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The finish line is within sight and we should be able to just squeeze these all in in time. Thanks go to c63tho for the analysis and write up here. Next up: New England Patriots (Part 2) and they'll again be represented by VinnySteel.
By the way, take note of the cool little minute-long draft profiles from SBN NFL that are embedded with these picks. It's been Michael Bean's personal project to make these videos happen, and let us know what you think of them! -barnerburner-
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The San Francisco 49ers are in a very good position at the moment. They finished the season at 13-3, and were only two fumbles away from a Super Bowl appearance and a shot at a six-pack of Super Bowl titles (gasp!). Even better, however, is their outlook on the future. The league's number one runstopping defence returns all eleven starters, and the offense has reloaded with the additions of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. With very few holes in their roster and a strong coach at the helm, the future is very bright.
This being said, the 49ers are now in a position to wait for the Best Player Available, or trade down to get quality depth at a better price. GM Trent Baalke "already has a man in mind" at pick 30, but it's anyone's guess as to who that would be. Looking at the prospects on board right now, there are many quality prospects available to choose from, so I'll give it a shot here.
Coby Fleener, Stanford: Much ado has been made about Fleener's size, hands, route-running ability, and speed. Oh, and did I forget to mention he was Coach Harbaugh's favourite target at Stanford? These factors have everyone drooling over at Candlestick Park, where it seems like a match made in heaven. Frankly though, I see it, but I don't really like it. Vernon Davis is target A1 on this offense and I don't need to expound on him, but Delanie Walker is no slouch either - he'd be a stud on any other team as a polished player with capable hands, a good blocker, and 4.49 speed at the 40. I think he's been overshadowed for much of his career by Vernon Davis, but he's an elite talent himself. Two star tight ends (Davis, Walker), three legitimate receivers (Michael Crabtree, Moss, and Manningham in the slot), and a star running back in Frank Gore means that there will be too many mouths to feed if we add Fleener to the mix.
Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama: A top quality corner with great cover skills and the talent of a top-15 pick, Jenkins has extremely solid tape and would only add to the elite defence in San Francisco. However, legitimate character concerns (arrested for drugs) have shoved him down the board. The Niners signed their presumptive starters Carlos Rogers (returning) and Perrish Cox. These guys are inked in as the starters, while Tarell Brown and Chris Culliver will be part of a strong competition for third. I like the idea of Jenkins a lot, but they've already added one troubled corner and it'd be difficult to manage another. I really hate passing up Jenkins here, but there's other talents available as well.
Which brings us to...
Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin: Another year, another star Badger lineman enters the draft. There are some who like Zeitler even better than DeCastro (Greg Cosell, for example), with his work ethic, strength, and intensity. Obligatory stat-chucking: in 2011, Zeitler had 142 knockdown blocks and 53 blocks directly leading to touchdowns. He's a mauling run-blocker (as with most, if not all, Wisconsin linemen), but he also is a relatively polished pass-blocker. As a whole, he's the consensus number two guard in a very strong guard class. The Niners could fit him in right away, replacing departing guards Chilo Rachal and Adam Snyder with a formidable road-grader.
With the 30th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin.
Joe Staley, Mike Iupati, Jonathan Goodwin, Kevin Zeitler, and Anthony Davis will give the Niners a strong, young O-line for years to come, and fan-favourite Daniel Kilgore will eventually push out Goodwin at center.
BTSC 2012 Community Mock Draft Picks:
- Indianapolis Colts -- Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
- Washington Redskins -- Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
- Minnesota Vikings -- Matt Kalil, OT, USC
- Cleveland Browns -- Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
- St. Louis Rams -- Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
- Jacksonville Jaguars -- Quinton Coples, DE, UNC
- Miami Dolphins -- Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
- Carolina Panthers -- Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
- Buffalo Bills -- Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
- Kansas City Chiefs -- Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State
- Seattle Seahawks -- Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina
- Arizona Cardinals -- Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
- Dallas Cowboys -- Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
- Philadelphia Eagles -- Mark Barron, S, Alabama
- New York Jets -- Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
- Cincinnati Bengals -- Cordy Glenn, G/T, Georgia
- San Diego Chargers -- Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC
- Chicago Bears -- David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
- Tennessee Titans -- Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
- Cincinnati Bengals -- Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
- Cleveland Browns -- Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
- Detroit Lions -- Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
- Pittsburgh Steelers -- Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
- Denver Broncos -- Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
- Houston Texans -- Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
- New England Patriots -- Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama
- Green Bay Packers -- Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise State
- Baltimore Ravens -- Devon Still, DT, Penn State