44° P/CLOUDY, 49ers give offense a lot of attention
Last Modified: Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 7:25 p.m.
SANTA CLARA – The 49ers gave their 23rd-ranked offense a lot of attention Saturday and Sunday during the NFL draft.
The vision: Coffee is a powerful runner who has the ability to put on another 10 pounds and become an answer in short-yardage situations. The 49ers would like Coffee to work into a role of prominence to give Frank Gore the occasional breather.
Quotebook: “I watched a lot of (Gore) when he got into the league and I knew a little bit about him in college. I know he’s a great back and he can do a lot of things. I’m glad to be able to practice with him and play with him” – Coffee.
SCOTT McKILLOP Fifth round; No. 146 overall. Position: Inside linebacker. College: Pittsburgh. Hometown: Export, Pa. Ht: 6-1; Wt: 245.
The vision: McKillop, the Big East defensive player of the year, should be a solid inside linebacker who will be an immediate contributor on special teams. McKillop will compete with veteran Jeff Ulbrich to serve as backup to Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes.
Quotebook: “I kind of play like I have a chip on my shoulder. Everyone is always doubting me. All it takes is one person to make one comment about me and I’m just going to work harder and try to prove people wrong” – McKillop said.
NATE DAVIS Fifth round; No. 171 overall Position: Quarterback. College: Ball State. Hometown: Bellaire, Ohio. Ht: 6-2; Wt: 217.
The vision: Davis is a gifted quarterback whom the team can take the time to develop. He is the No. 4 quarterback on the roster behind Shaun Hill, Alex Smith and Damon Huard. There will be no urgency to get him onto the field.
Quotebook: “Personally I don’t think there’s really anything different. I think the big difference is he (Matthew Stafford) went to Georgia and I went to Ball State. (Mark) Sanchez went to USC, I went to Ball State. It’s a bigger school and unfortunately they had better competition but it all worked out” – Davis, comparing himself to the top two quarterbacks selected.
BEAR PASCOE Sixth round; No. 184 overall. Position: Tight end. College: Fresno State. Hometown: Porterville. Ht: 6-5; Wt: 255.
The vision: Pascoe is a tough, rugged inline blocker who should immediately take over for blocking specialist Billy Bajema, who signed with the St. Louis Rams as a free agent. Unlike Bajema, Pascoe can also be used in the passing game.
Quotebook: “Football’s a rough sport. There’s going to be injuries, but you have to play through them, play through the pain and learn how to handle it. And that’s probably one of my best attributes, is I’ve got a very high pain tolerance” – Pascoe.
CURTIS TAYLOR Seventh round; No. 219 overall. Position: Free safety. College: LSU. Hometown: Bogalusa, La. Ht: 6-2; Wt: 211.
The vision: The 49ers figure taking Taylor at this spot in the draft was a good investment because of his size and athletic ability. Conceivably, he could contribute on special teams while taking on a backup role.
Quotebook: “Taylor will get a long look because he is so physically gifted, but he never materialized as the consistent standout performer you thought he could be” – ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
RICKY JEAN-FRANCOIS Seventh round; No. 244 overall. Position: Defensive line. College: LSU. Hometown: Miami, Fla. Ht: 6-3; Wt: 295.
The vision: Francois has a lot of talent, but he did not play with a lot of consistency throughout his career. He saw action in just 25 games. Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula has a project on his hands.
Quotebook: “When you look at the film at the other kid, the third pick in the draft (LSU teammate Tyson Jackson), the guy next to him jumps out and makes plays” – 49ers coach Mike Singletary.
One day after Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree fell in their laps with the No. 10 overall pick, the 49ers selected a quarterback, running back and tight end on Sunday.
Running back Glen Coffee of Alabama was chosen in the third round to complement workhorse Frank Gore.
Ball State quarterback Nate Davis, a fifth-round selection, will be on a more deliberate timetable than the most recent player the team selected at that position.
And Fresno State’s Bear Pascoe is a rugged tight end coach Mike Singletary said is “definitely” an upgrade over veteran Billy Bajema, whom signed a free-agent contract recently with the St. Louis Rams.
Pascoe was working in the barn on the family’s 30-acre ranch in Porterville when he got the call from the 49ers.
Four of the 49ers’ first five draft picks were on offense.
“Nate Davis, I like Nate Davis,” said Crabtree, who flew from New York on Sunday to attend his introductory press conference at the 49ers’ headquarters.
“I’m looking forward to meeting – having fun with him up here at the 49ers facility. (Davis) and Coffee. All of those guys. We’re a part of a team now. It’s sort of like my family now.”
The 49ers also selected inside linebacker Scott McKillop of Pittsburgh, and two players from LSU: safety Curtis Taylor and defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois.
Davis was the seventh quarterback chosen in this year’s draft, and the first the 49ers have selected since making Alex Smith the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft.
“I like his game,” Crabtree said. “I know him personally, too. I’ve talked to him a couple of times. He’s a good dude. Hopefully he’ll be a good quarterback one day.”
Davis aced his job interview when he visited the 49ers three weeks ago in Santa Clara. He apparently became a concern to NFL teams because of a learning disability that was detected in the seventh grade.
“I really don’t know what kind of disability it is,” Davis said. “I just know that it takes me a longer period of time to read and to write.”
He added, “I don’t think that in football I have a learning disability. It’s just during school.”
Davis spent a lot of time at the grease board with 49ers quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson during the visit. Johnson gave Davis a positive report based on their X’s and O’s session.
“(Johnson) is very confident that whatever it is, we can handle it,” Singletary said. “We’re very excited to have him. He’s very talented, has a very strong arm (and) is very durable guy.”
The 49ers were busy securing undrafted free agents into Sunday evening. The club reached agreements with Purdue’s Kory Sheets, whose 4.39 in the 40 was the fastest among running backs at the combine, as well as Stanford defensive end Pannel Egboh and Ohio State offensive tackle Alex Boone, among others.
The 49ers would not confirm the agreements – waiting until the deals are officially signed - but general manager McCloughan said he expects the team to add from eight to 12 undrafted players.
For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at 521-5492 or matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com
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