The last in a series of articles taking a look at Scot McCloughan’s drafts in San Francisco. Though he had a big say in other drafts with other teams (and was instrumental in picking players such as Seattle’s Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson), he was the man in charge with the 49ers. Wednesday’s look: his 2009 draft.
This draft, like the one the previous year, did not help the 49ers a whole lot – and some players fared better elsewhere. They also did not have a pick in the second or fourth round, so five of their seven choices were made in the fifth round or later. That’s a tough way to go – even tougher when you whiff on the third-rounder.
WR Michael Crabtree, first round: The former 10th overall pick has 347 career catches and 26 touchdowns. That’s not great, but it’s also not bad. Crabtree did have outstanding seasons in 2011 and ’12. The latter year was particularly good: 85 catches, 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. But he also never has made a Pro Bowl and has just one 1,000-yard season. He missed most of 2013 with an Achilles’ tendon injury suffered in the spring.
Hit or miss: More hit than miss, but he hasn’t been a great player. However, he has been productive on good teams.
RB Glen Coffee, third round: It wasn’t so much that he couldn’t play – he was a backup to Frank Gore as a rookie (rushing 83 times for 226 yards). It was that Coffee admitted his heart wasn’t into football. So, a year later, he retired and eventually completed Airborne School at Fort Benning with the ultimate goal of being part of the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Hit or miss: Huge miss. Can’t blame a guy for wanting to do what Coffee is doing, but the bottom line is they got nothing out of this pick.
LB Scott McKillop, fifth round: He played inside in the Niners’ 3- 4 front but never made much of an impact. He tore his left ACL and patellar tendon in August 2010, causing him to miss the season. He was released a year later and then cut by Buffalo in 2012. McKillop appeared in 16 games as a rookie on special teams. He never played in another game.
Hit or miss: Miss.
QB Nate Davis, fifth round: Davis spent parts of two seasons with San Francisco, but he was never on the active roster. He was later with Seattle and Indianapolis but never made the roster. Davis now plays for the Amarillo Venom in the Champions Indoor League. By accounts, Davis was a talented guy without the matching desire to grind and succeed.
Hit or miss: Miss.
TE Bear Pascoe, sixth round: He spent one year in San Francisco on the practice squad before being cut a year later. However, his career wasn’t done, and he has gone on to a productive career. Pascoe played five seasons in New York, becoming a full-time player in 2010, and he played with Atlanta this past season. He has started 34 career games but has been mostly a blocker with 40 career receptions and two touchdowns.
Hit or miss: Hit. The Niners missed on him, but others did not and for a guy in the sixth round to play at least six seasons in the NFL is pretty good. He’ll be a free agent this offseason.
DB Curtis Taylor, seventh round: He appeared in 13 games over three years, including 12 with San Francisco in 2009 and ’10. He was on the 49ers’ practice squad in 2012 and played in one game with Arizona in 2013. He hasn’t played since.
Hit or miss: Miss.
DT Ricky Jean Francois, seventh round: He played four years with the 49ers, appearing in 51 games with five starts. But he has become a full-time starter in two years with Indianapolis (23 starts in 26 games at defensive end).
Hit or miss: Hit. He’s a former seventh-round pick who’s now a full-time starter for a team playing in the AFC championship game. Not bad. Maybe he wasn’t a big hit with the Niners, but he’s still going.