The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the 49ers are out of the fray with nine new players to offer.
Without any first or second round draft picks, San Francisco has selected a group of players who add depth in the positions, some of whom may fight for starting positions this coming season and third-round kicker to replace veteran Robbie Gould.
The 49ers’ first selection came in the third round, where they selected Penn State safety Ji’Ayir Brown No. 87 overall after trading No. 102, 164 (fifth round) and No. 222 (seventh round) to the Minnesota Vikings to go even in the draft.
Here is a complete list of San Francisco’s nine draft picks:
It’s only been two days since the end of the draft on Saturday, but it’s never too early to consider how the 49ers’ draft picks will rank. Here are the scores San Francisco has received from NFL draft experts widely:
Grade (Faculty): B-
What a strange class we must try to appreciate. The 49ers entered day one with 11 total picks – but zero in Rounds 1 or 2. Trades by Tre Lance and Christian McCaffrey have exhausted their capital. Rookies with immediate impact can come from Any round, of course, but it takes a lot to ensure any of these guys play early and often (and who knows, they might have found their next Brock Purdy here somewhere).
However, I like a bunch of these picks, with the exception of kicker Jake Moody (99) in the third round. I realize it’s a need, but it’s too early, and I wasn’t even the best player in the class. . I catch second-rate safety Ji’Ayir Brown (87), so I admire his potential. Tight end Cameron Lato (101) has an upside, and will learn the ropes from George Kettle. Linebacker Dee Winters (216) went to about 60 picks after I thought he would. Brayden Willis (247) will make an impact as a rookie special team player.
The biggest problem with this chapter is: Where is the offensive tackle? With Mike McGlinchey gone, will Colton McEvitz really be the right starter? This is wrong based on the initial draft needs list.”
Grade (Faculty): B-
Day 1 Grade: C+
Day 2 Grade: B-
Third day Grade: B +
The Niners had no first or second round picks after making trades for Trey Lance (still waiting to see if that pays off) and Christian McCaffrey (so far, so good). In the third round, they moved up for instinctive safety That they needed in the Browns, they bucked conventional wisdom by grabbing the craved pitcher in Moody and got a little short on Latu, a solid tight end.
Luter is a ferocious linebacker who will step in for the Niners as a starter, while Beal will likely support the veterans on the edge. I love Winters and Graham at fullback, while Bell plays receiver with a solid linebacker-type.”
Grade (Faculty): C-
Day 2: Brown was an all-in safety for the Nittany Lions. He transitioned seamlessly from deep safety to penalty area to slot to outside linebacker for A-gap steals, executing every turn at a high level. Brown’s ball skills, in particular, jump from On screen, he has had 10 interceptions over the past two seasons.
Moody has produced field goal scores for PFF at 90.2 and 91.7 each of the past two seasons, so the idea that he’s the first player drafted makes sense. But the third round is rich for any player in this category.
Latu comes off a season in which he produced a receiving score of 60.6 PFF, a run blocking score of 50.0, and a career low of 1.03 yards per tackle. He has the scale teams are looking for in this position, but production just isn’t there in 2022.
Day 3: Luter has the attributes to work with on the outside with an above-average length, decent straight-line speed and explosive dynamism. He took a step back in 2022 from a production standpoint after allowing only a 27% completion rate and a 3.9 passer rating in 2021.
Bell’s numbers from his last season in college aren’t going to blow anyone away. He produced a 67.8 PFF grade, won 14.1% of his rushing pass attempts and made tackles resulting in defensive stops on only 6.7% of his rushing defense’s shots. Special teams will likely be his best way to see the field.
Winters has played 670 or more snaps in each of the past three seasons but hasn’t produced a PFF grade of 55.0 or higher since the 2020 season. He lost 16.0% of the tackles attempted this past season.
Willis played H-back at Oklahoma which allowed him to excel as a blocker, earning scores above 80 in both run blocking and pass protection.
Bell averaged 2.57 yards per touchdown his final season in college. He struggled in contested catch situations, only getting 16.7% of his contested targets, but earned a score of 77.4 PFF. “
Grade (Faculty): C+
The 49ers haven’t had first- and second-round picks this year and have made nine picks overall. Penn State’s Geyer Brown must compete for time at the secondary and tight end Cameron Lato adds another passing quarterback to San Francisco’s talented offense . . . as Robbie Gold is so expensive to bring back free agency, Michigan kicker Jake Moody’s selection has raised eyebrows. San Francisco’s third-round kicker selection is the highest recorded in the draft since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Roberto Aguayo in the second round of the 2016 draft.”
Grade (Faculty): C-
“The best choice: Sixth round pick Dee Winters is a perfect 49ers linebacker. He can run and hit and knows how to find a soccer ball. This converted safety would be a good special teams player learning behind the 49ers’ linebacker pack.
Worst choice: Taking kicker Jake Moody in the third round is way too high. I hate that. Kickers come and go, so why not just bring two to camp and let them battle it out? Haven’t you learned the difference yet from drafting kickers?
My flesh: They did not have a first or second round selection due to a trade until Trey Lance’s draft two years ago and the trade to acquire Christian McCaffrey last year. I think one of two is not bad. They have three third-round picks and have used them in a variety of locations. Third round safety Ji’Air Brown is a big hitter. I didn’t like this draft.”
Grade (Faculty): C+
They didn’t pick before the third round because of trades that brought in QB Trey Lance (bad) and one for RB Christian McCaffrey (good), although it’s clear that neither move has yet brought Lombardy’s long-awaited sixth trophy. Ji’Ayir Brown (safety) and Jake Moody (kicker) are important cogs for a mostly loaded team, and spending a stellar pick to replace free agent Robbie Gould isn’t all that crazy.”
Grade (Faculty): B-
The 49ers’ capital draft didn’t start until the third round, so this score reflects that. Brown and Moody give them immediate impact as competitors, as Browns can start from Tashaun Gipson Sr. next to Talanoa Hufanga and Moody is a bigger leg and needs a youthful upgrade On Ruby Gold”.
Related: The 49ers “would love” to add a fourth QB but there’s no rush to do so
Degree (Faculty): F
“The 49ers didn’t pick until the 87th because of trades, but they’ve been busy from there due to their league-high seven compensatory picks. Moody was the first player to strike in the first three innings since 2016.”
Grade (Faculty): C+
San Francisco got right with Talanoa Hofanga two years ago in the fifth round. Brown possesses similar traits to Hofanga as a physical playmaker with solid ball skills. With a stacked roster, the 49ers had the flexibility to get Moody, the best kicker in the draft. Moody could become A reliable player in the NFL, but it’s dangerous to expect a rookie to run the winning kicks for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. The 49ers added to their talented defense with Luter and Beal.”
Grade (Faculty): C-
The 49ers had no first and second runs this year (and were short in the third and fourth) thanks to previous deals for Tre Lance and Christian McCaffrey, so they had little capital to work with. But San Francisco ended up picking nine players; it was my favorite. He is the third round pick for Penn State safety Ji’Ayir Brown The former Nittany Lions star is a hard-hitting playmaker with excellent instincts – and gives the 49ers some excellent depth behind Talanoa Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson The rest of the GM draft class John Lynch lacked Star power, though — and they included a third-round kicker — so it’s hard to give the Niners a big score this year.”
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