2011 NFL Draft Preview: San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans

#7 San Francisco 49ers

What They Need: From the outside looking in, it’s easy to say, “The Niners have been horrible because of Alex Smith.  They have to draft a quarterback.”  I can tell you though that San Francisco is petrified of missing on another first round signal caller.  Most of the fan base would rather add a veteran via free agency and use this top pick on a more sure fire prospect than Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton.  That isn’t to say I completely agree with that sentiment.  New coach Jim Harbaugh is supposedly a master at developing quarterbacks.  If he got his hands on an athlete like Newton, who knows what he could turn him in to.  The rest of the 49er offense shouldn’t require much attention.  The offensive line starts three recent first round picks and two second rounders amongst Joe Staley, Mike Iupati, David Baas, Chilo Rachal, and Anthony Davis.  Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis are talented, young targets on the outside, but their growth has been limited by sporadic quarterback play.  Defensively the Niners are slightly overrated, but they have some very good players.  The defensive front is stout and Patrick Willis is a superstar, but the rest is suspect.  Pass rush is often absent, and pass coverage was atrocious at times last year.  Nate Clements is all but done, so corner is a major need.

Who They Might Pick: The Niners have too many blatant holes to make a luxury pick like AJ Green or Julio Jones.  A shutdown corner, major pass rusher, or perhaps their quarterback of the future are the only logical positions on which to spend this selection.  If San Fran loves either Newton or Gabbert, and their man happens to be on the board, they should probably take him.  If you love a quarterback in the draft and you don’t have a good one on your roster, you have to take the plunge and pick the passer.  That said, I don’t know how the Niners feel about Gabbert’s and Newton’s prospects.  Patrick Peterson should be gone by this spot, but if he’s not, I can’t envision the Niners picking anyone else.  Prince Amukamara should still be on the board at this point; he would be a very nice fall-back selection.  Amukamara is an excellent cover man with tremendous smarts and experience.  The knock on him was a perceived lack of speed, but he ran a sub 4.4 at the combine and effectively erased those doubts.  Von Miller and Robert Quinn would be the choices if San Fran fancies an edge rusher with this pick, and Miller is rated slightly higher at this point.  If Marcel Dareus or Nick Fairley are still dangling at this spot in the draft, the Niners would probably consider adding either as a great value pick.  Their defensive line is solid, but it’s aging and not truly dynamic, so Fairley or Dareus would fit a need (albeit one less pressing).

My Advice: Looking at my players available the choice comes down to the corner Amukamara or the pass rushers Miller and Quinn.  Prince Amukamara is a surer prospect than either of the sack masters, so I’d go with the Nebraska corner in this slot.  He’s smart, can start right away, and will improve this defense tremendously.

With the 7th pick, the San Francisco 49ers take Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska.

#8 Tennessee Titans

What They Need:  The Titans are a really interesting team in this year’s draft.  They pick high enough that a lot of mega prospects should be lingering on their board, but it’s tough to say where the Titans want to go with this selection.  They have a new coaching regime, and I wonder if they’re hesitant to consider Newton after the headaches of the Vince Young era, another unproven passer who was a mega-star in college (I assume Young won’t be with the Titans next year).   I think Newton will have a better career than Young has, but I’d still be unsure if I were the Titans.  Still, there’s no doubt quarterback will be a need for the now Jeff Fisher-less franchise, and Newton may be the best signal caller available.  Kenny Britt is a really talented wideout, and obviously Chris Johnson is an elite running back.  They could use another offensive playmaker on the outside, so receiver could be an option.  The offensive line is good but not great, so they won’t invest a top pick in an already solid unit.  Defensively, there are some very good players on this roster.  Defensive end Jason Babin, a 2004 first round pick that spent the past few years bouncing around the league, finally excelled last year in Tennessee and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl.  Bookending Babin is last year’s first round pick Derrick Morgan, who looks to be a very promising player.  Jason Jones is a very good, young defensive tackle that could use some more help in the trenches.  Though their linebackers are unspectacular, it’s a solid group, and there won’t be a 4-3 linebacker worthy of the eighth overall selection.  Cortland Finnegan is a really good corner, and Alterraun Verner looked great as a rookie last year.  Chris Hope and Michael Griffin form a very good safety duo.  So, the Titans’ biggest needs are quarterback, another receiver, defensive tackle, linebacker help, and maybe another corner for depth purposes.

Who They Might Pick: I think If Newton is still on the board, he’s the most likely pick.  You just can’t pass on such a talented player if he’s still on the board.  Yes, I have tons of questions about him, but it’s a big need for the Titans, and he has unlimited potential.  If Newton is gone they could look to target Oregon State nose tackle Stephen Paea to solidify the run defense.  Dareus and Fairley would be no-brainer selections, but I think both guys will be gone.  The Titans don’t run a 3-4, so the edge rush linebackers are out of the equation and their defensive ends are tremendous, so Da’Quan Bowers is out as well.  Amukamara could be the pick here, though I don’t think he represents a big need.  The Titans’ choice should come down to Newton or Paea, and if both are still on the board, Newton will be the guy.

My Advice: It scares the hell out of me, but draft Cam Newton.  If you pass him up and he turns into a star, it’ll bury your franchise.  Newton is a smarter guy than Young, he’s more polished, and he handled a ton of adversity last year at Auburn.  Newton was probably the most famous athlete in America for about five months, endured a huge scandal, and still won every game he played in.  There’s something to be said for that.  Plus, he may be the most athletic quarterback since Michael Vick burst onto the scene in 2001.  Comparisons to Tim Tebow are utterly ridiculous.

With the 8th pick, the Tennessee Titans select Cam Newton, QB, Auburn.

--from Adam

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