San Francisco 49ers: Regrading All 6 NFL Draft Classes of GM Trent Baalke
By Peter Panacy
The 2016 NFL Draft
The Picks
| 1 | 7 | DeForest Buckner | DE | Oregon |
| 1 | 28 | Joshua Garnett | OG | Stanford |
| 3 | 68 | Will Redmond | CB | Mississippi State |
| 4 | 133 | Rashard Robinson | CB | LSU |
| 5 | 142 | Ronald Blair | DE | Appalachian State |
| 5 | 145 | John Theus | OT | Georgia |
| 5 | 174 | Fahn Cooper | OT | Mississippi |
| 6 | 207 | Jeff Driskel | QB | Louisiana Tech |
| 6 | 211 | Kelvin Taylor | RB | Florida |
| 6 | 213 | Aaron Burbridge | WR | Michigan State |
| 7 | 249 | Prince Charles Iworah | CB | Western Kentucky |
OK, so it’s much harder to gauge this draft class based solely of the preseason and five weeks of regular-season action.
But there are a few standouts from the 49ers’ efforts in the 2016 NFL Draft, chief among them, rookie cornerback Rashard Robinson.
And we’lll have to see if first-round selections DeForest Buckner and Joshua Garnett develop into key components for San Francisco in coming years.
Defensive End Deforest Buckner — 4
His collegiate hype alone earns Buckner a 4-grade here. Yes, he’s still going through his growing pains at the NFL level and needs to work on his run defense. But the raw skill set is there. And there is little to doubt he’ll be an impact player in coming years.
Guard Joshua Garnett — 3
Garnett gets his first start in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills. He couldn’t win a starting job in Week 1, which is a bit of a mark against him. But he has excellent run-blocking abilities, which is exactly what San Francisco’s problematic offensive line needs moving forward.
Cornerback Will Redmond — 1
Ah, the latest of general manager Trent Baalke’s “All-ACL” picks. Will Redmond has yet to see the field in regular-season action and remains on injured reserve. He could return later this season. Maybe he winds up securing the nickel role, which is vacant due to Chris Davis’ knee injury.
Cornerback Rashard Robinson — 4
Robinson has, by far, been the best player for the 49ers from this draft class so far. Pro Football Focus ranked him the No. 3 rookie heading into Week 6. Quite an accomplishment.
Is it possible the Niners found a shutdown corner to build a secondary around for years to come?
Defensive End Ronald Blair — 3
Rookie defensive end Ronald Blair likely won’t be an every-down player. At least not anytime soon. But he could wind up overtaking fellow edge rusher Tank Carradine on the depth chart. Blair has the ability to line up almost anywhere within the defensive front seven. And the 49ers need all the pass-rushing help they can get.
Tackle John Theus — 2
Well, at least the 49ers have a backup to back up their tackle needs. Maybe former Niners tackle Anthony Davis’ retirement is a good thing for rookie John Theus.
Tackle Fahn Cooper — 1
The guy who backed up Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil is on San Francisco’s practice squad.
Quarterback Jeff Driskel — 1
San Francisco could have kept rookie quarterback Jeff Driskel as a project. Instead, the Niners kept veteran QB Christian Ponder on the roster and let Driskel go to the Cincinnati Bengals after the preseason.
Running Back Kelvin Taylor — 1
Running back Kelvin Taylor is also on San Francisco’s practice squad.
Wide Receiver Aaron Burbridge — 2
The guy who made former Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook look good is buried on the 49ers depth chart. With few of the remaining Niners wideouts contributing, rookie Aaron Burbridge may see some more looks between now and Week 17.
He doesn’t have speed on his side. But his hands and catch radius look pretty good.
Cornerback Prince Charles Iworah — 1
Cornerback Prince Charles Iworah is fast. So fast, he made it to the practice squad in time before another team grabbed him after preseason roster cuts.