49ers Address Two Needs
The San Francisco 49ers made the most out of their two picks in the first day of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Time to welcome Kentwan Balmer and Chilo Rachal to the 49ers.
With their first choices, the 49ers addressed the retirements of long time 49er stalwart Bryant Young and offensive lineman Larry Allen.
With the retirement of two possible Hall of Famers, the 49ers were in a bind to find replacements at those vacated positions. Although unspectacular to the average Joe Schmo, Balmer and Rachal will follow in their footsteps.
The 49ers are now anchored by young talent on the respective lines. Balmer is a pure nose tackle that eats up lots of space and Rachal has a Larry Allen-like mean streak and size that will prove valuable to the offensive line and the re-vamped offense.
Newcomer Justin Smith will team with Isaac Sopoaga, Aubrayo Franklin and Balmer on a defensive line that now has the size and interchangeable parts to play a 3-4 defense consistently.
Rachal at pick 39 could be a potential steal as he was touted to be a 1st round talent throughout the offseason. Second year offensive tackle Joe Staley, a young David Baas, and Rachal could anchor the offensive line for years to come. Veterans Eric Heitmann and Jonas Jennings round out the rest of the offensive line that was average at best last year.
The 49ers draft strategy for day one was obviously to fill the holes left by Young and Allen on their respective lines. It is still unclear what the 49ers will do for day two of the draft.
Some mock drafts had the 49ers picking a wide receiver with DeSean Jackson and Malcolm Kelly still on the board, but Mike Nolan went with the right choice by addressing the lines.
Both the offense and defense win with these picks because both units gain players that can step in relatively soon and make an impact.
In essence Mike Nolan gets his 3-4 nose tackle and Mike Martz gets his protection to run his offense. Having seen Martz's offenses with the Rams, protection will be key to the Martz spread offense. I think we can remember what happened to Kurt Warner in the very same offense. Once protection broke down, he became very ordinary.
Current quarterback Alex Smith will need the offensive line to give him those precious seconds to get the ball downfield. He still hasn't proved that he was worthy of being the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft but at least we know this: he is faster than Kurt Warner and can move around back there.
Although quarterback is still an issue, running backs
Frank Gore and former Panther DeShaun Foster should benefit immediately with Rachal taking Allen's place at guard.
At UNC, Balmer was named a team captain due to his leadership abilities. For years, Bryant Young was the heart and soul of the 49er defense. Having a leader to follow in his footsteps will prove invaluable to the 49er defense.
Overall, I give the 49ers an A- to Day 1 of the 2008 NFL Draft.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers mailbag: Is Christian McCaffrey being overused? Should Spencer Burford be benched? Is Steve Wilkes who the defense needs? When is Nick Bosa going to show up?
The San Francisco 49ers are 2-0 to start off the 2023 season. In 2021, the 49ers won their first two games but then lost their next four. A win Thursday night, in the home opener against the New York Giants, would be the 49ers' first 3-0 start since 2019. That season, the team started out 8-0 before going on to win the NFC West and cruise through the NFC playoffs on their way to a birth in Super Bowl LIV.
I can't seem to remember how that game turned out, though. It's like it's been blocked from my memory.
It doesn't matter, because we've moved on to the current season. And to celebrate the 2-0 start, we've opened up the mailbag to answer those questions burning a hole in your mind. So let's get to it.
Marc, what did ya think of CMC channelling
Two streaks come to an end for 49ers QB Brock Purdy
With two touchdown passes and the victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy became the first quarterback in NFL history to win each of his first six career regular-season starts and throw at least two touchdown passes in each start. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history with a passer rating of 95 or higher in each of his first six career regular-season starts.
Both of those streaks came to an end for the 49ers quarterback. Purdy was not credited with a touchdown pass. He initially had one to Deebo Samuel, but it was later changed to a rushing touchdown by the wide receiver. Purdy finished the game with a passer rating of
Why 49ers Nick Bosa appears "sluggish" through two games
After missing this year's OTA's and Training Camp in a hold out effort for a new contract, San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Defensive End Nick Bosa finally became the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, just days before the team's week one matchup against the Pittsburg Steelers. Bosa signed a five-year $170 million extension with the team.
It's easy to say Bosa's slow start in that week one matchup was due to his holdout and lack of football activity with the team this offseason. However, to say that sluggishness carried over into their week two matchup against their division rival Los Angeles Rams isn't entirely true. Far too often players (especially defensive players) are critiqued on stats alone. While stats help players earn end of the year accolades, they don't
Baldinger: Brandon Aiyuk is a fearless blocker, 49ers' best receiver
Brandon Aiyuk decleated Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Damontae Kazee on a block that helped launch running back Christian McCaffrey on a 65-yard touchdown run on Sunday. It was an impressive block by the San Francisco 49ers' fourth-year wide receiver, who never shies away from a big hit.
CMC 65-YARD TOUCHDOWN📺: #SFvsPIT on FOX📱: Stream on #NFLPlus
