Previous Pick: Green Bay Packers
10. San Francisco 49ers
-Matthew Stafford (QB/Georgia)
- NFL.com
To most of you, seeing Stafford here may not make much sense. But if Detroit passes on him, the next team that legitimately could justify selecting a quarterback is San Francisco. They drafted Alex Smith with the 1st overall pick in 200, but he has struggled mightily thus far. Shaun Hill showed some spark this year, but obviously he is not the clear starter or the 49ers wouldn’t have tried to sign Kurt Warner.
Stafford offers great value at the 10th spot. His arm strength is superb, and he really impressed teams with his interviewing skills during the combine. The ideal situation for him would be to sit behind Shaun Hill and/or Alex Smith until he is ready to step in as the starter.
Note: although I really like Mark Sanchez, I think there isn’t enough film to evaluate him properly. He is a more risky pick, so Stafford gets the nod.
-Rey Maualuga (ILB/USC)
- NFL.com
Think of how awesome a force the 49ers would have if they chose Rey Maualuga to play alongside Patrick Willis. I think teams would be soiling their uniforms just thinking about running the ball up the middle! Coach Singletary, a former Bears linebacker could appreciate having a player of Maualuga’s caliber. Now, Takeo Spikes is 34 years old, and an infusion of youth behind him (or in front) would be a welcome addition. I could see Mike Singletary attempt to build a defense as ferocious as the ones he was a part of. And make no mistake, bringing in Maualuga would be a huge step in that direction.
-Brian Cushing (OLB/USC)
- NFL.com
A tough, hardworking, versatile player, Brian Cushing is the kind of complete football player that Singletary wants. Current OLB Manny Lawson hasn’t been very productive (3 sacks), so the 49ers should be looking for an upgrade on the right side.
Cushing is one of the more ready outside linebackers in this class. He is much farther along in pass coverage than any of the converted linebackers would be. And since Aaron Maybin isn’t valued this highly in my opinion, then Cushing is the target.
-Andre Smith (LT/Alabama)
- NFL.com
This is maybe a bit too early to consider Andre Smith, but he would really help establish the right side of the 49ers line. Jonas Jennings was a poor right tackle, and unfortunately Joe Staley can’t play both tackle spots simultaneously.
Smith is an excellent run blocker and actually would make an excellent right tackle, even though he played on the left side in college. After he showed up to the combine out of shape, his stock took a hit. But there is no question about his abilities. As the winner of the Outlander trophy, he joins the likes of men like Joe Thomas, Jonathan Ogden, Chris Samuels, and Orlando Pace.
San Francisco is in dire need of offensive line help (allowed 55 sacks). They allowed more sacks than any other team in the league. The only reason I have Smith here because the top 3 left tackles will probably be gone by this pick. The 49ers may feel they can choose a better play now, and address the line after round 1.
Next on the clock: Buffalo Bills
Keep voting so we can compare the fan picks with my own! At the end of my completed mock draft I will show all the results. Great job so far.
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Man, I’m sure the Niners would love to have all of these guys still on the board. On the one hand, I could see them taking Stafford and then grooming him for a year or two. On the other hand, as you pointed out, Singletary is obviously a defense-first kind of guy and both of the linebackers you listed are already hometown favorites (USC). Of course, Mark Sanchez is also a Trojan. Wow, that’s a tough one to call. I’m still leaning towards Stafford, though.
By the way, here’s the information you asked about on my site:
Of the currently starting quarterbacks drafted in the last ten years…
14 were selected in the 1st round (out of 28 total)
2 were selected in the 2nd round (out of 11 total)
2 were selected in the 3rd round (out of 14 total)
4 were selected in the 4th round (out of 13 total)
0 were selected in the 5th round (out of 20 total)
2 were selected in the 6th round (out of 22 total)
1 was selected in the 7th round (out of 24 total)
That’s 25 starters. The 7 missing were either drafted before 1999 or were not drafted at all. Here are the other 7:
2 were selected in the 1st round
1 was selected in the 6th round
4 went undrafted
Of course, I had to make some broad assumptions here. I projected Sage Rosenfels, Kellen Clemens, Luke McCown, and Shaun Hill as current starters. This may or may not be the case come season’s start.