San Francisco 49ers NFL Draft Q and A with Ninernoise

There are only a few days left until the draft and with that in mind I thought I’d have a little Question and Answer session with an expert of sorts from every team in the National Football League. Today we have a chat with Eric Melendez of the 49ers blog Ninernoise.

1). Is Alex Smith the answer in San Francisco?

From 2005-2010, I was convinced Alex Smith was the answer. In 2011 I thought it was a huge mistake for Jim Harbaugh to bring him back as the quarterback. At the time I thought it would have been best for the 49ers and Smith to part ways because Smith had nothing left to prove. Then in the 2011 season Harbaugh was able to get Smith to play at level unseen before that kept the 49ers in games and allowed them to win by limiting turnovers. Alex Smith is now the answer again, but only for the next one to two seasons. In the long-term, second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick is the answer. Should Alex Smith revert back to how he played from 2005-2010, the 49ers Faithful will not hesitate to chant Kaepernick’s name.

2). After free agency what are the 49ers biggest needs?

The 49ers have two big needs: right guard and safety. On the roster currently at right guard the 49ers only have Daniel Kilgore and Alex Boone. Both could be capable of starting at right guard but what is concerning is Kilgore saw action in one game last season, his first season in the NFL, and Boone has never started an NFL game in his two seasons in the league.

On defense the 49ers have two solid starting safeties with Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson. However after the starters the 49ers are considerably lacking in depth at safety. If Whinter or Goldson go down with an injury the 49ers will have a glaring weakness in the secondary for defenses to exploit unless a suitable backup is signed.

3). Any young player the team is counting on to step up and fill the needs from Q2?

Michael Crabtree is a player most 49ers fans are expecting to finally have his breakout season. Crabtree has had his moments but he is not playing at the level a No. 10 overall pick should be playing at. With Randy Moss and Mario Manningham signed in the off-season and the 49ers possibly selecting a wide receiver or two in the draft, Crabtree needs to step up his game otherwise he will lose the faith of the fans.

4). Is there a player the 49ers seem to be targeting with the first pick?

It’s hard to say what the 49ers will do with their first round pick. They only need one starter on offense or defense, at right guard, that could be filled with a first pick, but there is no guarantee a player picked 30^th overall can contribute right away. Also, if you look at whom the 49ers have worked out for the draft there is a wide range of positions which might indicate they will take the best player available when they are up for selection.

5.) Is there a player the fans would like with their first pick?

There is not a specific player Niner fans would like to see picked at 30^th overall but we do prefer either a guard or a safety to give the team some depth.

6). Who do 49ers fans feel as of today is the biggest challenge in the N.F.C. West?

The Rams. Niner fans were surprised by how bad the Rams played in 2011 compared to how they finished the 2010. Injuries had a lot to do with the Rams woes, but in 2012 and going forward the Rams have a new really good head coach in Jeff Fisher who knows how to win and turn teams into contenders. The 49ers will win the NFC West but the Rams will give them the biggest challenge within the division.

7). What kind of draft philosophy has been developed under general manager Trent Baalke, even though he’s only been there one year, surely he’s had a large hand in the way they’ve approached the draft?

GM Trent Baalke is really good at finding great value in the later rounds of the draft. With that skill Baalke has developed a draft philosophy of value over need. Certainly that does not mean they always go with value over need, but if the player checks-off many of the qualities they are looking for they will not hesitate to pull the trigger on the player they want. They will look at a player’s size, intelligence, competitiveness and what he brings to the locker-room in figuring out value in a player.
8). Anything else to add?

Niner Noise can be followed on twitter @SFNinerNoise. There are no specific players the 49ers need to target but a good strategy heading into the draft is finding players who can add depth to the roster.

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