2011 NFL Draft Results: San Francisco 49ers Land No Immediate Starters

The 49ers have a number of players who grade out well, but very few who are going to be immediate contributors. Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke drafted for the future, bringing in players who have massive potential and can be groomed into superstars under the right circumstances.

In the first round, the 49ers drafted Aldon Smith, in a somewhat surprising move. Harbaugh speaks highly of his character, but questions how much he will be able to contribute right away in the same interview.

It appears Smith may be a more expensive version of Ahmad Brooks, in his rookie campaign. At the moment, it doesn't look like the 49ers are going to completely disassemble the defense and plug in Smith to justify his high selection.

They could have easily went a different route here, taking Prince Amukamara and allowing him to fill the starting role. This pick set the tone for the draft. The new regime is looking a few years down the road, a far cry from Singletary's, "who can do what for me today?", approach.

The run on quarterbacks started immediately after the 49ers selected. Quarterbacks flew off the board, but the second tier of quarterbacks remained partially intact.

Rather than wait around and see if Colin Kaepernick would fall to them, the 49ers traded up in the second round to select their guy.

Once again, the 49ers drafted a guy with an incredibly high ceiling, who will need a couple of years to develop. Kaepernick is coming from an unorthodox pistol offense and has to work at being consistently sure with his throws.

He's a project, but one that could have outstanding results. While his future is bright, it doesn't appear he is going to come close to being NFL ready enough to compete with Alex Smith for a starting job, especially given the status of the lockout.

The fact that the 49ers waited until the third round to select a corner may mean they are going to aggressively pursue a corner in free agency. The secondary is shot and their third round draft pick Chris Culliver doesn't look like he is going to see the field in 2011 much outside of being a special teams contributor.

He suffered a season ending pectoral tear that cut his season short and caused him to slip to the third round. He is versatile enough to play safety at the next level if need be. The 49ers could have drafted Aaron Williams in the second round, but once again, they were a round late.

Kendall Hunter is a solid change of pace back, but his strong suit will be on third down, where Frank Gore is lethally effective. If Anthony Dixon is utilized in short yardage situations and Kendall Hunter provides the change of pace, it's going to dramatically limit Gore's carries.

I see him being utilized in special packages, but he has no chance of starting over Fore or getting more than ten touches a game this season.

Daniel Kilgore is a small school guy with small school questions. How will he stack up against elite talent? What position will he play? At the moment, the 49ers are in desperate need of an interior lineman. Waiting until the 5th round to take one probably doesn't mean they found a plug and play Mike Iupati type.

Ronald Johnson could have the best chance to work his way into the starting lineup of any of the draft picks. He's lethally fast and has better hands than Ginn. He could be a slot, he could be a Z. He's going to have to prove his worth to start over Josh Morgan though. Trent Baalke is also high on Kyle Williams, which will make it hard for him to take over the slot.

The 49ers are going to need a fullback for their WCO, preferably one a bit younger than Moran Norris. All signs pointed to Owen Marecic, but the 49ers decided to go with a defensive lineman they plan to convert to fullback. It's going to be a process. He could be the next Brit Miller.

Michael Person is another small school lineman who may or may not provide adequate depth. His chances of making the roster are slim and his chances of starting in 2011 are none.

Curtis Holcomb was the 49ers' last pick. It seems like they are far less concerned with what he offers defensively than they are about what he brings to special teams.

The plan may work out, but it could backfire. Loading up for the future may mean remaining stagnant, or even regressing in the win column. The 49ers are on the brink of being the best team in the NFC West. Time will tell if Harbaugh's invest in the future means adding another year (or two) to the playoff drought.

The 2011 draft suggests the 49ers are not concerned with winning division championships or being a fringe playoff team, but rather that they are gunning to return to Super Bowl relevancy.

Ignoring glaring needs to look to the future may prove to be a risky endeavor and fans are going to get anxious if they don't see an immediate impact made by rookies, especially if Prince Amukamara does well and Alex Smith struggles.

Even so, this draft class is very telling of what future 49ers drafts hold. Harbaugh and Baalked aren't fixated on winning any popularity contests. They want to bring in guys that fit the mold of what it means to be a 49er, both on the football field and as human beings.