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Expectations are high for Crabtree with 49ers
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The eyes of The City will be on Michael Crabtree.
(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
"With great power comes great responsibilities..." - "Spider-man" the movie.
And that's exactly what we have with the 49ers' first round pick Michael Crabtree. Expectations are always held high for first round draft picks, especially those that play quarterback or wide receiver. In the eyes of many fans, these two positions help lead a high-octane offense.
And with the "bust" label that could easily be applied to any first round failure, there is a lot of pressure for Crabtree to be successful in the NFL. But more importantly to 49ers fans, there is a lot of pressure for Crabtree to become a 49er great.
It wouldn't be fair to instantly compare him to some other great 49ers wide receiver draft picks like Jerry Rice or Terrell Owens. But it wouldn't be fun if he ends up like a Rashaun Woods.
There already is a lot of pressure for Crabtree to find the pot of gold in San Francisco and become a star.
Now, Crabtree has yet to suit up in uniform for a game and it wouldn't be fair to put so much expectations on the young receiver. But to get a better understanding of what Crabtree brings to the table, we should at least take a look at his past. Let's take a look at what Crabtree has done in his two years of college ball at Texas Tech:
| Year | GP | Rec | Yds | YPC | TD |
| 2006 | RS | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 | 13 | 134 | 1,962 | 14.6 | 22 |
| 2008 | 12 | 93 | 1,135 | 12.2 | 18 |
| Totals | 25 | 227 | 3,097 | 13.6 | 40 |
Crabtree was a redshirt freshman in 2006 before playing two years with the Red Raiders. Surprisingly, his 2007 season was statistically better than his 2008 year, yet 2008 was the year that people started to notice him.
I'll be honest and tell you that I don't follow college football as much as I would have liked to these past couple years. The first time I really noticed Crabtree was his spectacular game and game-winning catch against Texas to dethrone the then #1 Longhorns.
The scouting report on Crabtree warns teams about his only two years of experience, his micro fracture foot surgery and the system that Texas Tech ran. But aside from those negatives, he has a lot of positives going for him. He has a great vertical along with an outstanding ability to weave through the defense. And much like Jerry Rice, his yards after the catch is superb.
With all that, it still wouldn't be fair to put so much expectations on him. But because he was the #10 pick and the best wide receiver in the Draft -- everyone thinks that except for Al Davis -- I wanted to take a look at the last five years of the Draft and see what other first round receivers did with the expectations put on them. I'm going to bold the players that have met their "expectations" as a first round pick.
2004 (Round 1)
- #3 Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona)- Many people consider him the best receiver in the game. He shattered almost every receiving record in a single playoff.
- #7 Roy Williams (Detroit)- He is a Pro Bowler and now is the #1 receiver with the Cowboys.
- #9 Reggie Williams (Jacksonville)- The Jaguars had a terrible passing game and Williams didn't make much help of it.
- #13 Lee Evans (Buffalo)- Even with Terrell Owens on the team, Evans looks to be #1 on the team's depth chart.
- #15 Michael Clayton (Tampa Bay)- He's had a steady career but isn't the team's #1 receiver.
- #29 Michael Jenkins (Atlanta)- Like Clayton, steady career by not team's #1.
- #31 Rashaun Woods (San Francisco)- Didn't amount to much and was last see in the CFL in 2007.
2005 (Round 1)
- #3 Braylon Edwards (Cleveland)- Still a spectacular receiver after having a down year in 2008.
- #7 Troy Williamson (Minnesota)- Did nothing in Minnesota and did nothing with Jacksonville last year.
- #10 Mike Williams (Detroit)- Detroit continues to draft wide receivers and this one didn't work out.
- #21 Matt Jones (Jacksonville)- Who? Matt Jones! Cocaine and legal problems has caused him much success.
- #22 Mark Clayton (Baltimore)- A solid receiver, but not the best on his team.
- #27 Roddy White (Atlanta)- Became Matt Ryan's new best friend in his 2008 Pro Bowl year.
2006 (Round 1)
- #25 Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh)- Now the team's #1 receiver and Super Bowl MVP.
2007 (Round 1)
- #2 Calvin Johnson (Detroit)- Pretty good for a player that has no other good teammates to help him.
- #9 Ted Ginn, Jr. (Miami)- Was just a return man, but now is starting to mold into the offense.
- #23 Dwayne Bowe (Kansas City)- With Tony Gonzalez gone, he is the team's best receiver.
- #27 Robert Meacham (New Orleans)- Not the team's best receiver and hasn't done anything impressive.
- #30 Craig Davis (San Diego)- Injuries cost his second year in the pros.
- #32 Anthony Gonzalez (Indianapolis)- This could be his breakout year after sitting behind Wayne and Harrison.
2008 (No WRs in 1st round, so I'll look at Round 2. Too early to tell, but it does feature some notable players.)
- #33 Donnie Avery (St. Louis)- The heir to Torry Holt.
- #42 Eddie Royal (Denver)- Did you see him on Monday Night against Oakland?
- #49 DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia)- Best wide out from this draft.
From these past five drafts, there are 11 receivers out of 23 players that looks to have "lived up" to their billing as first round picks. And there is room for an Anthony Gonzalez or a Michael Jenkins to improve now that they have been given the chance to shine. But a near 50 percent success rate is something worth noting. It either is a hit or miss with first round receivers in the NFL.
The most important thing for the 49ers is to be patient with the development of Crabtree. For some receivers, they can blossom right into the scene during their rookie year. For others, it might take a couple years to learn the system to become great. And for some, they just don't work out.
The expectations for Crabtree will definitely be high. In fact, I believe that he will be looked at with a huge microscope all season long. He will be expected to do big things. But if he doesn't have a spectacular year, don't worry. Give him three years and we'll see if he works out.
It would be nice if he has a marvelous first season, but I won't hold it against him if he doesn't.
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