has a chance to be on the active roster.  For a team as good as the 49ers it was not expected that this many picks would actually make the team but I think at least 6 will.  Johnson is big (6'4" 270 lbs.) and athletic (4.8 40 yard dash).  He has spent time as both a 4-3 DE and a 3-4 OLB and I think he could play both in the NFL.  He does project more as a pass rushing OLB but he could sneak in for some snaps at DE in 3rd and long situations.  He has the speed to rush the edges but actually prefers to stunt and blitz right up the middle where he can feature a ferocious bull rush.  He has a good set of moves when he rushes and because he has such powerful legs he has a great burst off the line.  This is another guy that most would have seen going in the earlier rounds.  He is more of a workout warrior than anything else and Harbaugh usually loves that.  the film on Johnson is not consistent and that's what worried a lot of teams.  Johnson is a freakish physical athlete and Harbaugh likes to take those kind of guys and coach team up.  If he can coach Johnson up, this 7th rounder can be a very viable back up.  At the very least, Johnson too should be able to be a force on special teams.  

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