San Francisco 49ers
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A Look at Vernon Davis the Playmaker
While most media pundits have spent their bulk of their time outlining the various physical characteristics that make Vernon Davis a blue chip prospect, very little attention has been paid to the on-field production, at the college level, that makes him worthy of being a top 10 pick. Obviously, that's easy to do, because as a member of the 5-6 Maryland Terrapins Davis did not have a lot of chances to shine in the national spotlight.
Well for the record, the San Francisco 49ers ' top draft pick posted four 100-yard performances last year, topping out at 158 yards and a touchdown on just five receptions during a 31-19 loss against West Virginia. Of course, it helps when one of your five grabs goes 73 yards to the house. He also torched ACC rivals Clemson, West Virginia, and NC State to the tune of 140, 139, and 108 yards respectively, grabbing a touchdown pass in each contest.
Davis' ypc average of 17.1was almost three yards better than the next best guy on the team, WR Danny Melendez. In addition, his touchdown total of six nearly equaled the total posted by the team's top three wide receivers. And don't think that this was a case of the receivers or quarterback not being good, because QB Sam Hollenbach and company were potent enough as a unit to rank 31st in the nation in passing yardage. It was more like Davis was just that much better than everyone else around him, and therefore became the focal point of the offense.
Pretty rare for a college tight end, but then again, how many tight ends do you know that get rushing attempts during a season (Davis recorded one carry for seven yards).
So while most will point to his outlandish 40 time or his legendary weightlifting sessions, it is his on-field performance at the college level that is perhaps the best indicator of what he will do at the pro level. Luckily for the San Francisco 49ers , Davis left little doubt as to his caliber of play during his time on the college gridiron.
49ers Pick Mules' Walker in 6th Round
Central Missouri State wide receiver and return specialist Delanie Walker is getting a shot at the NFL. Walker was selected by San Francisco in the sixth round (175th pick overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft Sunday.
The Pomona, Calif. native was named First Team All-MIAA after setting a Central Missouri State record with 61 receptions for 724 yards and six touchdowns in 2005. He ranked among the league leaders in receptions, receiving yards, all-purpose yards, and kickoff returns.
Walker also had 16 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown and returned three punts 47 yards for a team leading 1,257 all-purpose yards.
Walker became the first CMSU player to record 10 or more receptions in a game when he hauled in 12 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown at Southwest Baptist. Two weeks later, he had 10 receptions for 120 yards and a TD at Northwest Missouri State.
Walker ranks sixth in school history in receptions (109) and ninth in all-purpose yards (2,578).
The 49ers used their first of two sixth round picks to draft the 6-2, 241-pound Walker. While Walker is the only player from the Mules to be selected in this year's draft, he will join Mules' alumni Todd Devoe (WR, Denver Broncos) and Roderick Green (DE, Baltimore Ravens) in the NFL.
Walker is the second highest draft pick in CMSU history (Green, 5th round in 2003).
Niners Trade for Another First-Round Pick
The San Francisco 49ers now have two first-round picks in the NFL draft.
The Niners acquired the 22nd overall selection in the draft from the Denver Broncos on Wednesday for picks in the second round and third round.
The Broncos will receive the 37th and 68th overall picks in the deal.
The Niners own the sixth overall pick in the draft as well as No. 22 in the first round. The Jets are the only other team with two first-round picks in the April 29 draft.
The Broncos now own seven picks in the first four rounds. They have the 15th overall selection after moving up from 29th in a deal with Atlanta.
Denver had acquired the 22nd overall pick from Washington in a trade last April.
Greenway could be headed for San Francisco
Check that. Iowa Hawkeyes outside linebacker Chad Greenway is definitely headed for San Francisco.
Sort of.
The 6-3, 244 pound son of a South Dakota hog farmer with a huge heart and endless motor is scheduled to visit the San Francisco 49ers later this month. He is one of 20 or so NFL prospects that will be coming in to visit, but he is more or less the frontrunner to become the 49ers’ first round selection and the replacement for recently-departed All Pro Julian Peterson.
San Francisco would have liked to grab Ohio State standout A.J. Hawk, but it is becoming more and more likely that he will be gone by the time the 49ers make the sixth selection in this year’s NFL draft. That puts Greenway at the top of the list.
As a Hawkeye, Chad Greenway was impressive enough to become a Butkus award semifinalist in 2005. He is known for being athletic and aggressive, maybe even too aggressive at times, but has the size and speed (4.75 40-yard dash) to be a legitimate outside linebacker at the NFL level.
However, Greenway’s best attribute might be a virtually unparalleled competitive spirit. A spirit that made him go from an unheralded recruit to one of the best college linebackers in the nation and possibly the San Francisco 49ers next first round draft pick later this month.
49ers Win Coin Toss; Will Pick Sixth
Although the draft is approximately two months away, the 49ers have solidified their initial position in the upcoming event. Tied with Oakland for the sixth or seventh overall pick in the draft, the two teams faced off with a coin flip to determine the seeding Friday morning at the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. The old adage “tails never fails” rang true as Scot McCloughan successfully called the correct side of the coin which will enable the 49ers to pick sixth overall in the draft which will take place April 29-30, in New York City.
“It was just gut feeling I had.” McCloughan said on the successful call.
Other participants included Joel Bussert and Ken Fiore from the NFL and the Oakland Raiders Michael Lombardi. Fiore flipped the coin.
McCloughan said the victorious flip will definitely pay dividends for 49ers fans in the draft process.
“Winning the coin toss gives us a great opportunity to focus on getting the best possible player at any position to help our team.” McCloughan said. “It puts us one slot ahead of where we might have been and we can take a player we have our eye on.”
The successful coin flip not only has an impact in the first round, but its echoes will reverberate throughout the draft. San Francisco will get the fifth overall pick in the second round, fourth overall pick in the third round and third overall pick in the fourth round. In the fifth round, the 49ers will pick seventh overall, sixth overall in the sixth round and fifth overall in the seventh round barring trades.
Head Coach Mike Nolan recognizes the importance of the successful flip as well.
“This puts us in even a better light in the second and future rounds which is very important,” Nolan said. “It gives us a better spot to find more quality football players.”
Nolan quipped McCloughan has continued to show his worth in player evaluation and in other areas since he joined the team.
“Scot continues to show he has more talent every day,” Nolan joked. “He is more than just a personnel guy.”
49ers Release Three Players
The San Francisco 49ers announced that they have released cornerback Ahmed Plummer, wide receiver Johnnie Morton and defensive end Chris Cooper.
Plummer, a former first-round draft pick of the 49ers, played seven seasons in San Francisco. In 2001, Plummer enjoyed his best season with the 49ers, recording seven interceptions in 15 games. The 29-year-old only participated in nine games over the last two seasons due to injury.
Morton, acquired before last season, started in 10 of 13 games, catching 21 passes for 288 yards but didn't record a touchdown. Morton has spent 13 years in the NFL with Detroit, Kansas City and San Francisco.
Cooper, originally a sixth-round draft pick by the Raiders in 2001, spent last season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury suffered in training camp.
49ers Hire Lynn as Secondary Coach
The San Francisco 49ers hired Johnnie Lynn to help coach their defensive backs.
Lynn, who was secondary coach in San Francisco in 1996, will share the duties with Vance Joseph on coach Mike Nolan's staff. Lynn replaces A.J. Christoff, who was hired as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach by Stanford.
"When you obtain the services of quality NFL football people to your coaching staff it raises the performances of the people around you," Nolan said. "Johnnie is a solid NFL coach with a high energy level. He is extremely well respected around the league and I am excited to bring him on board. I know he feels we are headed in the right direction and is excited to help us improve this season."
Lynn spent the last two seasons coaching the secondary in Baltimore, including in 2004 when Nolan was the Ravens' defensive coordinator.
Lynn also spent seven seasons with the New York Giants, serving for five seasons (1997-01) as secondary coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
Lynn also was the secondary coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1994 and 1995.
He played eight seasons with the New York Jets, finishing with 17 career interceptions.
