San Francisco 49ers 2012 Draft

Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Matt Miller recently posted an article describing all picks in all seven rounds. In the first round, Matt had the 49ers selecting Cornerback Jamell Fleming.

I'm not so sure Fleming is a first-rounder.

Another Bleacher Report Featured Columnis, Dan Morl, posted an SFO 49ers Mock Draft on February 29th. Dan's predicted first-round selection is wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. 

I like the position, but again, I'm not so sure that Sanu first-rounder either.

Let me show you who I do like.

Don't You Think Mock Draft First Rounds Are All Looking About the Same

First, aren't the mock drafts looking the same?

Dan Durkin from CBS Chicago posted his first-round NFL Mock Draft on March 2nd. It seems to me to be a very "average" mock draft. It is pretty close to all others I've read.

1. Indianapolis Colts—Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. Cleveland Browns from St. Louis Rams—Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

3. Minnesota Vikings—Matt Kalil, OT, USC

4. St. Louis Rams from Cleveland Browns—Justin Blackmon, WR, OSU

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Morris Claibourne, CB, LSU

6. Washington Redskins—Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

7. Jacksonville Jaguars—Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

8. Miami Dolphins—Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

9. Carolina Panthers—Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

10. Buffalo Bills—Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

11. Kansas City Chiefs—Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

12. Seattle Seahawks—Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

13. Arizona Cardinals—Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

14. Dallas Cowboys—David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

15. Philadelphia Eagles—Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College

16. New York Jets—Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from the Oakland Raiders)—Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

18. San Diego Chargers—Fletcher Cox, DT/DE, Mississipi State

19. Chicago Bears—Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

20. Tennessee Titans—Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois

21. Cincinnati Bengals—Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

22. St. Louis Rams—Devon Still, DT, Penn State

23. Detroit Lions—Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

24. Pittsburgh Steelers—Cordy Glenn G/T, Georgia

25. Denver Broncos—Orson Charles, TE, Georgia

26. Houston Texans—Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

27. N.E. Patriots (from Saints in Ingram trade)—Stephon Gilmore, CB, S. Carolina

28. Green Bay Packers—Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

29. Baltimore Ravens—Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama

30. San Francisco 49ers—Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

31. New England Patriots—Mark Barron, S, Alabama

32. New York Giants—Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

1st Round: Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

'Skill position grabs' in early rounds are essential for the 49ers.

The 49ers need a wide receiver more than a cornerback.

I would take WR Alshon Jeffery or WR Stephen Hill.

The best players at Pick 30:

WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina; CB Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska; A very quick WR Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech; CB Chase Minnifield, Virginia; SS Mark Barron, Alabama; 34DE/OLB Vinny Curry, Marshall; OT Mike Adams, Ohio State; OG/OT Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State

Other possible late first-rounders are 34 DE/OLB Andre Branch, Over-rated WR Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers, A great 43 OLB Zach Brown, North Carolina, and ILB Hothead Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State.

I like Alshon Jeffery here. He was a top-five pick a few months back. He did not fully participate in the NFL's Pajama Party (the combine), which is spooking scouts. Jeffery is undervalued. 

As an alternative, WR Stephen Hill is a good choice. Criner, McNutt, Quick and Sanu are all second-rounders at best.

2nd Round: Cornerback Chase Minnifield, Virginia

With a wide receiver being picked in the first round, a cornerback would address another big need for the 49ers in the second round.

It is a given that Claiborne, Jenkins and Kirkpatrick will most likely be selected before the 49ers get to their pick. Dennard or Minnifield, or maybe even both, will be available for the 49ers at pick No. 62.

Either would be a good pick. Hosley, Gilmore and Hayward may also be available.

Dennard, Minnifield, Hosley, Gilmore and Hayward are all better than Fleming in my opinion, and finding a good cornerback in the second round will help the team.

3rd Round: Offensive Guard/Tackle Nate Potter, Boise State

Fix the O-line!

Potter can play OT or OG.

I'm figuring him to primarily back up Davis and Staley.

And maybe backup a new offensive guard.

SFO was nearly last in pass-rush-protection in the NFL last year.

Kalil, Reiff, Martin and Adams will go in round one.

Massie, Sanders, Silatolu and Schwartz may go in the second round.

But those second round tackles are not that much better than Jones, Potter, Datko, Adcock, Brown or Reynolds.

Those last six will be available for the 49ers in the third round. Too good to pass up.

Skill players were taken earlier, and this year is a good one to get a tackle in the third round since the disparity between rounds isn't as great as in previous years. Potter improves the line.

4th Round: Guard Lucas Nix, Pittsburgh

Addressing the offensive line's needs are important.

The line still isn't always giving Smith enough time.

Holes need to open better on running plays.

Here SFO's new offensive guard (Kilgore can backup).

Lucas Nix is the answer in the fourth round.

Kelemete, Nix, Blackwell, Brooks and Brown will all be there for the 49ers at pick No. 124, but Nix can play multiple positions.

5th Round: Center Garth Gerhart, Arizona State

The 49ers really need a backup at center. Getting one that can play guard is a plus. That is what San Francisco gets with Garth Gerhart.

Gerhart will be available in the fifth round. So will Garner, Habern, Saulsberry, Molk and maybe Vlachos.

Konz, Jones, Brewster and maybe Blake will go in the first four rounds.

Gerhart can play center and guard.

With Potter, Nix and Gerhart, the 49ers will improve their offensive line.

6th Round: Free Safety Trenton Robinson, Michigan State

Free safety is is a position that abounds in talent this year.

Still, the best of them, George Iloka and Trumaine Johnson, will not go until the third round. Markelle Martin and Janzen Jackson should be picked in the fourth. Brandon Taylor and Aaron Henry will follow in the fifth.

The next-best free safeties available in the sixth round follow:

Trenton Robinson, Michigan State; Neiko Thorpe, Auburn; Blake Gideon, Texas; Eddie Whitley,  Virginia Tech ; Tramain Thomas, Arkansas; Tysyn Hartman, Kansas State; Damien Jackson, Mississippi; Christian Thompson, South Carolina State; and Jerrell Young, South Florida.

7th Round: Quarterback Kellen Moore, Boise State

Moore is another backup quarterback to augment Kaepernick and challenge Tolzien.

Too short for the 49ers at 6'1"? Did you know that Drew Brees is 6'0"? Doug Flutie was 5'10". Joe Theismann was 6'0". Sonny Jurgenson was 5'11". All were—or, in Brees' case, are—excellent and a few were Super Bowl winners too!

Ryan Lindley of San Diego State, 6'4", who played in a pro-style offense, will probably go in the fifth round. If he is available, he would get the pick here.

Brandon Weeden out of Oklahoma State, 6'2", and Case Keenum from Houston, 6'1", are also possibilities.

How My 2012 49ers Mock Has Changed in 3 Months

Last Novemeber, I wrote San Francisco 49ers 2012 NFL Draft: All Seven Rounds.

In that mock draft, this is how I saw San Franciscos draft:

Cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska, 5'10", 205, 4.49

Guard Cordy Glenn, Georgia, 6'5", 330

Center William Vlachos, Alabama, 6'1", 295

Free Safety Aaron Henry, Wisconsin, 6'0", 4.52

Quarterback Kellen Moore, Boise State, 6'0"

Wide Receiver DeVier Posey, Ohio State, 6'2" 4.51

Free Safety Tramain Thomas, Arkansas, 6'0", 195, 4.60