San Francisco 49ers 2014 NFL Draft Grades

Posted By Chris Ransom

San Francisco 49ers: Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois Huskies

San Francisco 49ers Day 1 Draft Grade: (F) The 49ers passed on Ohio State corner Bradley Roby to draft a day 2 safety in Jimmie Ward. The 49ers’ secondary features an excellent safety tandem with 29-year-old strong safety Antoine Bethea leaving the Colts to go to San Francisco for 4 years. You also have Eric Reid a 2013 first-round pick. Basically, Ward will be a backup safety who won’t do squat until one of these safeties gets injured. The 49ers inability to draft a starting corner is the sole reason why this team has yet to win a Super Bowl.

San Francisco 49ers 2014 Day 2 Picks

Team	Round	Overall Pick	Player	Position	College
	Round 2	57th Overall Pick	Carlos Hyde	RB
	Round 3	70th Overall Pick	Marcus Martin	C
	Round 3	77th Overall Pick	Chris Borland	3-4 MLB
	Round 3	100th Overall Pick	Brandon Thomas	LG

San Francisco 49ers Day 2 Draft Grade: (A) San Francisco rebounded with a strong day 2 after a horrible day 1. Even though I had Bishop Sankey as my top-graded rusher, many NFL draft experts had Carlos Hyde being the top running back selected. San Francisco got a starting center in Marcus Martin. His former teammate and predecessor Khaled Holmes is the center for the Indianapolis Colts. Wisconsin middle linebacker Chris Borland had a late first-round grade. Getting him as a backup behind Pro Bowl middle linebacker Navarro Bowman, who is coming off an injury is awesome value. One could argue that the 49ers have the best 3-4 linebackers. Now you add depth to that position at inside linebacker.

Brandon Thomas has experience on the offensive line at offensive tackle or guard. Thomas can play on the left side or the right side of the offensive line. Unlike the other day 2 picks, Thomas is listed as a third-string left guard meaning he is not guaranteed a roster spot. San Francisco has depth at offensive tackle with Jonathan Martin as a backup left tackle and Al Netter as a backup right tackle. Adam Snyder is a solid backup right guard behind Alex Boone. Basically, Thomas will not make the 49ers’ roster unless he beats out former Wake Forest left guard Joe Looney.

San Francisco 49ers Day 3 Draft Picks Slideshow

San Francisco 49ers Day 3 Draft Grade: (C) Nobody that the 49ers took on day 3 is guaranteed a roster spot. That is how stacked San Francisco is. My dark horse to make the roster is seventh-round pick Kaleb Ramsey. Ramsey is a 6-foot-3 and 285-pound defensive tackle that will play 3-4 right end in the NFL. Justin Smith needs a successor, and Kaleb "Chef" Ramsey got a Masters Degree from Boston College after playing for Laurel Highlands HS in Uniontown, PA.

Outside of Ramsey, you got some good value picks with WR Bruce Ellington, DE/OLB Aaron Lynch, and FB Trey Millard. You got a safety in Johnson that is a nice guy, but garbage compared to 2013 N.C. State secondary studs David Amerosn and Earl Wolfe. Speaking of the 49ers’ secondary, the 49ers drafted two mediocre corners who will likely get cut in training camp.