Tag: 2021 rookies

Midseason grades for 49ers 2021 rookie class

Grading this #49ers rookie class through the first half of the year is kind of impossible, so we tweaked it a little.

The 49ers’ 2021 rookie class hasn’t contributed much as the team scuffled through the first half of its season. A 3-5 record falls well short of the expectations San Francisco had entering the year, but not a lot of the slow start can be attributed to anything this year’s draft class is doing on the field.

Part of the reason that group hasn’t contributed much to losing is because most of them haven’t been on the field enough to make an impact in any facet.

Of the 49ers’ eight draft picks – only one is a regular starter, and none of their first six selections see the field with any regularity. Because of the sporadic or minimal playing time, it’s hard to grade the picks through the first eight games.

We went through and issued grades less as a referendum on the player, and more as a way to assess how head coach Kyle Shanahan and the front office did in getting its roster ready to compete for a Super Bowl this year. That was their stated goal. It’s the reason Jimmy Garoppolo has been the starting quarterback since Week 1, and it’s the reason the lack of production from their rookie class has been so minimal.

Here are their grades based on what we know through eight games:

Rookie Rundown: QB Zach Wilson, BYU

Zach Wilson poised to be a top-3 draft pick

Start spreading the news.

Former BYU quarterback Zach Wilson may or may not be as good as Trevor Lawrence, but the consensus is that he’s a better draft pick than any other rookie this year. That means falling to the 1.02 pick by the New York Jets. That No. 3 spot varies greatly in projections and draft guesses but Wilson will be a Jet or the draft kicks off with a surprise.

As a true freshman, he started seven games and ended with a season-best 317 yards and four touchdowns against Western Michigan in the 2018 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where he was named as the game MVP.

As a sophomore, he started nine games and ended up in the 2019 Hawaii Bowl where he was against the game MVP.

As a junior, he enjoyed a stellar year when he passed for 3,692 yards and 33 touchdowns and ran in ten more scores on his 70 rushes for 254 yards.  He ended as the MVP if the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl. He also beat BYU alum Steve Young’s school record with a 73.5% completion rate.

Wilson recorded 15 touchdowns as a rusher at BYU, but they were almost all short scores and he only averaged 3.0 yards per rush. He’s not a running quarterback per se but can certainly rush in touchdowns in addition to throwing them.

Height: 6-3
Weight: 210 pounds
40 time: 4.84 seconds

His star was rising after his sophomore season, but his strong junior campaign rocketed him up the draft boards. He had been hampered by a torn labrum that was repaired between his first two seasons. A right-hand injury impacted his second year and it too required surgery. But his junior season was all healthy and served up what Wilson was capable of doing.

Zach Wilson BYU stats (2018-20)

Year Games Runs Yards TD Pass Complete Yards Avg. TD Int QBR
2018 9 75 221 2 182 120 1578 13.2 12 3 157.2
2019 9 67 167 3 319 199 2382 12.0 11 9 130.8
2020 12 70 254 10 336 247 3692 14.9 33 3 196.4

Pros

  • Accurate passer
  • Big arm
  • Rarely makes an error
  • Can make any throw
  • Poised in pocket, almost fearless
  • Confident and very competitive
  • Big arm that can has touch on deep tosses
  • Throws very catchable ball
  • Smart player that excels reading defenses
  • Enough mobility to avoid rush and buy time
  • Burst as a runner helps notch short rushing scores
  • Expected to continue to improve
  • Athletic

Cons

  • Only had one big year
  • Did not face top competition
  • Could use more weight
  • Some character concerns as too confident
  • Needs work on anticipation
  • injuries in high school and in college

Fantasy outlook

There is a chance that the Jets surprise with their 1.02 pick and select Justin Fields, but odds are heavily leaning to Wilson ending up in New York where there has never been a 4,000-yard passer since the league went to 16 games in 1978. On the plus, he gets that extra 17th game this year to break the curse.

Sam Darnold never experienced the level of success expected when the Jets grabbed him in 2018 with their 1.03 pick. Or the 2009 1.05 pick they used on Mark Sanchez. The Jets history of underwhelming at the quarterback spot is lengthy and uncomfortable.

There’s a new coaching staff with HC Robert Saleh and OC Mike LaFleur, so the rebuild begins centered around Wilson. The talent of receivers remains below average, but they are expected to mine the draft for wideouts. The 2021 outlook is low given the installation of new schemes, new coaches, new players and just being Year 1 of a rebuild. His dynasty value is much higher, but even then the history of the position points to marginal fantasy position for the Jets and Wilson is just the newest young gun trying to turn the franchise around.

Rookie Rundown: RB Kylin Hill, Mississippi State

Kylin Hill NFL-ready after a 2020 opt-out

Hill enters the draft with a unique recent past. He declared for the NFL draft in 2020 but then changed his mind and returned to Mississippi State where new head coach Mike Leach was installing a pass-heavy offense. Hill played for only three games. He set the school record with 15 catches versus Kentucky, and with 158 receiving yards against LSU. He then quit the team and declared for the NFL draft, having already proven his ability to rush the ball in 2019 and then catch in 2020.

He was the only SEC back that averaged more than 100 rushing yards in 2019 and was the only Mississippi State back to rush for more than 150 yards in four games in a season. Hill was the central focus of the offense when he took over as a junior in 2019.

Hill has to battle the after-effects of opting out since other NCAA backs that did play posted good years. He considered one of the best SEC backs after his fine 2019 campaign but his success isn’t as fresh as other backs in the draft. That may work to his disadvantage, but also could end up giving his new team a high-value pick later in the draft.

Height: 5-11
Weight:  210 pounds
40 time: 4.51 seconds

The ex-Bulldog did himself a great favor with those three games in 2020 since his role as a receiver wasn’t much in his first three seasons in a run-heavy attack. His versatility can appeal to a larger set of teams as they seek to fill position needs.

Kylin Hill Mississippi State stats (2017-20)

Year Games Runs Yards Avg. TD Catch Yards. TD Total Yards Total TDs
2017 13 78 393 5.0 2 4 38 0 431 2
2018 11 117 734 6.3 4 22 176 4 910 8
2019 13 242 1350 5.6 10 18 180 1 1530 11
2020 3 15 58 3.9 0 23 237 1 295 1

Pros

  • North-South rusher that always falls forward
  • Burst through the hole
  • Quick-footed inside runner
  • Solid pass protection picking up the blitz
  • Very capable receiver
  • Good body control and balance
  • Versatile back that can fit many needs

Cons

  • Lacks a top gear
  • Doesn’t make many defenders miss their tackle
  • Average in the open field, can get caught

Fantasy outlook

There’s no denying his impact at Mississippi State or his success in the SEC. Hill’s speed is adequate but he’s never been a breakaway threat. He’s expected to be a Day 3 selection but there’s always the chance that one team sees more in him and takes him in the third round.

He projects to be a part of a committee so his experience as a receiver looms large for his perceived value. It may have been odd to return for only three games as a senior, but his impressive showing as a receiver could net him work as a third-down back.  His best success has been as a north-south rusher but he’s only average in size and squeezing through an NFL-quality defensive line will prove a bigger challenge.

Hill has the talent to contribute on an NFL team and should work himself into a rotation eventually. In fantasy terms, he’s more of a draft-and-hold player in the hopes that he falls into an advantageous situation. He won’t be drafted to be a workhorse, but he should turn into a contributor.