San Francisco 49ers - NFC West

San Francisco 49ers - NFC West, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects

San Francisco 49ers

The Draft Was ... Lacking in sure things. DT Kentwan Balmer, OG Chilo Rachal, and DB Reggie Smith are good prospects, but they each have a huge downside. The Niner draft is really about Joe Staley, last year's pick in a trade with New England who spent the season getting his feet wet and will now move to the left side.
Best Value Pick: Josh Morgan, WR Virginia Tech. 6th round. While he didn't do much at Virginia Tech, he has the size and the speed to become a far better pro. He could eventually emerge as a strong No. 2 target.
Biggest Reach: Kentwan Balmer, DT North Carolina. 1st round. There's a huge, screaming bust tag just waiting to be put on the former Tar Heel if he doesn't find the fire, but considering how athletic 300-pound tackles are worth their weight in gold, he was a chance worth taking.
They Should've ... Worked on getting a top-flight receiver early. Chilo Rachal was a need pick for an O line that needs an upgrade, but finding a No. 1 receiver is more important. There might be a lot of explaining to do with James Hardy, DeSean Jackson, Malcolm Kelly and Limas Sweed still around in the second round.

#	Pick
29	29	1st Round    Kentwan Balmer, DT/DE North Carolina Easily the toughest call among the tackles, Balmer went from being a nice inside presence for the Tar Heels to a major producer in his senior season. With his 6-4, 308-pound size and shocking quickness, he has the power to be an anchor who occupies a few blockers at a time, and he has the athleticism to dominate as an end in a 3-4 scheme. Now the question is whether or not he wants it badly enough. He looks the part, but he's the type of prospect who gets scouts fired or promoted depending on how he turns out. CFN Projection: First Round    CFN Position Rank: 5

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2nd Round    Chilo Rachal, OG USC He could've used another year in school, leaving early due to family medical issues, but he's just fine as a guard prospect if he's allowed a little time to develop. He'll have problems against quicker linemen and isn't a great pass protector, but he has good size and nice power for the ground game. If he has to be nimble and has to get on the move in a finesse offense, he won't fit. Ask him to hit someone over and over again on a second half drive and he'll get the job done. CFN Projection: Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 2

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3rd Round  Reggie Smith, CB/S Oklahoma Smith's ability to play either corner or safety will allow a defensive coordinator to play around with him in several situations. A good hitter, he made plenty of stops over the last three years and became more of a ball-hawker last season when he settled into more of a corner role. Not a blazer, he can get beaten deep and he gave up way too many home runs when he was at safety. Basically, he's a good NFL prospect at several positions, but not great at any one. CFN Projection: Second Round to Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 10 (as a CB)

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4th Round    Cody Wallace, C Texas A&M Extremely strong with a great attitude and work ethic, he's going to make himself an NFL player. One of A&M's top weightlifters, pushing people around isn't a problem. However, he doesn't always play as strong as he is and doesn't flatten as many defenders as he probably should. On want-to he'll be impossible to cut and will be a good backup, but he's limited and isn't going to do much against the better tackles. CFN Projection: Fifth Round    CFN Position Rank: 6

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6th Round   Josh Morgan, WR Virginia Tech With a great size/speed combination he has the tools to become a sleeper who comes up with a productive ten-year career as a third or fourth receiver. He was never used enough at Virginia Tech, but he didn't always do well when he was forgotten about and disappeared at times. Basically, he went to the wrong school. Had he been a featured No. 1 receiver with all the attention that comes with it, he would've been a college superstar. While his numbers improved over his career, he never made the jump from good to fantastic. That could quickly change in the pros. CFN Projection: Mid-Third to Fourth Round   CFN Position Rank: 16

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7th Round  Larry Grant, OLB Ohio State A JUCO transfer who did a decent job on the outside last year for the Buckeyes, he's a tough run stopper who holds up well against anyone no matter what the size. However, he's not all that big and doesn't have quite enough speed and athleticism to be a weakside defender in the pros. CFN Projection: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: 41