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San Francisco 49ers: Regrading All 6 NFL Draft Classes of GM Trent Baalke

By Peter Panacy

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January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chip Kelly (left) addresses the media in a press conference after being introduced as the new head coach for the San Francisco 49ers as 49ers general manager Trent Baalke (right) looks on at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chip Kelly (left) addresses the media in a press conference after being introduced as the new head coach for the San Francisco 49ers as 49ers general manager Trent Baalke (right) looks on at Levi’s Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Cumulative Draft Rankings and Grades

First, let’s assess a total grade for general manager Trent Baalke’s draft efforts between 2011 and 2016.

Putting them together — without weight to one year over the other — we get a:

C-

But if we were to weight the grade — place emphasis on higher-round picks and/or the ability to find quality mid-level picks, the grade quickly drops to a D.

How so?

A good chunk of Baalke’s first- and second-round picks have been solid. But not stellar. We can count just two Pro Bowlers in Rounds 1 and 2 dating back to 2011. There have been some OK mid-level picks. But not enough to shore up any depth-chart issues. If you want proof, just go look at the Niners’ current standings.

Let’s look at the cumulative number rankings too. These aren’t weighed but can provide an average assessment for the net players drafted. The ranking is:

2.3

If we go by the criteria on the opening slide, this tells us the overall mean of players lands just slightly above our low-impact/depth category.

Sadly, that’s how a good chunk of the 49ers roster looks right now.

More from Niner Noise

These metrics aren’t perfect. Few evaluation systems are. But we can at least draw a line from the 49ers’ current struggles to Baalke’s efforts. And they haven’t been great.

No GM is going to have a perfect draft class. There just isn’t any exact science to it. But some general managers are better than others, and the Niners’ recent track record isn’t exactly pointing in the right direction.

Next: Disastrous 2015 Departures Aren't Why the 49ers Are Bad Now

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