Matt Maiocco and Greg Papa held a highly enjoyable
All Time 49ers Draft. I have thoughts (because what else is there to think about?)
The rules were these - they drafted 22 position players, 11 on each side of the ball, plus kicker, punter, and a return guy. That's 25 picks and they drafted a coach, that's 26. The players had to be Niners at least 5 years, with the exceptions that any current player could be chosen and one player could be chosen as a "Wild Card" who could have any Niner tenure at all.
1. Maiocco got the first pick and chose Walsh. Now, I lived through the entire Walsh era; my first 49er team was 1978, he's a personal hero of mine and I would hate, I mean absolutely hate, being on the other side of the field from him. But taking any coach over Jerry Rice is a really challenging decision to support. I can see Walsh over anyone else (I'd rather have Montana, but the alternative to Montana is Young and that is a slight enough drop that while I would pick Joe, I can see a decision to take Walsh). But Rice...when given the chance to get the (inarguable, in my view) greatest wide receiver in NFL history, someone who can beat you from anywhere on the field, who can block with anyone, who will be the hardest working guy in any locker room - if I had the top overall pick, I think it's got to be Rice.
2-3. Papa picked Joe second and Jerry third (it's a snake draft). I might have taken Lott instead of Joe, the idea being that even if I lose Joe I get Steve, but the drop from Lott to the next best safety on the board is precipitous.
4-5. Maiocco picked Lott and Young. There was post-draft discussion about how soon someone was required to select that second QB (theoretically, once Joe goes you can wait until the end of the draft to get Steve) but Maiocco felt that really violated the spirit of the draft and that's a reasonable position (although probably a losing one, in comparing the rosters).
6-7. Papa took Jimmy Johnson and Bryant Young. Johnson's reasonable, there are a handful of Niner Hall of Famers sitting on the board, Johnson's the top corner in franchise history. BY is a tougher choice to support with Leo Nomellini on the board at the same position.
8-9. Maiocco took Nomellini and Kittle. Nomellini would have been my pick at #6, so I like him here...this is really, really aggressive for Kittle. His season last year is easily the best TE season in franchise history, so were you to argue that he's the pick at TE over Brent Jones and Vernon Davis (the two best TE in franchise history for career value) that seems reasonable to me, but taking Kittle here, over say, Bob St Clair or Dave Wilcox or (since Maiocco didn't get Rice) TO is more than a little curious (and apparently influenced by John Lynch)
10-11. Papa took Patrick Willis and Roger Craig. Willis is fine here, I probably take him with one of these two picks also. Really tough not to go with St Clair or Wilcox with the other pick; Roger's a defensible pick if you're just ranking the top Niners of all time - but with Joe Perry and Hugh McElhenny sitting on the board, I think you push RB down a little bit.
12-13. Maiocco took St Clair and Staley; I obviously like the St Clair pick - I'm not sure Staley over Harris Barton is the decision I'd make, and at this spot in the draft, Wilcox is a stronger selection.
14-15. Papa took Cross and Sapolu; Cross is fine here, this is pretty early for Sapolu - Charles Haley is on the board, Wilcox is on the board, TO is on the board, and at some point you've got to bite on Deion.
16-17. Maiocco took Perry and Wilcox; I have Perry as the top RB in franchise history, just ahead of Craig, and have been advocating for Wilcox for a couple of rounds, so obviously I like these selections.
18-19. Papa took Woody Peoples and Haley. Haley is fine, other than Owens, he's the top player remaining on my board. Peoples is a wild selection at this spot in the draft, Papa just went interior offensive line with Cross and Sapolu - there's not another interior lineman who should be picked anywhere close to this spot. And I'd go McIntyre above Peoples for sure at a guard spot - Papa also could have taken another center and had Cross and Sapolu both play guard; Fred Quillan and Forrest Blue are on the board. He doesn't need to take a tackle as Maiocco has already taken two of them, but there are tackles (Barton, Fahnhorst, Wallace) who you'd clearly rank ahead of Peoples. You can't see TO and Deion Sanders on the board and take Woody Peoples to be your third interior OL.
20-21. Maiocco took Cedric Hardman and Eric Wright. My top remaining players are Owens and Gore, with McElhenny right behind; having taken Perry, McElhenny would be hard for me to resist. I have Hardman much lower on my list; if you're dying for a defensive end take Justin Smith. I'd prefer Dwaine Board, Tommy Hart (although it's close with those two guys) - but there's also Charlie Krueger and Dana Stubblefield if you want to go DLine. You don't need Hardman is my point. Wright's the top corner remaining if you are looking at Niner career value; I'd have taken Deion for sure by this point.
22-23. Papa effectively ends the competitive portion of the draft by taking Owens and Sanders. It's a knockout, just really no way for Maiocco to recover. Once he doesn't get Rice, he's got to get Owens; dropping down to the next level is like not getting Joe or Steve and dropping to John Brodie and YA Tittle.
24-25. Maiocco takes Fred Dean and NaVorro Bowman; Dean had a better top end than say, Charlie Krueger, Bowman a better top end than say, Keena Turner, so I get these selections in a "take Deion over Eric Wright" way, and with Papa having already taken Haley and Willis, there's a defensive value in these picks like there would be in taking TO once you dont get Rice.
26-27. Papa takes Krueger and Stubblefield. I like Justin Smith ahead of either of them, and have guys still sitting on my board ranked higher at other positions (who jumps first at the second RB?)
28-29. Maiocco takes John Taylor and Guy McIntyre. Hmmm...well, if you want a WR (which you don't need, since you've already lost the two best in franchise history and can just wait now) you've got Gene Washington and Dwight Clark. If you want a kick returner (which appears to be the case) you've got Abe Woodson. And Papa's already taken all the interior offensive linemen he's going to take, you don't need to grab McIntyre here. Take Hugh McElhenny. Take Justin Smith for the love of God.
30-31. Papa took Turner and Merton Hanks; Maiocco already has Lott, which means Papa has his choice of Hanks and Dwight Hicks, who I'd have ranked about the same, that could be pushed down a little bit, particularly with Justin Smith available.
32-33. Maiocco took Hicks and Billy Wilson; understandable not to want to lose Hicks after Papa takes Hanks (although Tim McDonald is a reasonable substitute) I'd rank Wilson below both Washington and Clark, so he wouldn't be my choice at WR (and Maiocco doesn't need to pick a WR for the same reason Papa doesn't need to pick an OT)
34-35. Papa takes the tackles, Fahnhorst and Wallace. So, there's that - they'd be my two tackles...after Harris Barton, who apparently won't get drafted which wouldn't be the way I'd go but isn't inhrently wrong.
36-37. Maiocco takes Dwight and Matt Hazeltine; again, he doesn't need to get a receiver here, but Dwight's defensible (that means Gene Washington won't get taken...that's defensible, but I'd have gone Washington and not Wilson). Hazeltine's the top LB left on the board (why is no one taking Justin Smith?)
38-39. Papa goes kickers. Lee and Wersching. So, they are the top P/K in franchise history, but tough to pick them when there are still football players on the board.
40-41. Maiocco goes DeForest Buckner and Gore. Buckner apparently is Maiocco's WC selection and he takes Gore ahead of McElhenny; having taken Perry I'd have gone the other way there, but I get it. Buckner...Buckner was good, but it sort of looks like they're going to leave Justin Smith on the floor which just flat feels like oversight.
42-43. Papa takes McElhenny and Frank Nunley. We're near the end, so even though he doesn't need to take the RB until the end of the draft at this point, I won't bang him too hard for the McElhenny pick. Nunley...yeah, not the way I would have gone with Ken Norton on the board if you need that inside linebacker.
44-45. Maiocco takes Blue and Howard Mudd - I like Quillan more than Blue, but that could go either way when looking to take a center. I like Ray Brown more than Mudd; I might go Larry Allen here, take him as my WC and take goddamn Justin Smith in that spot where he took Buckner. Yeah, that is what I'd advocate. Larry Allen in this spot.
46-47. Papa takes George Seifert and Carlton Williamson. Tim McDonald for sure instead of Williamson...coach is a hard call; Seifert obviously is the only Niner coach not named Walsh to win Super Bowls, so it's defensible. I like George running my defense, not so much sure as the top guy. I don't know who I'd take here - if I could take any coach and wasn't limited to an HC, I think I'd take either Mike Holmgren or Mike Shanahan.
48-49. Maiocco takes his kickers, Joe Nedney and Tommy Davis; that's probably right - Davis is for sure right as the best non Andy Lee punter in franchise history...yeah, neither Gould nor Phil Dawson played 5 years and you wouldn't use your WC on a kicker when Nedney is just as good..so Nedney's the call at PK.
50-51. Papa takes Brent Jones, who is the right answer at TE, and Abe Woodson, who is the right answer as a kick returner.
52. Maiocco takes Kermit Alexander. I like Don Griffin in this spot as the last corner taken. Or, Richard Sherman to combat that Deion Sanders pick Papa made.
So - top players not taken:
-Brodie. Understandable, obviously.
-Washington. I prefer him to Wilson, but it's not unreasonable to go the other way.
-Barton, I'd take him over both Fahnhorst and Wallace (and maybe Staley) but it's not a crime, Len Rohde is in this mix also
-Frankie Albert, see Brodie.
-Justin Smith, really a bizarre omission.
-Tittle, see the other QB left out.
-Michael Carter - Buckner was better at the top end but Carter had a better Niner career
-Norton, over Nunley for sure.
