Why 49ers DC Steve Wilks Advocated to Draft Ji'Ayir Brown
One of the loudest voices in the room that advocated for the 49ers to draft safety Ji'Ayir Brown was defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
"That's my dude right there," is what Wilks said in the scouting process per John Lynch. Given his background of being defensive back oriented, it makes sense for Wilks to be all in on Brown. He knows a skilled player in the secondary when he sees one. For the first time since the 49ers hired him as defensive coordinator, Wilks held a press conference Saturday where he explained why he advocated for Brown to be drafted.
“His tape just jumped off at you. He just makes plays," said Wilks. "But having an opportunity, we didn't go to the combine, we did zooms, but even when you are there, those 15 minutes don't give justice for us really trying to get to know someone. And we do a huge thing here where we bring our 30 in all at the same time we have dinner, top golf and as you get into a social setting, I think you have more conversations. He just started growing on me, the conversation that we're having, his dedication to the game, he's mature, he sees it with a different lens and I said, this guy right here can be the future for us, so I was excited about it and I'm glad we got him.”
The 49ers took the word of Wilks with serious weight with Brown. Now, Lynch did say the entire staff was bought in on Brown, but the fact that he had to cite Wilks shows just how much he was pounding the table for him. Clearly, that resonated with Lynch and I'm sure it did with others a part of the scouting and drafting process.
Wilks now gets his first player to mold and turn into a key starter on the defense for years to come. This is element in dealing with defensive backs, so Brown should be able to fulfill a successful career with the 49ers. This is one of the tests put in front of Wilks to see if he is fit to take up and hold onto the mantle as defensive coordinator of the 49ers.
