San Francisco 49ers: Spring 2011 Depth Chart Projections
The NFL draft is finished, and while it’s unclear when free agency can begin, it is clear that the 49ers will have new faces on the team, some of whom will play vital roles come September.
While it is unclear is how soon all teams, including the 49ers, can address needs through trades or free agency, it’s been confirmed that coach Jim Harbaugh has given a playbook to Alex Smith, the embattled free-agent quarterback. Such a gesture suggests that Harbaugh expects Smith to return to the team; and, in fact, if Smith does not return, he will be under no obligation to return the playbook.
Such trust goes a long ways toward explaining what Harbaugh sees in Smith, and from that point, here’s a rundown of what the Niners depth chart might look like in Week 1 of the 2011 season.
Quarterback
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Alex Smith has a head start on the competition, and that will include David Carr (the only quarterback under contract at this time) and highly touted Colin Kaepernick of Nevada.
Kaepernick came to the Niners after the team traded three draft picks to move up in the second round to get the Nevada star. Already, many “experts” are saying he might have the easiest path to a starting job, but Harbaugh’s comments continue to emphasize not only his faith in Smith, but also his belief that it takes time to learn how to play the position in the NFL.
That said, it doesn’t look good for Troy Smith, who started six games last year.
Running Back
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Frank Gore has recovered—we think—from his hip injury, so he will return. So will second-year running back Anthony Dixon.
The addition of Kendall Smith of Oklahoma State, a fourth-round pick, suggests that Brian Westbrook won’t make the roster. The team can save money on a rookie compared to a first-year player of similar size who will make just over the league minimum.
Fullback Moran Norris also looks ready to come back in light of the fact that Owen Marecic, who played for Harbaugh at Stanford, ended up in Cleveland.
Wide Receiver
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Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan will be the starters. The future of Ted Ginn Jr. might be undecided due to the fact he’s built for deeper routes when the West Coast offense favors short, quick crossing routes.
That brings up Kyle Williams, a two-year pro out of Arizona State, and Ronald Johnson, a sixth-round pick last week out of USC.
Both Williams and Johnson have similar size, but Johnson seems to have been drafted for his ability to come out of cuts quickly and make the catch.
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Tackle
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Joe Staley or Barry Sims will go at left tackle and Anthony Davis at right with Adam Snyder providing a capable, steady backup.
Former free agent Alex Boone might float from the practice squad to the active roster, depending on the team needs.
Seventh-round pick Mike Pearson will do well to make the practice squad.
Guard
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Mike Iupati and Chilo Rachel seem set, though Adam Snyder might take over for Rachel if Harbaugh and staff feel the need.
Tony Wragge is a capable backup, as is David Baas, the starting center. But with Eric Heitman returning, Baas can move back to guard, and that might mean Wragge and fifth-round selection Daniel Kilgore might find it hard to secure a spot on the active roster.
Center
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Eric Heitman and David Baas. If Kilgore can make the transition, he might make the team as a backup as well.
Tight End
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Vernon Davis, arguably the best tight end in the business, is the starter.
Delanie Walker, arguably the most talented backup tight end in the league, is the backup, and Nate Byham will also make the roster.
This might be the team’s strongest position.
Defensive Tackle and Nose Tackle
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Isaac Sopoaga, Ray McDonald and Will Tukuafu will split time.
The impending loss of starting nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin seems to be the hole in the Niners' draft-day net. Replacing him with a body that can keep guards and centers off the interior linebackers will go a long way to restoring the San Francisco run defense to elite status.
That said, Sopoaga can play the nose, as does Ricky Jean Francois. Free agency or a late-summer free-agent signing might be the focus for this position.
Outside Linebackers
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General manager Trent Baalke had first-round selection Aldon Smith of Missouri, the seventh player taken, as the second-best outside rusher behind vaunted Von Miller, who wnt to Denver as the second player taken.
And with that, Baalke made it clear what the priority was in the draft: Heat on the quarterback.
Smith goes in as the starter, and he’ll have a lot to learn. At Missouri, he played with his hand on the ground, and that brings up the question of whether the Niners will return to an “elephant” style defense built around the pass-rushing abilities of Charles Haley.
That said, Manny Lawson seems ready to depart as the Niners will let him sign with another team. But there’s plenty of remaining talent outside with Ahmad Brooks filling in. Parys Haralson and Thaddeus Gibson are capable if they get help from the safeties (which the Niners addressed in the draft).
Bruce Miller, a sixth-round pick out of the University of Central Florida, seems slated for the practice squad, barring injury to the aforementioned players.
Inside Linebackers
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Patrick Willis is, in my opinion, the best in the game.
Takeo Spikes and NaVorro Bowman meet the standards.
Compared to 2009, their play in 2010 dropped off, but I credit that to a poor year by NY Aubrayo Franklin. These guys are meant to run free and make tackles.
Cornerback
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Shawntee Spencer is solid at left corner, but Nate Clements dropped off.
Twelve years in the league can do that.
But at the same time, the best quarterbacks in the league—Matt Ryan of Atlanta and Aaron Rodgers of the Packers—both found themselves feeling real comfy in the pocket waiting for receivers to break open.
If Aldon Smith is effective in putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, maybe Clements and the rest of the Niners secondary will show improvement.
Tarell Brown and Phillip Adams both seem capable of starting, but neither has the size to handle the likes of division foe Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald. That means a lot of zone coverage, and that means less blitzing.
In short, not getting a step-in starter at corner means Aldon Smith will be crucial to improving the Niners' 24th-ranked defense.
Safety
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Paging Taylor Mays. Paging Taylor Mays.
Secondary was a noted weak spot last year, and the fact that Baalke drafted two safeties—Colin Jones of TCU and Chris Culliver of South Carolina—suggests that Mays, a second-round pick in ‘09, and Dashon Goldson, who excelled in ’09, need to elevate their play after a disappointing 2010.
Backup Reggie Smith has nothing to brag about, either.
Culliver might get shifted to cornerback, but that still leaves backup C.J. Spillman and Jones battling for a roster spot. This will be an area of intense competition during training camp.
Specialists
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Joe Nedney is one of the better kickers, though his kickoffs sometimes lack. And Andy Lee, one of the best punters.
The team lacks a player who can break the big kickoff or punt return, though it might be where Ted Ginn Jr. sticks.
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