2012 NFL Draft: San Francisco 49ers Team Needs in All 7 Rounds

The B/R NFL Community Mock Draft is about to commence, and as such it is time to assess team needs for the San Francisco 49ers.

Since there are seven rounds, I'll assign a position of need to each round. The position of need assigned in the first round is far more important to fill than the position assigned to the seventh round.

The 49ers are one of only a handful of teams that won't be beholden to their needs much at all, though.

The balance of talent general manager Trent Baalke has put together at most positions is quite impressive. You can be sure he won't be taking players based on team needs. Rather, he's going to be taking the best player available.

Still, it is good to make a frank evaluation of where the team most needs improving. That is what I hope to accomplish in this post.

This was a collaborative effort. Special thanks to B/R Featured Columnists Vincent Frank, Joe Levitt and Brandon Burnett for their contributions.

Round 1: Right Guard

Let's make one thing clear: Adam Snyder was often the glue that held the 49ers' offensive line together in 2012. That said, the Arizona Cardinals paid way too much for his services, and I fully support the 49ers' decision to let him go.

The 49ers needed an upgrade, whether they kept Snyder or not. Obviously, no one would be too upset if Cordy Glenn were to fall to the 49ers at No. 30. 

The big play would be to trade up for David DeCastro. Either way, the 49ers' biggest need is clearly to fill the spot between Jonathan Goodwin and Anthony Davis.

Round 2: Wide Receiver

As good as the Randy Moss and Mario Manningham pickups were for the 49ers, they are still in need of added depth at wide receiver.

After Manningham and Moss, the 49ers are down to Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams. Neither of them have proven to be a reliable playmaker and could be upgraded without a single tear falling from my eyes.

Sleepers can be found in the third round and beyond at this position.

Unless a premier prospect like Stephen Hill falls to the 49ers in the first round, don't expect a wide receiver to be taken until at least the second round.

Round 3: Cornerback

Re-signing Carlos Rogers and picking up Parrish Cox was huge for the 49ers going into 2012. The cornerback position is finally becoming a strength for the team.

Chris Culliver looks solid and I'm hopeful he will become a dominant cover corner over time. Tarell Brown is also a solid choice as the third option on nickel situations.

That said, there is still room for one or two more talented defenders to roam the 49ers' secondary in the future.

Look for the team to address this within the first few rounds in the upcoming draft.

Round 4: Defensive Line

The 49ers feature one of the fiercest groups of front-line defenders in the entire NFL. That being said, if a couple of their starters were to fall prey to injury they might have trouble maintaining the same level of strong play.

When Ray McDonald went down with a sore hamstring last year, the team was far less effective at stopping the run and at rushing the passer.

Justin Smith won't be able to keep up his superhuman efforts for ever.

The team needs depth in the line, plain and simple. This is something that must be addressed in the draft.

Round 5: Safety

Like the last slide, the 49ers are happy with their starters at the safety position. Dashon Goldson will be back headhunting alongside Donte Whitner in 2012.

Behind them, however, the team could certainly use some improved depth.

Reggie Smith and Madieu Williams are both expected to be gone next year, leaving a couple of vacancies. The 49ers will indeed be selecting a safety at some point in the draft to remedy this lack of depth.

Round 6: Running Back

The 49ers make life miserable on opposing defenses by pounding the rock with Frank Gore.

Kendall Hunter showed he's a capable backup with the potential of more to come. Anthony Dixon, on the other hand, is a player I wouldn't mind seeing upgraded.

The 49ers need to find another young back that can tote the rock full time if needed. 

There are always gems to be found in the later rounds, which is where you will find the 49ers addressing this position of need.

Round 7: Offensive Tackle

The 49ers are in fantastic shape with Joe Staley and Anthony Davis locking down both tackle positions. Alex Boone a capable replacement if either were to fall.

Davis is still young and prone to getting beat, but he seems to be steadily improving each year and I still have high hopes for the young man (he's still only 22).

The 49ers should think about investing a late-round pick to pick up a project tackle (much like Boone was) in order to shore up the depth at this position long term.

Follow @JesseReed78