Niner Noise
FanSided

2016 NFL Draft: Why Aaron Burbridge Was 49ers Best Pick

By Trevor Irvine

Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans receiver Aaron Burbridge (16) in action against Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback Bradley Sylve (3) in the second half of the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans receiver Aaron Burbridge (16) in action against Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback Bradley Sylve (3) in the second half of the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up their 2016 NFL Draft yesterday addressing several key areas of need. While it would be easy to list either first-round picks DeForest Buckner or Joshua Garnett as the best picks, it is sixth-round pick wide receiver Aaron Burbridge of Michigan State who ranks as the best pick in this draft.

With the current in-limbo status of free-agent receiver Anquan Boldin, the San Francisco 49ers needed to find a quality receiver in this draft who would match Boldin’s traits — being reliable in catching the football, to not be afraid to go over the middle and be a willing blocker.

Michigan State wide receiver Aaron Burbridge fits in all these categories.

“Connor Cook’s favorite target last season lacks dynamic qualities as a receiver but he’s adept at working the short to intermediate parts of the field. His comfort with crossers and timing routes likely caught Chip Kelly’s attention”- Mark Dulgerian, NFL.com

In 2015, he was named the Big-10 receiver of the year, where he hauled in 85 catches for 1,258 yards (14.8 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns. Burbridge works best in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field, where his willingness to catch balls in traffic is a standout. He is not known for his speed, but at his pro day he ran an excellent 4.49 40-yard dash.

Burbridge is a reliable target down the field, which will help fellow receiver Torrey Smith by attracting some of the defense’s attention down the field. Per Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus, Burbridge caught 63.5 percent of his deep ball targets:

When you look at his receptions by direction, he only dropped a total of three passes outside of the hashes. Though he has small hands (8 1/4″) they are reliable. This is a welcome trait. Fellow receivers Bruce Ellington and Quinton Patton have shown flashes of great play but, on average, they simply drop too many balls.

By having a reliable catcher on one side of the field who can get down the field and catch a deep pass will only benefit Smith, whose chances of being double teamed by a corner and a safety will be greatly reduced.

Burbridge played in a pro-style system under Michigan State’s coach Mark Dantonio. In this system he was required to block to stay on the field. This is a critical trait to help get the Niners running game back on track in 2016.

The 49ers got an absolute steal by landing Burbridge in the sixth-round (No. 213 overall). Per Deeney, Pro Football Focus had him as their 10th best overall-graded wide receiver in the draft:

Burbridge was noted by several analysts as having a “great week” at the Senior Bowl. Indeed, former Indianapolis Colts executive, and now ESPN analyst, Bill Polian said at the NFL Combine how much he liked his speed, his route running, and his hands:

The 49ers receiving corps needed another playmaker, and Burbridge fits the bill. Whoever is the Niners starting quarterback in 2016 will greatly appreciate the toughness and catching ability of Burbridge and should have the confidence of throwing him the ball (even in traffic) and expect him to come down with it. He has the real opportunity of becoming the QB’s “security blanket.”

Burbridge’s overall strengths are highlighted by NFL.com’s scouting report:

"Has the body control and in­-air athleticism to contort and come down with spectacular catches. Able to drop down and secure low throws and extend beyond his frame for diving catches left or right. At his best breaking off routes with suddenness and opening quickly for timing throws… Detailed route-­runner on double moves creating openings for big plays up top. Once on top of cornerbacks, looks to stack them to create throwing window for touch throws. Excellent at tracking the deep ball. Has 19 catches of 25-plus yards. Willing to match physical with physical at the top of his routes against huggers. Shows some aggressiveness as run blocker and gives effort when working up to safeties."

With the woeful 49ers offense in 2015 (14.9 points per game, worst in the NFL, and only 3,316 total yards, fourth-worst in the league), adding playmakers like Burbridge in the draft is a great start to an improvement in 2016. Head coach Chip Kelly will develop a plan for him and will find ways to best utilize him on the field.

When you look at his highlights, four things stand out — he always gets open (giving his QB a clear throwing lane), his hand strength is phenomenal (he catches the ball at the highest point, and one handed catches for him are easy), his toughness (catching balls in traffic) and his concentration (especially on the desperation heave).

You can view this highlights package below (warning: video contains explicit language):

If Burbridge can come in and have a strong training camp, he should be competing with DeAndre Smelter for the second- and third-string receiver positions on the depth chart (this is assuming that Boldin is not re-signed). His skill set and playmaking ability automatically place him ahead of Ellington and Patton.

More from Niner Noise

Motivation should not be a problem. He was considered in most mock drafts to be drafted anywhere from the second to the fourth round, so not being drafted until the sixth round should have placed a large chip on his shoulder to out-perform his draft slot.

If Burbridge can quickly adapt to the speed and rigors of the NFL game, he has a chance to be a great 49ers receiver. He should be able to contribute right away in 2016 and play a key part in reinvigorating the dormant 49ers offense from a year ago.

He should become the best third down converting receiver on the team, provided Kelly allows his QB to throw the ball past the first down marker.

Next: Which 49ers Quarterback Is Best Fit for Chip Kelly's Offense? Part 2: Blaine Gabbert

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com, Sports-Reference.com and NFL.com unless otherwise indicated.