Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Saturday, April 30th, 2022
49ers select USC edge rusher Drake Jackson with 61st overall pick
“This is right about the range where Jackson was predicted to go by most mocks, with some suggesting he could have made it into the first round. Most graded him as a second-round pick. Everyone shared that sentiment, discernibly, except his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who fed this to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.”
NFL Draft 2022: What USC edge Drake Jackson brings to the San Francisco 49ers (paywall)
“He reminds me a lot of Cam Jordan, who I coached at Cal,” former USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast told reporters back in April 2019. “Leonard Williams, who we had here. He’s a very similar athlete to those guys at that age.”
49ers make surprise move, select LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price with 93rd overall pick
“Davis-Price ran for 1,004 yards and 6 touchdowns in his last season at LSU and tested extremely well speed wise. His 1.53 second 10-yard split in his 4.48-second 40-yard dash ranks in 93.6th percentile among running backs. That split is often viewed as a fair physical indicator of success in an outside zone system.”
Transcripts: Drake Jackson, Tyrion Davis-Price, Danny Gray discuss being drafted by the 49ers
“The San Francisco 49ers’ three selections from day two of the 2022 NFL Draft spoke with reporters after each pick was made. Here is everything they had to say.”
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch discuss Day 2 of the 49ers’ draft
“San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch spoke with reporters following Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft. Here is everything they had to say.”
49ers draft Tyrion Davis-Price: The goal is for strength in numbers at running back (paywall)
“The 49ers’ recent focus on backfield physicality, beyond just the standard burst needed for Shanahan’s outside-zone attack, might be seen as a prelude to Trey Lance’s expected takeover as starting QB. Shanahan likely wants some inside-zone adaptability from his backs to pair with read-option runs from the quarterback. Those might become a bigger part of the offense with Lance behind center.”
“Davis-Price’s early season tape was listless and lacking pro quality, but that changed over the second half of the year,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s an enigmatic back featuring urgency, indecisiveness, physicality and finesse on any given carry. He got much better as the season progressed and clearly finds a rhythm when given volume carries. Scouts say that staying motivated will be a major factor in future success.”
San Francisco 49ers NFL draft picks 2022: Analysis for every selection
“The Niners have six more selections to make on Saturday and still have pressing needs on the offensive line and safety with additional help at tight end also appealing. San Francisco doesn’t have room on the roster for nine rookies, so don’t be surprised if it looks to do some trading up on the draft’s final day.”
49ers draft Drake Jackson: The hope is he’s a worthy bookend to Nick Bosa (paywall)
“Jackson doesn’t have quite the burst off the snap that Ford or some other pass rushers in this draft had. But he has excellent bend and balance and uses long strides — and long, 34-inch arms — to get to the quarterback quickly.”
49ers draft Danny Gray: The hope is he takes advantage of Trey Lance’s big arm (paywall)
“The difference between Gray and some other track stars-turned-football players is that putting on shoulder pads and battling defenders doesn’t seem to impact his speed. He’s particularly good at tracking deep balls over his shoulder — he doesn’t break stride or noticeably slow down as the ball is arriving.”
49ers select speedy SMU receiver Danny Gray to close out Day 2
“If there is one thing Gray is known for at this point, it’s speed. He’s a fairly diminuitive receiver at 5’11”, 186 pounds, so he’ll likely need to gain weight, but he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash which puts him in the 99th percentile of all receivers.”
“Gray’s story is one of perseverance through circumstances that not every youngster is able to overcome. He grew up in a single-parent household where his mother had to work 16-hour days (or more) and was one of six siblings. He decided to skip most of his freshman year of high school in order to help take care of two of his younger siblings.”
John Lynch confident 49ers can repair relationship with Deebo Samuel
“We were convicted that Deebo is a tremendous fit for this team,” general manager John Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area. “… We listened, but nothing moved us. It was going to take something spectacular because I think he’s a spectacular player. I know he is. We’ve seen that.”
NFL insider says 49ers seek a second-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo
“It would likely cost a second-round draft pick to acquire Garoppolo, per a league source,” Pauline added. “The 49ers may wait until training camp or even the regular season to move Garoppolo, hedging their bets, one source predicted.”
Report: Texans likely to explore adding 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo; Panthers remain an option
“[The Panthers] could try out Mayfield or Garoppolo for a season before potentially shifting focus on Bryce Young or another 2023 draft prospect,” wrote Howe. “Mayfield and Garoppolo may not turn the Panthers into contenders but they’d be an upgrade, and they’d also give head coach Matt Rhule a better opportunity to prove himself after a couple of rocky seasons.”
“But with Darnold’s $18.58 million in fully-guaranteed money still on the books and another quarterback in Corral now on the roster, San Francisco’s ship for a Garoppolo trade to the Panthers appears to have sailed.”
“Less than a year ago, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had projected that Jackson would be picked at No. 7 in this 2022 draft. But USC suffered through a disappointing year on the field, firing head coach Clay Helton midway through. The outgoing coaching staff had asked Jackson to play linebacker, which meant his playing weight dropped to less than 250 pounds during an injury-hampered junior season.”