San Francisco 49ers' 2009 Mock Draft

Hello 49er fans, it is almost THAT time of the off season for all 32 NFL teams. A sign of hope and fruition leads some teams to believe they are contenders rather than pretenders.

Here is my 2009 NFL Mock Draft for the San Francisco 49ers. Hope you enjoy, and try to hold your comments until the end.

Aaron Maybin: Round One, Pick 10

Aaron Maybin is about to turn 21. He just had a phenomenal pro day with a 4.59 40-time, a 10x10 Broad Jump, and 22 presses at 225 lbs. He isn't as strong as some scouts would like from a guy his size.

But make no mistake about it, Maybin has the biggest upside of any pass rushers coming into this year's draft.

The 49ers haven't had a dominant pass rusher since they drafted Andre Carter in 2002. Carter gave the 49ers a dominant pass rush in his second year.

Pass rushing of Maybin, Lawson and Haralson would be an opponent's nightmare for the next ten to fifteen years.

He is a no brainer for me, and pass rushers are safer picks than QB's or WR's (see Mario Williams or Gaines Adams).

Sean Smith: Round Two, Pick 11

There's no question that the 49ers need a play maker in the secondary. Nate Clements is solid as the team's primary shutdown corner.

However, Walt Harris is 35 and has lost a couple steps. Smith would be an instant impact for the 49ers.

He is 6'4" 214 and ran a 4.50. He would be a perfect FS patrolling Center field in Coach Mike Singletary's aggressive swarming defense. Smith can play either CB or S.

With WR's like Houshmanzadeh and Fitzgerald in the same division, you'll need a tall physical CB who can make their lives a living hell.

Rashad Johnson: Round Two, Pick 46 (trade with Houston)

This pick will get some "WTF's?" from fans, but it is the most logical pick. You trade your third-round pick this year and next year's fourth rounder to move up in the draft and take Free Safety Rashad Johnson from Alabama.

Johnson, has the best hips, and the best play making skills at this level. With S Taylor Mays staying put for his senior season at USC, the 49ers select Johnson, who is a smart, tough player with incredible passion for the game. Coach Singletary makes this move and doesn't look back.

Your secondary is set with Clements, Lewis, Johnson, and Smith.

Ray Feinga: Round Four, Pick 11

Feigna is a monstrous run blocker. He helped BYU have the 16th ranked total offense in all of college football. While he isn't great in the pass blocking scheme, he is a terrific run blocker.

LG David Baas and LG Adam Synder have been tremendous busts and need to be upgraded. With Feigna on the team, those two OL have been put on notice.

With no elite OL available after Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe, the 49ers will try to maul their OL into the "Hogs of the 21st century." He benched an impressive 30 times for an OL and has 33-1/2 arm size (very important for an OL).

Hunter Cantwell: Round Five, Pick 10

Cantwell was the backup to Brian Brohm at Louisville. While he didn't impress scouts with his production, remember the talent that was around him. It was Division 1-AA at best. Cantwell is 6'4" 235 and has the talent to be a second or low first-round pick.

He didn't have success his senior year but that was because he was relatively new and was basically a rookie. Cantwell has the arm, size, and leadership qualities that you look for in a QB. He measured with a 10-1/2 hand size which ties only Mark Sanchez a possible No. 1 pick in this year's draft.

Cantwell can learn behind Hill, Huard and Smith and work himself up into playing time this year. By the time he is ready he will have a good young OL, a great RB, and a pair of up and coming WR's in Hill and Morgan.

At the fifth round, he would be an absolute steal in this draft.

Eric Kettani: Round Six, Pick 11

Kettani, ran a 4.56 for a Full Back. He is undersized with only 5'11 and 231 pound, but he is the perfect Full Back for the run first offense. He has deceptive speed and makes the first initial defender miss.

He is a solid blocker as well, the 49ers resigned Full Back Moran Norris but he is nothing more than a glorified bench warmer. With Kettani, they get the entire package at a relatively low cost.

Ra'Shon Harris: Round Seven, Pick 10

Harris had a good senior season at Oregon.

He had nine tackles for loss and three sacks. He comes in at 6'4", 298lbs and can play NT for the 49ers. Like the Cowboys who took a chance on a seventh-round pick NT...and turned into Jay Ratliff who turned out to be a gold mine. Harris can have the same lingering effects.

Plus at the DL spot, another big body wouldn't hurt in Singletary's blitz schemes.

Final Thoughts

I know the 49ers need another WR, a blocking TE, and another OT on this team. But with a team that has too many needs and only seven picks to address them, it's extremely hard to fit all those needs in one draft.

The way I see it...

Maybin (pass rusher)
Smith (shutdown CB or Impact FS)
Johnson (ballhawking FS)
Feinga (Offensive Lineman)
Cantwell (QB Project)
Kettani (lead blocker)
Harris (DT project)

This would be an amazing first draft for both the Coach and GM. A good foundation would be built under this draft. I hope at the very least the first three picks workout in that order.