Defense wins Championships

Defense wins Championships

With the NFL Draft three months away, the San Francisco 49ers can make a huge push towards the playoffs during the spring. With an offseason that will hopefully be highlighted by a massive right tackle through the draft, a sure-tackling safety, a physical cornerback, and a drastic improvement in our return game; the 49ers are definitely not more than these few pieces away from “goodness” (greatness may be a stretch).

For those who are unaware, the New York Jets headed by rookie coach Rex Ryan and rookie QB Mark Sanchez are one game away from the Super Bowl. They have relied on a consistent rushing attack and a hard-hitting, ball-hawking defense to propel them to two straight road playoff victories. Was this the type of transformation we were hoping for when we hired Mike Singletary halfway through the 2008 season? Absolutely. However, we are not as far from these goals as our 8-8 record might illustrate.

Our rushing attack had some great highs in 2009. For instance, during week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, Frank Gore rushed for 207 yards to go along with his two TD scampers (79 & 80 yard variety). But, our rushing attack’s failures are duly noted. We ranked 25th in the NFL logging 1,600 rushing yards on the season. If the San Francisco 49ers can improve on that number and perhaps sign/draft a change of pace third down back (a la Darren Sproles), we can limit the wear and tear on Frank Gore and allow him to do his work in the trenches (where he has dominated in his 5-year career).

Who do I believe the 49ers should target in the April draft? As of right now, it is not so much the players as it is the positions (The NFL Draft portion below will explain why). As I mentioned earlier, an offensive tackle at 13 or 17 seems mandatory. Joe Staley has proven he can handle the rigors at left tackle, but we need someone to anchor the right side (I’ll predict Brian Bulaga from Iowa). With our other pick in the first round, a defensive back is a must. The only chance we will probably have at Eric Berry (Tennessee safety) is if teams worry that he may have to transform into a cornerback (a legitimate idea in the minds of scouts).

With a few improvements to the offensive line and defensive secondary (along with a return man), the 2009 New York Jets could quickly become the 2010 San Francisco 49ers. It is not that big of a stretch, it is not a pipe dream, and within a year, it could become reality.



The NFL Draft

I don’t know about many football fans, but to me, the weeks leading up to the draft are filled with excitement, bold draft predictions, and a dream for the upcoming season. The mock drafts that you glance at are exactly that: Mock. Imposter. Fake. It’s great to see the 49ers drafting Eric Berry in one draft, but according to others, he will go third to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Don’t get caught up in the hype of a mock draft.

These so-called experts just try and create a buzz. The reality? Future NFL players win and lose in the draft based on their combine and individual workouts. The combine is scheduled for the last two weeks in February. The individual workouts follow thereafter. “Great” players in college fall by the wayside when they run a 4.62 40-yard dash instead of the 4.5 they “should be” recording. San Francisco 49ers fans know this all too well; our 11th pick overall, Michael Crabtree, fell this far because he did not compete in the combine. It can be a blessing or a curse. After his exciting 2009 debut, I call it a blessing. Oakland Raiders fans…you can call that a curse.

NFL players drafted later than their advisors had them pegged, try to prove the skeptics wrong. It is one thing that keeps the NFL interesting year in and year out. Young players who are drafted high feel the pressure and crap out. Players drafted low exceed expectations to prove that they deserved to be higher. If only they had shaved milliseconds off their 40-yard dash, they would have banked millions more.

These next three months are sure to be exciting, especially in the minds of San Francisco 49ers fans everywhere. With two picks in the first round, we are sure to improve on our needs. We have already proven we can compete with some of the NFL’s best (2-4 against playoff teams in 2009, lost by three to Minnesota, lost by four to Indianapolis, lost by six to Green Bay, and lost by 14 to Philadelphia). A few small upgrades to our team, and we are still playing in late January.