Rating the WR options in the 2012 NFL Draft

So after assessing the free agent landscape for a top-tier wide-receiver I'm going to delve into the 49ers options in the draft at the position. Since I'm not claiming to be a college scout I'm using Pro Football Weekly as my reference for looking at the 49ers options in this year's draft. I've only used one primary attribute to eliminate a lot of potential WR candidates the 49ers could draft and that is height. Height can not be taught nor can it be coaxed out of an underachieving talent. I'm using it as my litmus test for finding that explosive red-zone target the Niners desperately need in order to not only make it to the 'Big Game' in 2013, but to win it as well. I took the top 15 prospects ranked from tallest to shortest and will touch on some of the WR's that I like based on certain criteria. Many mock drafts have the 49ers taking Ashlon Jeffery (if he falls to pick #30 in the 1st round) or Mohamed Sanu. I just don't see the Ashlon Jeffery pick working out. Some vibe that he is a selfish me-first type of person just doesn't seem to fit the blue collar mentality Harbaugh has going. Add in the fact that Jeffery only runs a 4.60 estimated 40 yard dash doesn't exactly stretch the field for big plays. He would be a possession receiver much in the same mold as Keyshawn Johnson and I make this reference very literally. Selfish, big, and slow.

The players I would most like to see the 49ers go after with 2nd to 5th round picks would be in order of possible draft selection.

1) Rueben Randle (projected 1st round): who I haven't seen on any mock drafts yet. Randle played for LSU, so he faced big time competition in the SEC and in the BCS. He's 6'4" 205lbs which is solid and runs a quick 4.40 40 yard dash. He's 1st round talent that we could take with the 30th overall selection in the round. Again, I haven't seen him on any mock drafts for the 1st round yet. Most of the players I've seen in the mocks have Justin Blackmon, Malcolm Floyd, Mohamed Sanu, Kendall Wright & Ashlon Jefferey. Given that Blackmon, Floyd, and Wright are all going to be selected before the 49ers pick I won't really give them much consideration. If the 49ers take a WR at the #30 spot, it could be Randle, and not Jeffery or Sanu who are either slower or shorter than he is. Additionally neither faced the kind of competition that Randle did in college. Not that where you play ball before you show up in the NFL is ever the pre-requisite for success it simply is a barometer for possible success given the level of talent one is facing every Saturday. Jerry Rice is a perfect example of a small school player with talent. However, I digress and to drive home my point, Randle would be the most battle tested and ready made prospect the 49ers could hope for at the #30 spot IF they take a WR. Although his numbers are lower than Sanu; which is why Sanu is probably projected higher in the mocks, he caught 53 balls for 917 yards and most importantly 8 scores. I'm putting more emphasis on level of competition and scoring ability. I think even here, Randle is a reach and the 49ers should trade this pick and get more draft choices.

2) Mohamed Sanu (projected 2nd round): I honestly do like Sanu even though he's only 6'2", but I just don't think he slips to #30 in the 2nd round. Rutgers has been winning, hence Greg Schiano landing a NFL head coaching gig, and Sanu put up great numbers despite not having a great QB. He had 1200 yards on 115 receptions along with 7 TD's. These numbers are better than any 49er since Owens in the early 2000's. He would be an excellent addition to the team if we trade up in the 2nd or take him with the 1st round pick. Like it or not the stats look amazing, but the Big East isn't as competitive as the SEC and you can't coach height. I know Al Davis had a penchant for speed, well mine is height. If we already had a tall WR I would choose Sanu in the 1st, but we need a big red-zone target, which Sanu does not give you. Our offense will never give Sanu the opportunity to put up the kind of numbers he did at Rutgers. If Sanu somehow miraculously lasts a little ways into the 2nd the 49ers need to trade up and get him...if they didn't trade back from round 1, which would be ideal. There is a really good profile on Sanu here that you should read. Based on that read we probably need to take Sanu with the 30th pick or hopefully gain some leverage and trade back, pick up a few additional draft choices and still get Sanu at the top of the 2nd round. He's just too good to pass up, but if we can pull a Bill Walsh-esque move then we benefit two-fold. The only problem with all of this logic is that the Rams are at the top of the 2nd and desperately need WR help if they don't take Blackmon in the 1st. Behind them are the Vikings and Browns who are in the exact same boat. My guess is that the 49ers will probably forego drafting a WR this high and elect to find a gem in the 3rd through 5th rounds.

3) Marvin McNutt (projected 3rd round): A potential possession WR in the NFL McNutt has the less than ideal size being in the 6'2" range and as I already mentioned with Sanu, the 49ers desperately need help in the skyscraper department at this position. BleacherReport did a nice piece on McNutt here and made mention of his lack of top end speed. However, given his detriments in speed and height he is the model citizen when it comes to consistency and progression which is what coaches love seeing from a player. Given a full off-season program and the ability to focus in and hone his craft McNutt could be a very serviceable WR in the NFL. As mentioned in the article he is consistently able to beat press coverage which is something the 49ers need from their WR's on 3rd down and in the red-zone. His 12 TD's this past year is definitely a positive and could be a solid pick in the 3rd round. Not to make a gross generalization, but it seems the mid-west boys out of the Big Ten just have high work ethics. I think McNutt could be a steal in the 3rd round and something the 49ers offense could rely on in crucial situations.

4) Tommy Streeter (projected 3rd - 4th round): I chose Streeter over  Hill because Streeter had more receptions (46) and touchdowns (8) than Hill (28 & 5). However, Hill had 820 yards on only 28 receptions. You could argue hill has the bigger play ability and didn't have a strong enough offense to help the rest of his numbers; however, if you break up the TD's per reception ratio it's identical and I'd prefer a WR that has more stats to back up taking a guy in the 3rd round. Making a gut call for the 3rd round selections, clearly McNutt is the safer choice.

5) Brian Quick: (Sleeper pick in the 4th round) I just read this great piece by Eric Branch and because of that wonderful bit of knowledge about Walsh I now have a draft crush in Brian Quick. He's almost 6'4" so he meets the eyeball test in the height department. In my opinion he could be this year's Marques Colston/Jerry Rice/small school guy that produces big in the NFL. Just watch the video and read the profile on him at the BleacherReport link I supplied above and you'll see why the 49ers need to sit tight and take Brian Quick in the 3rd or 4th round.

I obviously did not profile all of the potential WR's above 6'2", but let me know if you have any comments about one of the WR's I did not high-light that you feel would fit in with the 49ers.