Eric Reid
Eric Reid is projected to start at free safety after the Niners moved up to draft him. He has been making steady progress in the OTAs. A competitor who plays with confidence, he is an active and instinctive playmaker who is always around the ball. He gets downhill quickly on run support and reacts well in space. A smooth athlete, he closes quickly on the ball. Cornellius “Tank” Carradine may be the future heir apparent to aging warrior Justin Smith. There are several similarities between the two including a relentless non-stop motor. Tank was the team’s leading tackler before suffering an ACL injury to his right knee. An explosive player with good instincts, he plays every down hard with good stamina and discipline. He has long arms and big hands. A big man, he can run and pursue. Vance McDonald was one of the rookie stars during OTAs, majoring in catching off target passes. He was used as a wide receiver at Rice. His blocking prowess must wait until training camp to be seen. In college he could stun a defender with a punch at times and was effective in space. He is a physical ball carrier after catch who can break tackles. Corey Lemonier will add depth behind Adam Smith. An athletic pass rushing talent, he has long arms and big hands. He has an explosive first step and closes down quickly with good agility in traffic. He has pro physical skills. Quinton Patton spent the spring learning NFL receiving nuances. A talented and productive pass catcher, he works well back to the ball. He is quick in and out of his breaks. Patton creates separation and has good body control to make the tough catch. He plays with confidence and should be in the mix as one of six receivers vying for five spots. Marcus Lattimore will spend 2013 rehabbing his knee and be ready for the 2014 season. As a healthy SEC running back, he was as good as there was in the country. The 49ers hope lightning strikes twice like Frank Gore’s knee recoveries. Quinton Dial has not practiced this spring due to surgery on his left big toe for torn cartilage in January 2013. He will probably not be ready when training camp opens. Dial has good size and length to anchor at nose tackle. Nick Moody makes no bones about it, he wants to contribute on special teams’ coverage where he excelled at Florida State. He will have his competition cut out for him as he is setting fourth on the depth chart at outside linebacker. BJ Daniels is a developmental quarterback who ran the zone read at South Florida. He is a good athlete with an inconsistent skill set. Carter Bykowski is an angular wall off position blocker with long arms. He is a smart and tough competitor who is a developmental project. Marcus Cooper is a developmental corner/ safety combination who will need to stand out on special teams to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. GRADE: VERY GOOD.
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