By Michael J Morris 

As the pre-season comes to a close – even though I think it should be over with already – the San Francisco 49ers look to take care of a few things before week one kicks off.

DT Aubrayo Franklin was an instrumental part of the 49ers defense last year and ended up being an integral part of the 49ers frontline.  The 6-foot-1 317-pound Franklin plugged up the line last year recording 36 tackles, two sacks and found himself an interception.  Un-like the departed Kentwan Balmer, Franklin’s hard work is what has brought him to this league and it is what will keep him on the 49ers.

“It’s the work ethic. It’s the intelligence. It’s the physical work combined with the mental work,” said D-line Coach Jim Tomsula. “The guy’s a worker. I mean, he works, he’s in here, he’s on film, he’s on scouting reports. He’s on everything. He just works.”

Franklin has been a valuable piece to the growing 49ers defense, but there is one area of 49ers training camp that has yet to be decided, and that’s who will be returning kicks come the start of the season.  The 49ers return game has struggled in recent years with players like Allen Rossum and Arnaz Battle filling in for one another for special teams. 

Going into training camp my thought was that the acquisition of Ted Ginn Jr. was meant to fill that void, but by the looks and sounds of it, the 49ers are hesitant to give him the gig.  The question isn’t whether he would be able to handle it, the 49ers would just rather he be the third wide-out for the offense.

In last week’s game against the Vikings Bobby Guillory handled the five punts and both kickoff returns during the Sunday night game.  Ginn, Dominique Zeigler, nor 6^th-round pick Kyle Williams touched the ball on special teams.  If the 49ers refuse to let Ginn handle the return game in pre-season he won’t be ready during the regular season and for a team looking to improve an area that has suffered, they’ll need to figure it out within the next two weeks. 

I would look for Williams and or Zeigler to return kicks this weekend in Oakland, as Guillory failed to impress a week ago.

According to Phil Barber of the Press Democrat, Frank Gore, Brian Westbrook, and Michael Crabtree are all expected to play. Alex Smith and his starting offensive line are believed to play the entire first half.  Singletary was uncertain as to who would be coming in for Smith.  Nate Davis has looked good in camp so my guess is that he’ll be the first replacement for Smith on Saturday.

Summary of injuries: CB Shawntae Spencer (hamstrings), C David Baas (stinger) and T Alex Boone (dehydration) returned to practice but Vernon Davis (knee), ILB Matt Wilhelm (headaches), T Barry Sims (oblique), TE Tony Curtis (quad) and OLB Brandon Long (knee) will remain on the sidelines.

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By Michael Morris 

The San Francisco 49ers’ draft wasn’t sexy but they were able focus on an area that warranted attention.  Quarterback protection has been a struggle for the 49ers recently and with additions of Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, the 49ers will be able to get a better idea of what Alex Smith can or can’t do.  (The following words may not be suitable for viewers under eighteen.)

“With the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select Alex Smith.” 

It seems as though every year is the year where 49ers fans and football minds alike give the former Utah quarterback a chance to prove himself worthy of that number one pick.  A draft in which 28 Pro Bowler’s were drafted or signed after going undrafted behind him.  Smith has shown sparks of potential but sparks are not what will keep you in this league.  With another year under offensive-coordinator Jimmy Raye, it has come time for Smith to prove himself and if he fails to impress this season; his journey with the 49ers may be over before he knows it.  After the departure of J.T O’Sullivan and Shaun Hill, the quarterback depth took a hit, so the 49ers went out and signed well-traveled quarterback, David Carr.

“I think the biggest thing is just the similarities in them both being the first pick, both having a tough time really getting their career started,” said Coach Singletary. “From that standpoint I think there (are) a lot of common issues that they can talk about. In terms of the other, I just think that David Carr is a quiet, confident guy that’s continuing to grow in our system, and I’m sure that Alex can talk to him about some of the bumps along the way that are still in front of him.”

One of those Pro Bowler’s selected behind Smith in 2005 was Frank Gore. 

Gore, who was taken with the first pick in the third round and hasn’t slowed down since taking over for Kevan Barlow in the latter part of the 2005 season. Although he has battled with injuries, Gore has averaged over 4.2 yards per carry, recorded 32 touchdowns, and rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons. 

Smith and Gore have been the only constant with the 49ers since 2005 and if Smith doesn’t improve, Gore and the 49ers may move on without him.

Last year the 49ers selected Michael Crabtree with their first-round pick.  Although agreeing on a deal wasn’t as easy as they would have hoped. Crabtree was able to catch 48 balls in just 11 games.  A year under his belt and a full helping of games should lead to a stronger year out of the 49ers offense. 

On the other side of the ball the 49ers have shown substantial improvement going from lower tier embarrassment to one of the superior defenses in the league.  Last season they allowed only 17.6 points per game, the fourth best in the league.  That turnaround is thanks to Coach Mike Singletary and the about-face he has willed upon his team. 

Defensive anchor, Patrick Willis may have found the Dave Duerson to his Mike Singletary.  The 49ers were able to draft Taylor Mays with their No. 49 selection, a pick nobody with the 49ers expected him to be at.

“I think when you look at the film and you see the guy, he’s back 20 yards, it’s pretty amazing,” Coach Singletary said. “When he came in and we had him for the interview there were just some things that he was just not asked to do. Sometimes, I think as coaches, you assume that they can’t do it. But I’m excited about him. Anytime you find a guy that has the intangibles that he does, just the ability to move and being able to have the range that he has…He wants to be a great football player, and he wants to be a 49er. That’s really huge and I’m very excited about that.”

Singletary and the 49ers were forced to handle some issues recently, with the early retirement of Glen Coffee and the distraction that was Kentwan Balmer, the 49ers look to leave that stuff behind them and focus on the season.  Balmer, who was drafted with a late first-round pick two years ago, was traded within the division to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth-round pick.  Brian Westbrook has dealt with injuries the last few years but will find himself filling in for the newly retired Coffee.

With a solid defense and the weapons in place, the 49ers should be able to find themselves a playoff spot for the first time in eight years.  If Smith is unable turn those sparks into flames, he may find himself smoking on the sidelines.  Or maybe he’ll be sippin’ on some ‘purple drank’ with JaMarcus.

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9/3/11: Alex Smith has looked absolutely awful this preseason. Maybe he hasn’t been that bad, but his offensive line isn’t doing him any favors either. They played horrifically and that was one part of this team that they were counting on to be at least decent. They have the playmakers offensively, Frank Gore, Braylon Edwards, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree, but if they line and quarterback can’t play well, their offense won’t function well. Defensively, they’re a barren waste field for the most part. This is my pick for the worst team in the league. 

In the prime of the Mike Singletary era (by prime, I mean when people actually thought this team had a shot at making the playoffs), this team was known for its defense. However, the offense has somehow become the team’s best unit and no, it’s not because the offense got that much better. Alex Smith is still their quarterback so that should be all you need to know about that.

Their defense was absolutely ravaged by free agency. They lost 4 starters on defense. Aubrayo Franklin is gone. Takeo Spikes is gone. Nate Clements is gone. Manny Lawson is gone. Lawson will be the easiest to replace. The 49ers spent the 7^th overall pick on Aldon Smith and besides, Lawson was never that great. He never fit the 49ers 3-4 defense because he couldn’t rush the passer to save his life. Smith will be learning a new position and will be hurt by the lockout, but he could lead this team in sacks this season.

In order to replace Aubrayo Franklin, the 49ers are moving Isaac Sopoaga from defensive end to nose tackle, while the mediocre Ray McDonald, who somehow got a 5 year deal this offseason, will start at defensive end. They also plan to use Ricky Jean-Francois, a very inexperienced player, at both positions. They’ll really miss Franklin’s run stuffing, a huge part of the reason why they were 2^nd in the league against the run last year.

Another run stuffer they’ll miss is Takeo Spikes at middle linebacker. Spikes is an older player, but he was still an above average run stuffer last year. The 49ers will try to replace him with Navorro Bowman, a 2010 3^rd round pick, who played alright in limited action as a rookie.

Possibly their biggest loss defensively, however, is Nate Clements. Clements wasn’t worth what they were paying him, but he was their best defensive back. He’ll be replaced in the lineup by Carlos Rogers, a marginal and injury prone player. They don’t have a lot of depth. Phillip Adams, a 7^th round pick in 2010, will play in the nickel, while rookie 3^rd round pick Chris Culliver figures to be the 4^th cornerback.

Shawntae Spencer, a marginal player, will move to the left side to be their #1 cornerback, which should be a very bad thought for 49er fans. Spencer allowed a 70.1% completion rate and 4 touchdowns to 3 interceptions last season as the #2 cornerback. He’ll be even worse as the #1 guy. They could be the worst team against the pass next year with their lack of talented pass rushers and defensive backs.

In fact, you could make a case that Patrick Willis and Justin Smith are their only two proven, talented defensive players. Aldon Smith and Navorro Bowman have upside, but those are the only two proven, talented defensive players. Smith, a massively underrated player, starts at the 3^rd defensive line spot next to McDonald and Sopoaga. Smith led the team with 8.5 sacks and 39 quarterback pressures last season and is also a beast against the run.

Willis, meanwhile, is properly rated, but that doesn’t many he’s not an amazing player and arguably the best linebacker in the league. He should once again play like one of, if not the top middle linebacker in the league. Joining Willis at linebacker will be Navorro Bowman, their 2^nd middle linebacker, Aldon Smith, their top rush linebacker, and either Parys Haralson or Ahmad Brooks.

Brooks has never managed more than 6 sacks in a season, while Haralson has only once managed more than 5 in a season. The two combined for 9 sacks last season. Though he wasn’t a starter, Travis LaBoy’s absence will also be felt. LaBoy was only a nickel rusher, but he had 5 sacks and 20 quarterback pressures in only 353 snaps in 2010.

At the safety positions, Donte Whitner, a free agent acquisition is expected to start at strong safety over Taylor Mays, who was recently listed on Craiglist. Whitner was one of the worst coverage safeties in the league last year, but sort of made up for that with strong play against the run. At free safety, a three way battle for the ages (sarcasm) is taking place.

Madieu Williams, another one of the worst coverage safeties in the league last year, is currently winning that battle over the incumbent Dashon Goldson. Young Reggie Smith is likely not going to win it and focus on special teams instead. Goldson isn’t as bad as Williams in coverage, but he’s not great either. He’s a fairly mediocre safety. That’s why no one had any interest in him when the 49ers let him test the open market this offseason.

By default, their offense should be their best unit this year. They have an offensive minded offensive Head Coach for the first time in what seems like forever. Jim Harbaugh is an offensive genius, but he’s not a miracle worker so I don’t know how much he can get out of Alex Smith. If Smith struggles, we could see 2^nd round pick rookie Colin Kaepernick, though the 49ers would prefer to wait until 2012 for him to become the starter. Smith has decent talent around him, however.

Frank Gore is a talented lead back who also contributes in the passing game as a receiver. When he inevitably gets hurt, rookie 4^th round pick Kendall Hunter and 2010 5^th round pick Anthony Dixon will split carries. Braylon Edwards will be the #1 receiver. He will be extremely motivated this season and he plays really well when motivated. He didn’t get the long term deal he wanted on the open market. Instead, he got a one year deal with 2.5 million dollars in incentives for making the Pro Bowl. He’ll work his ass off for that 2.5 million and for a long term contract in a more traditional offseason next year.

Talented tight end Vernon Davis gives Alex Smith two talented downfield targets, but Michael Crabtree could struggle this year. Crabtree, once considered a steal at 10 in 2009, is missing his 3^rd straight preseason with an injury. He didn’t work out in the team in the offseason either because he didn’t know who the quarterback was. He’s clearly the 3^rd option on this team, which means he’s not going to catch a lot of balls. Alex Smith isn’t good enough for 3 receivers to get their numbers. That could piss off Crabtree, who has acted like a diva to this point in his career.

The offensive line has its share of problems. One of the 49ers’ rare free agent signings, Jonathan Goodwin replaces David Baas at center. Goodwin was decent last year, but at 33 could easily decline this season, especially with a new team coming out of a lockout. Left tackle Joe Staley is a mediocre talent who belongs on the right side.

Right tackle Anthony Davis, the 11^th overall pick in 2010, was absolutely terrible as a rookie, allowing 11 sacks, 37 quarterback pressures, and committing 10 penalties. He was supposed to be better in his 2^nd year, but he continued to struggle in the 49ers first preseason game. Guards Chilo Rachal and Mike Iupati are the bright spots on this line. Iupati had a strong rookie year and figures to be better this season.

I don’t see a lot of talent on this roster. They have a good offensive minded Head Coach and several talented weapons on offense, but they don’t have the quarterback or the offensive line to be that great of an offense. Meanwhile, their defense was ravaged by free agency and could be one of the league’s worst stop units in 2011, especially against the pass. Their schedule isn’t that hard so they will win some games. Also, somehow this isn’t even the worst team in their division.

Quarterback: D

Running backs: B+

Receiving corps: C+

Offensive line: C-

Run defense: B-

Pass rush: C

Pass coverage: D

Coaching: B

Projection: 3-13 4th in NFC West

Wide Receiver

Kyle Williams gets most of the blame for the 49ers losing to the Giants in the playoffs, because his two muffed punts led directly to 10 points, but he wasn’t even supposed to be out there. The 49ers receivers were supposed to be out there and their inability to separate had to cost the 49ers at least 10 points. Michael Crabtree managed just 1 catch in that game and other than 2 deep bombs to Vernon Davis, the 49ers’ passing offense was stagnant all game. Crabtree has been in the league 3 years and never gone over 1000 yards, so it might be time to reconsider him being their #1 guy. Even if he is their #1 guy, they need a new #2 guy. Braylon Edwards was supposed to be that guy, but he had a rough one year stay in San Francisco that ended with him being cut midseason. They’ll address this position in the first 2 rounds of the draft and are expected to be players in free agency as well as a strong wide receiver class hits the market.

Offensive Tackle

Anthony Davis really struggled as a rookie on the right side in 2010, allowing 11 sacks, 37 pressures, and committing 11 penalties. He was a little better in 2011, but not much, allowing 8 sacks, 30 pressures, and committing 8 penalties. This has all been on the right side, not even against the opponent best pass rusher on a weekly basis. Last offseason, the Bills cut Aaron Maybin just 2 years after making him the 11^th overall pick. Now Davis sits 2 years removed from being the 11^th overall pick. He might not be cut, but he may change positions. Remember, Jim Harbaugh hasn’t shown a whole ton of loyalty to Mike Singletary’s guys, he traded Taylor Mays for a bag of peanuts  1 year after Singletary made him a 2^nd rounder. They could look for a new bookend tackle this offseason and move Davis to guard, another position of need. At the very least, someone to push Davis at right tackle is needed.

Guard

As I just mentioned, guard is another position of need. Right guard Adam Snyder was one of the worst at his position last year, according to ProFootballFocus.

Safety

I know Dashon Goldson made the Pro Bowl and then got franchised, but I don’t think he’s very good, at least not in coverage. Yes, he had 6 picks, but the 4 touchdowns he allowed were 4^th worst among safeties, as were his 458 yards allowed. I wouldn’t have franchised him, in favor of finding a new safety, but I guess they’re stuck with him now. Some depth might be nice, especially if they can’t sign him to a long term deal.

Cornerback

Carlos Rogers had a fantastic season last year, making the Pro Bowl, but you should always be worried about a 30 something who randomly has by far his best season in a contract year. I’d be cautious about overpaying him. If he’s not resigned, they’ll need another cornerback in the mix.

Center

Center Jonathan Goodwin is still a solid player, but he’s 33 and on the decline. They could search for a long term replacement for him.

Quarterback

Alex Smith is a free agent. He needs to be (and will be resigned) to a long term deal. I don’t buy this talk about them potential being interested in Peyton Manning. Alex Smith is their guy.

Tight End

Jim Harbaugh loves using multiple tight ends, but he wasn’t able to do so all that natural this year, using players like left tackle Joe Staley and nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga at times this year. They need a 3^rd tight end in the mix, as well as to resign Delanie Walker.

Free agency priorities 

Quarterback

Colin Kaepernick has as much upside as any quarterback in this draft class, but he’s not ready to play next season. They need a veteran stopgap to play in his absence, which could be as easy as resigning incumbent Alex Smith, who Jim Harbaugh seems to like. 

Nose Tackle

Aubrayo Franklin will probably get a big long term extension from somewhere. If the 49ers don’t want to be the ones who pay that, they’ll need a different nose tackle through free agency. 

Wide Receiver 

Ted Ginn was one of the worst slot receivers in the league last year. They drafted Ronald Johnson, who has a lot of upside, but he isn’t ready to contribute in that capacity yet. Look for them to add a veteran through free agency.

Draft Needs 

Quarterback

Mike Singletary was fired for switching quarterbacks too many times, but you kind of can’t blame him. All three of his quarterbacks, Alex Smith, David Carr, and Troy Smith struggled mightily. I guess he was just following old advice, if you can’t beat them, confuse them. Only Alex Smith showed any flashes of being a legitimate signal caller in this league and he was so inconsistent that those flashes didn’t really matter. Expect the 49ers to either draft a quarterback in the first (Ryan Mallett, Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker) at #7 or make a trade for Kevin Kolb. Kolb would be a perfect fit for new coach Jim Harbaugh’s west coast offense with his exceptional short and intermediate accuracy. He would likely cost about 2 2^nd round picks (the equivalent of what Houston gave up for Matt Schaub in 2007). If they go with a rookie, expect them to keep Alex Smith, a free agent, as a stopgap.

Drafted Colin Kaepernick (#36) 

Rush Linebacker

Ahmad Brooks and/or Manny Lawson were supposed to step up huge this year and become a legitimate #1 pass rushing threat for this team after both closed out 2009 so well. They combined for 7.5 sacks. No 49er had more than 6 sacks (middle linebacker Patrick Willis) and Brooks with 5 led the way for the rush linebackers. If they get Kolb and don’t go quarterback at #7, a rush linebacker like North Carolina’ Robert Quinn makes sense.

Drafted Aldon Smith (#7), Drafted Bruce Miller (#221) 

Cornerback

I outlined this as their biggest need last offseason, but they didn’t draft a corner until the 7^th round. Their 23^rd ranked pass defense wasn’t terrible, but they need a young corner to groom behind Nate Clements. Clements is 31 and overpaid so they probably want to be able to replace him as soon as possible.

Drafted Chris Culliver (#80), Drafted Curtis Holcomb (#250) 

Wide Receiver

Michael Crabtree is good. Josh Morgan could be upgraded. Ted Ginn…yikes. Dominique Ziegler is their #4 receiver. They need some depth at the position so they can spread the field more. Julio Jones is a sleeper for the #7 spot if the 49ers trade for Kolb. Kolb, Crabtree, Jones, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, that could be an extremely explosive offense.

Drafted Ronald Johnson (#182) 

Nose Tackle

Aubrayo Franklin was franchise tagged after his breakout year last year, as the 49ers felt he needed to prove himself in more than one year to get a longterm deal. He regressed in 2010 so he probably won’t get the longterm deal he’s looking for from the Niners which means he might not be back.

3-4 Defensive End

Isaac Sopoaga is strong against the run, but doesn’t offer much of a pass rush. They could look at upgrades at the position if someone like Marcell Dareus falls to them at #7.

Center

Former guard David Baas struggled at center this season. They could be looking for upgrades so they can move Baas back to his natural position.

() FA Rank 

QB Alex Smith

QB Troy Smith

RB Brian Westbrook

OT Barry Sims

G Tony Wragge

G David Baas

NT Aubrayo Franklin 

3-4 DE Ray McDonald

3-4 DE Demetric Evans

RLB Manny Lawson

RLB Travis LaBoy

MLB Takeo Spikes

CB William James-Peterson

S Dashon Goldson 

Offseason moves:

Draft

By Michael J Morris 

Looking back at last week’s less than stellar performance it looked like the San Francisco 49ers were heading into another week of embarrassment on a night when the greatest 49er of all time had his number retired. 

The game started off according to plan, with the back-up center, David Baas, sending the pigskin up and over Alex Smith and into the end-zone, giving the Saints the safety.  With the Saints up 2-0 you would have though the safety would be the match to the New Orleans fire on offense, but the game didn’t go according to script. Although the 49ers did lose 25-22, the 49ers showed that week one was exactly that, week one.

In week one against the Seahawks the 49ers offense was motionless. The 49ers offense which is supposed to rely heavily on the run game was unable to find any holes.  With two rookies, Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis, starting in their first regular season game, Frank Gore couldn’t break off on any of those big runs he did habitually last season.  Alex Smith wasn’t given enough time in the pocket to find any of his receivers and all six 49ers points came from a pair of 23-yard field goals by Joe Nedney.

The 49ers defense was good upfront, keeping the Seahawks to 77 rushing yards, but the secondary was worse than I had expected.  Allowing Matt Hasselback to complete 18 of his 23 passes and find two scores. And by the looks of things, his less talented brother might have had a similar game. I turned off the television last week hoping that the performance was some sort of fluke but found a different team in red and gold playing the defending champion New Orleans Saints on Monday night.

The differences between the play of San Francisco from week one to week two was night and day.  The 49ers were able to move the ball with ease and it showed late in the fourth quarter.

If you were told that a quarterback in this game drove his team down the field in less than 45 seconds you would not have thought Smith, and maybe if you had the options of Smith’s you would have thought Troy Smith. But it was Alex Smith who brought the 49ers down the field to cut the 22-14 lead to two, and ultimately tie the game.  The problem with scoring so quickly and turning a two minute drill into a 41 second drill is that you give one of the best quarterbacks in the league a chance.  Drew Brees took advantage of the opportunity and put the Saints in field goal position, allowing for kicker Garret Hartley to finish the game with a field goal.

Smith found a fan in teammate, Josh Morgan, who caught 6 balls on Monday night.

“He came and commanded the whole huddle, he commanded respect in the huddle,” Morgan said. “He just played a great game. He came in with confidence and kept us going. He kept us upbeat. You couldn’t have asked anything more of him … That’s why they drafted him No. 1.”

Alex Smith looked liked he belonged and if he can string a few good performances together he may fall back into good graces with San Francisco. The 49ers have one of the softer schedules in the league and if they can play like they did on Monday we may have something interesting brewing in the bay, and it’s not a big pot of sizzurp.

That string of games will have to start next week when the 49ers go to Kansas City to take on the 2-0 Chiefs.

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C Chris Anzevino (Kent State)

S Jordan Bernstine (Iowa)

RLB Claude Davis (South Florida)

WR Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech)

RLB Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)

WR A.J. Jenkins (Illinois)

CB Jeremy Jones (Wayne State)

CB Jeremy Lane (Northwestern State)

RB Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati)

WR Rueben Randle (LSU)

C Jason Slowey (Western Oregon)

RB Robert Turbin (Utah State)

MLB Bobby Wagner (Utah State)

RB David Wilson (Virginia Tech)

WR Kendall Wright (Baylor)

7. RLB Aldon Smith B

There’s always one pick in the top 10 that surprises me (I mocked Locker over Gabbert and Miller over Dareus). Last year it was CJ Spiller 9^th. This year it is Aldon Smith 7^th to the San Francisco 49ers. Unlike the Spiller pick, I don’t hate this one. I had a feeling Smith would go higher than most thought and higher than Robert Quinn. He’s a minor reach by my board, but he fills a major need and he’s got a high ceiling.

36. QB Colin Kaepernick B+

Of all the quarterbacks picked in the first 2 rounds, this was the one I gave the best grade. Kaepernick has the upside of any of the quarterbacks picked in the top 10 and he’ll have time in San Francisco to sit behind incumbent Alex Smith, who is close to being brought back as starter in 2011. He’s still a reach by my board, but not as much as most quarterbacks who have been drafted so far, and at least they’re going for the homerun with this pick and not wasting a top 10 pick to do so.

80. CB Chris Culliver D

I’m not sure what Culliver’s position is at the next level. Is he a safety? Is he a corner? I don’t really think he can play either very well at the next level. He’s too much of a tweener. The 49ers have needs at both of those positions, but I think Culliver is a major reach here and won’t actually fill any need other than special teams because he’s a tweener.

115. RB Kendall Hunter A-

Running back wasn’t a major need of theirs, but Hunter is a very good value at this point and they had so many picks that using one on a backup running back to replace Brian Westbrook isn’t a bad idea.

163. G Daniel Kilgore F

Another player I haven’t heard of and again, I was familiar with about 450 prospects to prepare my top 300 big board. This guy could be a future Pro Bowler and make me look stupid, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. The 5^th round is way too early for him and he doesn’t really fill a need either.

182. WR Ronald Johnson A

They needed a better #3 receiver than Ted Ginn, who shouldn’t do anything other than special teams. Johnson fits the range and he has good upside too so he could end up as their #2 receiver over Josh Morgan who is decent, but not much else.

190. S Colin Jones B-

Safety depth was needed, even with Chris Culliver being taken in the 3^rd, because I don’t know where Culliver fits. Jones can also play special teams, but I didn’t have him getting drafted so this is a little early for him.

211. RLB Bruce Miller A

Another rush linebacker makes sense. You can never have enough pass rushers and this team doesn’t have many at all, especially with Manny Lawson set to hit free agency. Miller was also an excellent value.

239. OT Michael Person B

Person is a decent swing tackle behind their two starters. That’s not a huge need of theirs, but they had a lot of picks and depth isn’t a bad thing. Defensive line might have made a little more sense, but it’s the 7^th round. You’re not looking for starters and Person fills a depth need and fits the range.

250. CB Curtis Holcomb C

Another cornerback makes sense. I don’t like Culliver. Nate Clements is old and overpaid and Shawntae Spencer is inconsistent. I didn’t have Holcomb on my radar at all as a prospect, but at least he fills a need and it’s the 7^th round so it’s not a major reach.

Overall:

They didn’t nail either of their first 2 picks, but I did like what they did with those picks. Aldon Smith has the upside to become an elite 3-4 rush linebacker and Colin Kaepernick could easily become the best quarterback in this class when we look back at it in a few years, especially with incumbent Alex Smith in place to help him ease into action. The Culliver pick was one I didn’t like at all, but I thought they got good value with Kendall Hunter in the 4^th, Ronald Johnson in the 6^th, and Bruce Miller in the 7^th. They made a few head scratching reaches for guys I didn’t think should be drafted as well, but overall this was a solid draft with a lot of upside and I like both of their first two picks, which is always a key.

Grade: B