NFL Draft 2011: Are the San Francisco 49ers Unlucky Picking 7th Overall?

The San Francisco 49ers underachieved and stumbled their way to a 6-10 record in 2010. On the bright side, head coach Jim Harbaugh has a high draft pick to work with in the 2011 NFL draft.

Then again, the 49ers have the seventh pick overall, which is as conducive to a bust as a face-up four in blackjack.

Let's take a look at the seventh-overall picks from 2000-2010.

2000: Thomas Jones

Jones has had an above-average NFL career. For the seventh pick overall, it has been nothing short of a disappointment.

Jones was supposed to be the complete back coming out of college, but failed to even eclipse 600 rushing yards in a season with the Arizona Cardinals. He improved tremendously once he matured as a running back, but that was no consolation to the Cardinals, who blew their pick entirely.

2001: Andre Carter

There is no need to explain how much of a disappointment Carter was to the San Francisco 49ers.

Fans know all too well about the promise he had, even as a 12.5 sack guy in his sophomore season. He limped out of San Francisco with a few lackluster seasons, but remains the last 49er to rack up a double-digit sack season.

2002: Bryant McKinnie

McKinnie is 6'8" and has huge arms that make him ideal for the left tackle position. His career peaked in 2009 when he made the Pro Bowl, but took a huge downward turn last season.

McKinnie is highly inconsistent, and his career is not where it should be for a tackle taken in the top 10.

2003: Byron Leftwich

Leftwich had a lot to like about his game when he was coming out of college. He was a huge, towering quarterback with a big arm and an even bigger heart.

His career started off with a bang, but he turned into the injury-prone QB teams feared he would be. Leftwich has regressed into a career backup.

2004: Roy Williams

Roy Williams was just one of the terrible picks made by Matt Millen during his reign as the Detroit Lions GM.

He was the second receiver taken in the first round by the Lions in consecutive years, but wouldn't be the last, as they selected Mike Williams and Calvin Johnson shortly thereafter.

Williams did make the Pro Bowl, so he wasn't a complete bust. Even so, he isn't on the short list of elite receivers.

2005: Troy Williamson

Yuck.

Williamson fizzled in Minnesota from the time the Vikings took him at No. 7.

There are some who believed the Vikings were reaching for Williams when they took him at No. 7. Those people were correct.

With the seventh pick, teams often select high-profile prospects who slipped out of the top five, or take a chance on a player with upside who was expected to go in the No. 15 to No. 20 range. The risk didn't pay off.

2006: Michael Huff

Huff has been okay for the Raiders. He does his part to make up one of the better secondaries in all of football, but he has not reached his full potential.

Huff is physical and fast, which makes him the perfect Raider. Many thought the Raiders were foolish for passing on Matt Leinart here, but Huff has enjoyed a more successful career than Leinart thus far.

2007: Adrian Peterson

Peterson is the shining star as far as seventh-overall picks in this century are concerned. He is quite possibly the best running back in football and fell to the seventh overall pick because running backs hardly ever break the top five.

Sometimes teams fail to recognize when an All-Pro is in their grasps. Such was the case for the six teams who passed on Peterson.

2008: Sedrick Ellis

Ellis has had an okay career for New Orleans. He was a factor in the Saints' Super Bowl run and he starts for them, but it is New Orleans' offense that makes the team so spectacular.

Ellis holds down a spot in the Saints' front seven, but he isn't turning many heads with the dominant play that should be expected of a pick this high.

2009: Darrius Heyward-Bey

Perhaps the most off-the-wall pick in NFL history, the seventh pick in this draft sent Heyward-Bey to the Raiders, with Jeremy Maclin and Michael Crabtree appearing dumbstruck.

Heyward-Bey has blazing speed, but struggles to perform as a football player. He's one of those guys you want on your team, but not as the No. 1 or No. 2 guy in any situation.

2010: Joe Haden

Haden appears to be the real deal. It took him a second to get acclimated to the NFL, but he has done so successfully.

Corners have a tendency to slip a bit in the draft, which may be the case this year. At least two CB prospects could be selected in the top 10.

The 49ers would be lucky to have a guy whose rookie season could measure up to Haden's.

The seventh overall pick is not cursed, but it is a slot where teams tend to take big risks. Champ Bailey was the seventh pick overall, so it isn't as though this pick can't find success in the NFL.

The 49ers don't need to be overly cautious in their selection, but there are a number of players who pose big threats.

Playing it safe doesn't mean giving up.

There is no shame in selecting an All-Pro-caliber guy, and there is a solid chance the 49ers will be faced with the opportunity to do so come draft day.