Draft Picks

1 (17): Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon

2 (46): Jaquiski Tartt, SS, Samford

3 (79): Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia

4 (117): Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma

4 (126): Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina

4 (132): DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech

5 (165): Bradley Pinion, P, Clemson

6 (190): Ian Silberman, OG, Boston College

7 (244): Trenton Brown, OG, Florida

7 (254): Rory Anderson, TE, South Carolina

Best Pick: DeAndre Smelter

This pick certainly won't pay off right away. Smelter was impressing for most of the 2014 season for the Yellow Jackets, and then he tore his ACL. Football fans have become all too familiar with torn ACL's, Smelter will very likely miss most if not all of the 2015 season.

Smelter was extremely productive in what's typically an unfriendly offense for receivers. Over the course of almost two seasons, he hauled in 56 receptions for 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns. After spending high school and his early years in college playing baseball, the 6'3" monster committed to football two seasons ago. Smelter's a physical specimen who has no problem fighting for the ball with the bigger, stronger corners on the field.

San Francisco will ease Smelter along, making sure the ligaments in his knee fully recover and he can gain the explosiveness and burst back. At that point, they can work with Smelter on his route running, how to create separation from corners and let him build chemistry with Colin Kaepernick. Two years from now, he should be out on the field as a starting receiver for the 49ers.

Worst Pick: Bradley Pinion

I've tried to rationalize this pick, spending time thinking of ways the 49ers could argue that this was a good selection. It's just not possible – San Francisco took a punter in the fifth round, a draft that wasn't exactly lauded for its punters, he was the only kicker/punter selected in this year's draft. But it's not just that San Francisco drafted a punter with its fifth-round pick, they drafted a punter despite having Andy Lee on the roster.

Lee is entering his 12th season with the 49ers, the 32-year-old averaged 46 yards per punt and 39 percent of his punts landed inside the 20 last season. He has been an excellent punter for most of his career and 32 is still pretty young for a punter. So what are the 49ers going to do with a rookie punter?

I understand punters are people too, as the great Rich Eisen would point out. But spending a fifth-round pick on someone who will just compete with Lee and maybe replace Phil Dawson or just back up both spots, it's an odd decision. If you can rationalize it, let me know.

Impact Rookie: Minimal

San Francisco will not be a playoff team in 2015 – the new coaching staff and significant losses on defense will be a dramatic change. This is going to be an adjustment process and for fans whom have their expectations set for a rebound and to compete with the Seattle Seahawks, be prepared for disappointment.

But the future is bright in San Francisco and that's exactly why the front office focused on future contributors rather than more immediate, NFL-ready guys in the draft. It will take time for the coaching staff to take these blocks like Armstead, Tartt, Harold and Bell, but it will pay off. Multiple starters could emerge going into the 2016 season and if these rookies can really take big steps forward in their development, it will set up the 49ers for a big 2016 season and allow them to draft more immediate starters in next year's draft.

Final Grade: B-