My name is Matt Barrows, and I watch the NFL Network all day long so you don't have to ...
Today's South practice coverage focused a lot on USC safety Taylor Mays, who is getting mixed reviews in Mobile. As far as the 49ers are concerned, my thoughts about Mays are as follows: If the 49ers were going to spend a first-round pick on a safety, I think they'd rather find one who can do everything - cover like a cornerback, make interceptions and deliver hits in the running game. It appears as if Mays only does one of those things well. It's true that the 49ers might need to find a replacement for Michael Lewis and that Lewis also is limited in coverage. It just seems to me that if you take cover skills out of the equation, there are other guys - Kam Chancellor, T.J. Ward, etc. - the 49ers could take later in the draft.
Alabama NT Terrence Cody says his ideal playing weight is 345 pounds. You can bet that scouts will be very interested to see how many pounds Cody - who weighed 370 on Monday - can shed between now and his combine weigh in a month from now in Indianapolis. My guess is that Cody will be drafted by one of the playoff teams, perhaps New England, which is poised to use the franchise tag on NT Vince Wilfork this offseason. The 49ers are in a similar boat. They likely will use the franchise tag on NT Aubrayo Franklin. They eventually either need to ink Franklin to a long-term deal or find his replacement. This draft is particularly deep in interior linemen. One guy who is in the Franklin mold is Texas LaMarr Houston.
Here's what the National Football Post's Wes Bunting wrote about Florida QB Tim Tebow today: "When ... Tebow was able to see the throw, I thought he did a good job accurately delivering the football. However, at this stage he simply isn't a decisive quarterback in the pocket and really struggles when asked to anticipate throws in the pass game." Anyone who has watched the 49ers closely over the last few years knows you could substitute "Alex Smith" for Tebow in that sentence. You have to wonder if Smith's slow NFL development will cause Tebow, another Urban Meyer protégé, to drop in the draft.
I like Alabama cornerback Javier Arenas, and he's definitely a candidate to be my draft crush. He seems to have small-man's syndrome. That is, he compensates for his lack of size - he's 5-8 - with aggression and feistiness. He obviously likes playing press coverage, which should win over the 49ers' coaching and scouting staff. However, he might struggle pressing big receivers as he did with Florida's Riley Cooper today.
Today was the second of two padded practice for the Senior Bowl participants. Tomorrow's non-padded session will be the last of the week prior to Saturday's game.
-- Matt Barrows
