NFL Draft 2011: As Expected, San Francisco 49ers Go Defense with No. 7 Pick

Leave it to the San Francisco 49ers to make the first head-scratching selection of the 2011 NFL draft.

With the 7th overall pick, 49ers fans sweated out the choice of quarterback Blaine Gabbert and anybody but quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Lacking a pass rush and missing out on LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson, the 49ers went with defense as expected, selecting Missouri DE Aldon Smith.

Smith, just 21 years old, left Missouri with two years of eligibility remaining.

In 23 games, Smith had 17 sacks for the Tigers, including six as a sophomore while playing most of the season with a broken bone in his leg.

At 6'4" and 265 pounds, Aldon Smith is expected to beef up, play outside linebacker and rush the quarterback, something the 49ers' Manny Lawson hasn't had much success with.

The last San Francisco defensive player to tally a double-digit sack total was fellow No. 7 overall pick Andre Carter nearly nine years ago.

Smith is a bit of a curious pick, considering that North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn, who many analysts considered the top-rated pass-rusher, was still on the board.

In the end, the Niners landed a pure pass-rushing linebacker in hopes that they can do something they haven't done very well.

Rush the passer.