1.) Danny Shelton NT 6'2 340lbs
With his thick frame and powerful upper body, Shelton has moments where he can dominate at the point of attack. He was forced to chase sideline to sideline due to the nature of Pac-12 offenses, but when he faced downhill competition like Stanford, he stepped up. Shelton is an above average interior pass rusher for a man his size thanks to his surprising athleticism. He is a fit in a two-gap scheme and could benefit from playing fewer snaps than he was forced to play at Washington.
2.) Denzel Perryman ILB 5'11 236lbs
Lacks desirable height but has the look of a prototypical inside 'backer with a stout, thick frame. Instinctive and tough. Showed improved closing speed and explosiveness as a tackler in 2014. Strong, active hands, agile feet and good use of leverage free him from blocks. Good burst and lower-body flexibility. Picks up routes quickly. Smooth hips to hitch himself to a crossing route and maintain stride-for-stride coverage on slot receivers. Durable. Voted team captain.
3.) Ifo Ekpre-Olomu CB 5'9 192lbs
Ekpre-Olomu's height and knee issue are likely to take him off the board as a first-round prospect for many defenses. However, what he lacks in measurables, he makes up for with production, natural ability and confidence. He might lack the size teams want from an outside cornerback, but he's more than capable of playing in the slot and playing press, off or zone effectively. Unfortunately for Ekpre-Olomu, the knee injury could hurt his draft stock.
4.) David Cobb RB 5'11 230lbs
Cobb's YouTube highlights might bore you, but he's custom-made for physical running teams. He has one-cut traits and can play in a gap scheme. Adjusting his style to the speed of the NFL game might take some time, but Cobb's downhill, run-finishing style fits what running games are becoming again and he has a shot to be more than just a complementary back.
Comp Pick.) Donovan Smith OT 6'6 338
NFL scouts can check quite a few boxes when watching the Penn State tackle. Smith has the size, foot quickness and the high competitive nature that translates well to the next level. Smith slides smoothly to his left, maintaining the arc with good knee bend in pass protection. He flashes violent hands to control defenders and generally keeps his feet shuffling laterally to mirror. He's quick to the second level and understands blocking angles, using his massive frame to legally get in the way of pursuing defenders without grasping on and drawing the flag. Smith is cognizant against the blitz, peeling off of his initial assignment, if needed, to get a quick shove on surprise rushers. Big and athletic enough to move to any of the other exterior positions, giving his future OL coach a lot of flexibility if Smith isn't able to handle NFL speed off the edge.
5.) Ladarius Gunter CB 6'1 202
Has the desired size, length and playmaking qualities to be a starting cornerback but his perceived lack of play speed and inconsistency in man coverage could cause teams to peg him as a zone corner, which might drop him by a round.
6.) Kyle Emanuel OLB 6'3 255
Small-school prospects often come with inflated statistics, but Emanuel's tape shows a combination of motor and skill that should be respected inside NFL buildings once he's studied closely. Emanuel has the leverage and hips to get under tackles and turn the corner, but his explosion off the snap will be tested. With his foot quickness and surprising lateral agility, there might be defensive coordinators willing to give him a shot as a 4-3 SAM linebacker.
Comp Pick) Aaron Ripkowksi FB 6'1 257lbs
Old-school blocking back who will have a hit or two each game that wows the crowd and gets his teammates fired up. He often charges in head-first and with a lowered head, so his success rate can vary greatly from game to game. Lack of pass-catching background hurts his chances.
53-man roster:
QB:
Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert
OL:
Joe Staley, Brandon Thomas, Daniel Kilgore, Alex Boone, Anthony Davis, Marcus Martin, Donovan Smith
WR:
Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington, Jerome Simpson/Trindon Holliday
RB:
Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush, Kendall Hunter, David Cobb
FB:
Trey Millard, Aaaron Ripkowski
TE:
Vernon Davis, Vance MacDonald, Derek Carrier, Garrett Celek
DL: J
ustin Smith*, Darnell Dockett, Danny Shelton, Tank Carradine, Tony Jerod Eddie, Quinton Dial, Ian Williams, Glenn Dorsey
LB:
Navorro Bowman, Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks,
Denzel Perryman, Aaron Lynch, Michael Wilhoite, Kyle Emmanuel
CB:
Tramaine Brock, Dontae Johnson, Keith Reaser, Kenneth Acker, Ladarius Gunter, Chris Cook
S:
Eric Reid, Antoine Bethea, Jimmie Ward, LJ McCray,
Craig Dahl Dashon Goldson
K: Big Money Phil Dawson
P: Andy Lee
LS: Kyle Nelson
IR: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
starters in
bold
* pending retirement
if they're missing they either got released or traded.
