LOL, should we grade the 2011 draft now?
Funny thing on looking at 2011 and the previous draft before it. The only constant here is Trent Baalke, at least physically. What I'm finding interesting are the Head Coaches, their respective personalities, the players drafted in those respective years each, their personalities that resonate with the Head Coach that leads to both a signature draft each with true studs, and a couple of other strong players on the current roster:
2010 draft - Head Coach: Mike Singletary
2010 1 11
Anthony Davis T 2013 0 0 4 29 64
Rutgers 2010 1 17
Mike Iupati G 2013 1 2 4 35 60
Idaho 2010 2 49
Taylor Mays DB 2013 0 0 0 7 50
USC 2010 3 91
NaVorro Bowman LB 2013 3 2 3 50 64 3 9.0
Penn St. 2010 6 173
Anthony Dixon RB 2013 0 0 0 4 64 148 458 8 9 47 0
Mississippi St. 2010 6 182
Nate Byham TE 2013 0 0 1 0 29 11 83 1
Pittsburgh 2010 6 206
Kyle Williams WR 2013 0 0 1 7 39 8 76 0 47 574 4
Arizona St. 2010 7 224
Phillip Adams DB 2013 0 0 0 7 53 3
South Carolina St.
It's very apparent now, even though I've said this all along, that this draft is Mike Singletary's, not Trent Baalke's. Why? All Singletary wanted to do in the offense was run the ball, and on defense, defend the run. He was asked if they would consider drafting a QB. He didn't think they would. They didn't, and thus Taylor Mays.
Key players here are obviously Davis, Iupati, and Bowman.
This is huge, because these are fresh key blocks on top of what was already built. Smash mouth on either side, with Dixon adding even more size. Singletary wanted more smash mouth. The players mentioned reflect that.
Outside of an Anthony Davis tweet, not much noise in the media about them that's bad.
2011 draft - Head coach: Jim Harbaugh
2011 1 7
Aldon Smith DE 2013 1 1 2 22 43 1 42.0
Missouri 2011 2 36
Colin Kaepernick QB 2013 0 0 1 24 32 382 639 5046 31 11 157 937 9
Nevada-Reno 2011 3 80
Chris Culliver DB 2013 0 0 0 4 32 3
South Carolina 2011 4 115
Kendall Hunter RB 2013 0 0 0 11 43 0 0 0 0 0 262 1202 7 27 268 0
Oklahoma St. 2011 5 163
Daniel Kilgore OL 2013 0 0 0 1 33
Appalachian St. 2011 6 182
Ronald Johnson WR 2012 0 0 0 0 0
USC 2011 6 190
Colin Jones DB 2013 0 0 0 3 44
TCU 2011 7 211
Bruce Miller DL 2013 0 0 2 5 45 16 39 0 48 410 1
Central Florida 2011 7 239
Michael Person OL 0 0 0
Montana St. 2011 7 250
Curtis Holcomb DB 2012 0 0 0 0 0
Florida A&M
Trent Baalke was Exec of the Year because of this draft.
So far:
Aldon Smith - probably not going to be with the 49ers in 2014, or at least play. What do you call this? A bust? A HUGE bust? Not because he can't play. It's rather how bad his behavior reflects on Baalke and the FO. Someone has to own up to Smith eventually. But what is he more a reflection of? The GM? Or the HC?
Colin Kaepernick - Ok, this is Harbaugh's guy all along. Until Harbaugh finds another guy. Even then, Harbaugh might bring in a Vet that's more his guy just because he's Harbaugh. I mean, he told everybody Alex Smith was his guy. But he's Harbaugh. Who better else reflects Harbaugh than Kaepernick?
Chris Culliver - Still not an answer. Even more now a question mark. Obviously has issues that again reflects both in the past and present poorly on the 49ers. Plus he was torched in the Super Bowl. After creating controversy.
All three have been in the news with bad press over the past few weeks. Kilgore also earlier with a drunken incident. Hunter is likely gone, and the only player that is proving a nice one is Bruce Miller, but that's more on Harbaugh's staff.
Again, the only physical constant is Baalke, I mean outside of Tomsula and the equipment manager and such.
So here is two different head coaches, two drafts in consecutive years, with the same NFL franchise that includes the same owners, stadium, Jed York and Paraag Marathe, and Trent Baalke.
Your thoughts?
ETA: sorry for the draft format. I will try to fix that.