JD_KaPow
jimnabby
- Messages
- 11,035
- Reaction score
- 10,803
Football Outsiders goes back every year at this time and reviews the draft from six years ago. The whole article is always a good read.
https://www.footballoutsiders.com/nfl-draft/2019/2013-nfl-draft-six-years-later
Per our annual Report Card Report, the 49ers had the best draft by far. They addressed their four top needs with their four top picks; Eric Reid was going to be a superstar safety, and a healthy Marcus Lattimore was a steal in the fourth round. The Bengals, Ravens, Rams, and Cardinals also received high grades. Conversely, the Cowboys were panned for reaching for Travis Frederick, and criticized for adding receiving weapons to a passing game that was already doing just fine with Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and Cole Beasley already on the roster. The Browns, Patriots, Bills, and Commanders also received low grades.
In reality, the 49ers' draft did not pan out. Eric Reid has been a solid safety, albeit one in Carolina now rather than in the red and gold, but no one else picked really made much of an impact. Lattimore was never healthy again, neither Tank Carradine nor Corey Lemonier made any appreciable impact on the pass rush, and Vance McDonald's stone hands became a running gag for 49ers fans for years. Quinton Dial and Marcus Cooper were nice for Day 3 picks, and it's better than the absolute zero San Francisco got out of the 2012 draft, but this turned out to be Trent Baalke's second whiff in a row. Is there any wonder the 49ers crashed so hard after the Jim Harbaugh era?
Similarly, Dallas had a pretty good draft, at least when taking into account the overall level of the draft class. Travis Frederick was considered a reach at the time, but he has turned into a four-time Pro Bowler and anchor of one of the best offensive lines of the mid-2010s; the Cowboys really missed him last season. In a year this poor, getting one absolute stud is enough to salvage any class, but Terrance Williams was a solid third-round pick. Williams has the seventh-most receiving yards in the class and is a decent blocker as well. I wouldn't put them atop the class or anything, but they did far better than the dead-last ranking the pundits gave out days after the draft. It's a good reminder that post-draft grades aren't even worth the paper they're printed on.
https://www.footballoutsiders.com/nfl-draft/2019/2013-nfl-draft-six-years-later
Per our annual Report Card Report, the 49ers had the best draft by far. They addressed their four top needs with their four top picks; Eric Reid was going to be a superstar safety, and a healthy Marcus Lattimore was a steal in the fourth round. The Bengals, Ravens, Rams, and Cardinals also received high grades. Conversely, the Cowboys were panned for reaching for Travis Frederick, and criticized for adding receiving weapons to a passing game that was already doing just fine with Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and Cole Beasley already on the roster. The Browns, Patriots, Bills, and Commanders also received low grades.
In reality, the 49ers' draft did not pan out. Eric Reid has been a solid safety, albeit one in Carolina now rather than in the red and gold, but no one else picked really made much of an impact. Lattimore was never healthy again, neither Tank Carradine nor Corey Lemonier made any appreciable impact on the pass rush, and Vance McDonald's stone hands became a running gag for 49ers fans for years. Quinton Dial and Marcus Cooper were nice for Day 3 picks, and it's better than the absolute zero San Francisco got out of the 2012 draft, but this turned out to be Trent Baalke's second whiff in a row. Is there any wonder the 49ers crashed so hard after the Jim Harbaugh era?
Similarly, Dallas had a pretty good draft, at least when taking into account the overall level of the draft class. Travis Frederick was considered a reach at the time, but he has turned into a four-time Pro Bowler and anchor of one of the best offensive lines of the mid-2010s; the Cowboys really missed him last season. In a year this poor, getting one absolute stud is enough to salvage any class, but Terrance Williams was a solid third-round pick. Williams has the seventh-most receiving yards in the class and is a decent blocker as well. I wouldn't put them atop the class or anything, but they did far better than the dead-last ranking the pundits gave out days after the draft. It's a good reminder that post-draft grades aren't even worth the paper they're printed on.
