49ers Draft Recap

By Kalen Patrick

From the first 2 picks it was clear what Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh identified as the 49ers biggest weakness, which is (or now was) explosiveness. The 49ers selected AJ Jenkins and LaMichael James in the 1st and 2nd rounds respectively. Both players who clocked in or around the 4.3's in their 40 times, both players are known for their big play capabilities, homerun threats, whatever you'd like to call it.

The 49ers seriously lacked speed at WR which meant Ted Ginn often got a lot of action purely based on his speed, for the record, I love Ginn as a returner, but he should only be seeing minimal time at WR. The 49ers add a hopefully revitalized Randy Moss to mentor AJ Jenkins, add in Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham and you got the makeup of a pretty damn good WR corp. I see AJ Jenkins as the #4 WR in his rookie year, he will require some seasoning before being thrust in to full time action. With the complexity of the 49ers playbook I expect we won't see too much of AJ until post-bye week.

FROM L-R: HC JIM HARBAUGH, WR AJ JENKINS AND GM TRENT BAALKE

I really like the LaMichael James pick, the draft is too often looked at for short term success, I think with this pick Baalke was looking long term for the 49ers. I love Frank Gore as much as anyone but with his injury history, workload to date and age, I can imagine he only has 1-2 more productive years ahead. Unfortunately that is the reality in the NFL for RB's. The future at RB is mostly gonna be Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James, throw in the bruiser back either Brandon Jacobs or Anthony Dixon and there you have the future. LaMichael can hit and get through small gaps with ease, has a great ability to change direction, is more elusive than you'd think and can flat out run. Future looks bright at RB for the 49ers.

RB LAMICHAEL JAMES, 49ERS 2ND ROUND PICK

The rest of the picks are essentially for depth, I like the focus on the OL (Looney and Slowey) and also on the Safety position. One of my favorite picks of the draft was Cam Johnson, multiple projections had him going in the 2nd-3rd round. Safe to say the 49ers got him WAY later than that! Can add depth at OLB and will provide immediate competition for Parys Haralson on the roster. Former Stanford WR Chris Owusu was the notable non-drafted free agent signing.

That about sums up the 49ers draft, I really liked what we did, I'm not the kind of person to give any draft grades because we won't know how these guys turn out for 2-3 years. Can't wait to see these guys in practice and pre-season and hopefully contribute in the regular season.

Cardinals take Floyd

This gives the Cardinals a pair of scary receivers. I was a bit surprised thought that they failed to fill a need at Tackle. Their offensive line is still horrendous, and that might prevent them from getting the most out of their WR corp since their QB will be under a lot of pressure.

Bills take Gilmore, Chiefs take Poe

Well I'm glad that I got one right in my mock with Pat Tulini. We called Gilmore to the Bills at 10. Big surprise however that the Chiefs picked Poe. I think this is clearly a case where need dictated the pick rather than Poe's actual production. Hopefully it turns out well for them though.

Panthers take Keuchly at 9

This is a big surprise to me, that a team with Jon Beason as their MLB would take another MLB who does similar things. Keuchly will be good, but they're similar players. I think they would've been better served taking a DT like Fletcher Cox personally.

Bucs go Barron

Nice pick here, you team him up with newly signed Eric Wright and the secondary should be nicely improved. Especially when you play Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton twice a year

Tampa Bay Picks Barron at 7

Good pick for them, they have decent CBs but could really use a safety. He should help their run defense.

Dallas Cowboys

I guess Dallas is moving up for Barron? What's your guys thoughts?

Draft

Somewhere Colt McCoy is smiling, and with the Jags trade to number 5 then somewhere Sam Bradford is crying cause no Justin Blackmon for them. As a 49ers fan, hahahha

Picks 5-10

Supposedly Tampa and Jacksonville are swapping picks, Tampa going from 5 to 7 and Jacksonville going from 7 to 5 along with trading some other picks. This is presumably to get Justin Blackmon. I like this deal for them, they really need to get Gabbert some weapons. This deal also hurts the St. Louis Rams.

Vikings take Matt Kalil at #4

They decided to get a guy to help their porous offensive line. I really like this pick for them.

Draft

I think Kalil goes 4, Claiborne 5 and then Blackmon 6. How about you guys?

1st 3 picks

Well, now that the Cleveland Browns have traded up to #3 it's pretty obvious they're going for Trent Richardson. Everyone knows Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin the 3rd are going #1 and #2. So, the top 3 is solidified now and things will get interesting starting with pick #4. We'll see what happens.

2012 NFL Draft

Moments away from the start of the Draft, Cleveland has just traded up to 3 with Minnesota to presumably take Trent Richardson. Definitely a smart move by them, not sold on Tannehill that high and can maybe look to take Weeden later? Or do they still believe in Colt McCoy?

Draft Day

It's finally here! The 2012 NFL Draft is finally here. Kalen and I will be doing some blogging during the draft, and giving our opinions on the picks. I'll also be interested to see how my mock draft stacks up to the actual first 2 rounds of the draft. Before we get started on the draft, how about some pre draft news:

According to ProFootballTalk.com, the Steelers are interested in Donta Hightower. I definitely think that's a decent fit for them: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/26/steelers-and-donta-hightower-cant-shake-each-other/

According to Sal Paolantonio on NFL Live, the Jets won't be moving up for Trent Richardson. Will be interested in a defensive player. Makes sense in my opinion, because outside of Revis their defense has been lacking some talent lately. Their key players got old.

According to Tony Pauline, the 49ers have a lot of interest in Guard Amini Silatolu: http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/7501/amini-silatolu

I can't wait for the draft to start!

Twas' the Night Before the Draft....

By Kalen Patrick

Tomorrow is one of the biggest days in the Football Calendar, Franchises will be forever changed, coaches and GM's jobs will be effected based on which players get picked. Will your team pick the next Joe Montana or will they pick the next Ryan Leaf? Will you get a complete and total bust like Charles Rogers or an absolute stud like Larry Fitzgerald?

No one has any idea what is going to happen with 1 exception, we ALL know Andrew Luck is going number 1 to the Indianapolis Colts and Robert Griffin III is going to the Washington Redskins at number 2. After that? It is anybody's guess. Mock drafts by the most highly respected mock experts and analysts will be blown out of the water by the 10th pick (I guarantee it). It's the beauty of the Draft, you never know what's going to happen. What's even better? Is when you are upset with a pick at the time but it turns out to be a great pick (my reaction last year to the 49ers picking Aldon Smith for example).

All of the GM's and Scouts and coaching staff have put in months and months of work, and the players selected by the teams will reflect that work, of course there are going to be some hits and some misses. My only advice to any fan tuning in tomorrow night is to NOT overreact to your teams pick, realize a lot of work and thought was put in to it, and even if the pick turns out to be a bust, there was logic and reason behind it. Don't hate on the pick immediately either, that player just might be the next Rookie of the Year.

San Francisco 49ers Draft Preview

By Kalen Patrick

The 49ers have managed to bring back all 11 starters on a defense that is a top 3 defense in the NFL. Even the backups are extremely talented. The 49ers main focus needs to be on the offense early in the draft. The biggest weaknesses entering the draft are RG and WR. I really think that Alex and Pat did such a great job on their mock draft of identifying the 49ers needs and addressing them in the first 2 rounds. Alex Young & Pat Tulini Mock Draft

I think when it comes down to it, the 49ers need more consistency on offense, the best way of getting that done is staying in the same offense (check) QB returning (check) and then improve O-Line and Receivers. The 49ers  added Mario Manningham and Randy Moss to their receiver corp. 2 very solid additions, when you add in Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams it's a solid set of receivers. The one issue is that there are no clear #1 receivers among them, just a lot of #2's and #3's. I'd like to see the 49ers go for a luxury high risk high reward type WR in the draft.

I really like Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech, I think he can be a real good addition and possibly develop in to that #1 WR the 49ers have lacked since the trade of Terrell Owens. Going by the Mock Draft by my friends Alex and Pat, I think Brandon Brooks would be another great addition to the O-Line and could battle with Kilgore for the RG spot.

I full expect the 49ers to go WR and RG with their 1st and 2nd round picks, but I'm not sure which order they will do that. Through the rest of the draft, expect the 49ers to add depth at D-Line and Safety in particular. The draft is only 2 days away, I can't wait to see who the 49ers add. It's gonna be fun!

Giants, sweep the Doubleheader

By Kalen Patrick

Rain postponed Tim Lincecum's chance for redemption for a day, but that didn't seem to bother him too much as he came out and pitched a solid 5 innings in earning the 1st of 2 wins for the Giants today. Lincecum gave up only 1 run and struck out 8 hitters in his 5 innings of work. It was his high pitch counts that prevented him from going any further in this outing but with his current struggles I'm sure both he and the Giants coaching staff were happy with what they saw.

You can thank the homerun's by Buster Posey and more importantly Nate Schierholtz in locking down the 1st game of the day. Other notables from the game were the outstanding job of the bullpen going 4 innings with 0 ER and also Emmanuel Burriss' spectacular play to turn the double play in the 5th.

TIM LINCECUM REBOUNDED WITH A SOLID PEFORMANCE

Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey have been monsters so far in the 3 and 4 hole in the Giants lineup respectively. The Giants took the 1st game on a score of 6-1. The 2nd game turned out to be very similar to the 1st, Bumgarner went 7 strong innings, only giving up 1 ER, the Giants were again able to pile up runs and ended up winning 7-2.

Pablo Sandoval has a hit in every game so far this season, that puts him on a 16 game hitting streak and ties the Great Willie Mays in the longest hit streak in Giants history when the streak starts opening day. Sandoval is hitting .333 with 3 HR's and 13 RBI. Just on a tear to start the season, I'd love to see Posey's numbers matched with that if he didn't have to ease back in to the lineup, however, backup C Hector Sanchez is making a name for himself. Sanchez already has 7 RBI on the season and today had a solid outing hitting a HR and driving in 3 runs. In fact in terms of RBI Hector is outdoing the very good Buster Posey.

STAY HOT PABLO SANDOVAL

I love the production from all these young players and it really bodes well for the Giants future. Guys like Sandoval and Posey are cornerstones and in their prime, then you have Hector Sanchez, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Brett Pill all there contributing to wins and will only get better with time. I really like how the team is playing now. If Timmy becomes Timmy then watch out cause these Giants are gonna be tough to beat and fun to watch.

2 round collaborative 2012 NFL mock draft between Alex Young and Pat Tulini

Draft Order – Round 1

1. Colts – QB Andrew Luck – Stanford

2. Redskins – QB Robert Griffin III – Baylor

3. Vikings – OT Matt Kalil – USC

4. Browns – RB Trent Richardson – Alabama

5. Buccaneers – CB Morris Claiborne – LSU

6. Rams – WR Justin Blackmon – Oklahoma St.

7. Jaguars – WR Michael Floyd – Notre Dame

8. Dolphins – QB Ryan Tannehill – Texas A&M

9. Panthers – DT Fletcher Cox – Mississippi St.

10. Bills – CB Stephon Gilmore – South Carolina

11. Chiefs – ILB Luke Kuechly – Boston College

12. Seahawks – DE Melvin Ingram – South Carolina

13. Cardinals – OT Riley Reiff – Iowa

14. Cowboys – S Mark Barron – Alabama

15. Eagles – DT Dontari Poe – Memphis

16. NY Jets – OG David DeCastro – Stanford

17. Bengals – DT Michael Brockers – LSU

18. Chargers – OLB Shea McClellin – Boise St.

19. Bears – OT Jonathan Martin – Stanford

20. Titans – DE Quinton Coples – UNC

21. Bengals – CB Dre' Kirkpatrick – Alabama

22. Browns – TE Coby Fleener – Stanford

23. Lions – OT/OG Cordy Glenn – Georgia

24. Steelers – DE Courtney Upshaw – Alabama

25. Broncos – DT Jerel Worthy – Michigan St.

26. Texans – WR Kendall Wright – Baylor

27. Patriots – DE Andre' Branch – Clemson

28. Packers – DE/OLB Nick Perry – USC

29. Ravens – OG Kevin Zeitler – Wisconsin

30. 49ers – WR Stephen Hill – Georgia Tech

31. Patriots – S Harrison Smith – Notre Dame

32. NY Giants – OC Peter Konz – Wisconsin

Round 2

33. Rams – DT Devon Still – Penn St.

34. Colts – DT Brandon Thompson – Clemson

35. Vikings – CB Janoris Jenkins – North Alabama

36. Buccaneers – OLB Zach Brown – UNC

37. Browns – DE Whitney Mercilus – Illinois

38. Jaguars – DE Chandler Jones – Syracuse

39. Rams – RB David Wilson – Virginia Tech

40. Panthers – CB Josh Robinson – UCF

41. Bills – OT Mike Adams – Ohio St.

42. Dolphins – WR Rueben Randle – LSU

43. Seahawks – ILB Dont'a Hightower – Alabama

44. Chiefs – QB Bandon Weeden – Oklahoma St.

45. Cowboys – OG Amini Silatolu – Midwestern St.

46. Eagles – S Markelle Martin – Oklahoma St.

47. NY Jets – RB Doug Martin – Boise St.

48. Patriots – WR Alshon Jeffery – South Carolina

49. Chargers – DT Kendall Reyes – Uconn.

50. Bears – TE Dwayne Allen – Clemson

51. Eagles – LB Lavonte David – Nebraska

52. Titans – CB Trumaine Johnson – Montana

53. Bengals – RB Lamar Miller – Miami

54. Lions – CB Brandon Boykin – Georgia

55. Falcons – TE Ladarius Green – Louisiana-Lafayette

56. Steelers – DT Alameda Ta'amu – Washington

57. Broncos – QB Brock Osweiler – Arizona St.

58. Texans – OT Mitchell Schwartz – California

59. Packers – RB LaMichael James – Oregon

60. Ravens – OLB Ronnell Lewis – Oklahoma

61. 49ers – OG Brandon Brooks – Miami (OH)

62. Patriots – ILB Bobby Wagner – Utah St.

63. NY Giants – WR Mohamed Sanu - Rutgers

Summer 2012, The Giants and Me

By Kalen Patrick

What is it about Baseball that is so special? To be perfectly honest I love watching Football much more than Baseball, heck even Basketball and Hockey sometimes grabs my attention more than any Baseball game. But what is it about Baseball that just makes it so damn fun?

Is it the fact that no matter who you are and how old you are you feel like a kid when you hear the sound of a bat crush the ball? Is it the skill it takes to throw a ball 95+ MPH and make it dip right in front of the batter? Is it the skill it takes to hit one of those pitches and hit it far? Is it singing "Take me out to the ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch? Is it putting your cap on inside out when you want your team to rally back? Well....for me it's everything! I love this game, granted I do love other sports too but whether it's the history of the game or whatever feelings Baseball brings up, Baseball is awesome, and if you disagree with me well I don't give a shit.

New season for my San Francisco Giants, at the time of writing we are 7-7. Timmy has sucked, Cain is earning his big new contract, Melky Cabrera is making Brian Sabean look real good with how he has played thus far, Posey and Sandoval are hitting, and unfortunately Brian Wilson is done. That basically sums up the Giants so far. One thing I love about reading ESPN articles or any other sports media outlet, is how people just way way overreact so early in the season. Most teams have played about 15 games? So that's what, not even 10% of the season.

Whatever has happened so far will be long forgotten when we are in July, trust me. Here's what's gonna happen, Timmy will be much better than he has shown, the Giants will be a good not elite team, they will be fighting to the end for a playoff spot, and just like 2010, if the Giants get in, no one will want to face us. The season is so so young at this point, any team that expects to be a contender, is still a contender, even Boston, come on, talk about overreaction!

Enjoy some pictures from the first of many Giants games I will be attending. (April 16th, Giants vs Phillies)

Let's just sit back, enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds, and see what happens.