2011 NFL Draft Day 1

Well folks, the event some consider a Holiday in it's own, The NFL Draft, easily the most prolific of all pro sports drafts has arrived, as the first pick will be taken at about 5 PM PT by the Carlina Panthers and we still don't know who that will be. The lockout has also been temporarily lifted to allow teams to make deals and what not during the draft, but we'll see how long that lasts after the draft ends.

Whether it's Cam Newton or Marcel Darreus, I'm not much concerned with who ends up going number 1, I'm more focused on what the 49ers do tonight. Whether they move down or take the "Prince" at 7 or go way off the radar on grab a quarterback or a lesser CB like Brandon Williams. With the 10-minute intervals between selections, the Niners wouldn't be up until about 6 PM, so that's the time to tune in if your just interested in what San Francisco does. Remember, the Raiders still don't have a first rounder.

Right now, without anticipating a trade, I think the 49ers do end up with Prince Amukamura, the 6'1" 205 CB out of Nebraska who's been overshadowed by freakish corner Pat Peterson!

We'll have much, much more reaction throughout the night here at the BASJ, with in-depth info on the Niners pick, so stay tuned here for your Niners draft talk!

The Draft's Top-3

1) Cam Newton goes #1 to Carolina... Alex Smith/Akili Smith Pt. 2
2) Von Miller goes #2 to Denver. Good solid backer, very Urlacher like!
3) Marcel Darreus should have gone 1, he's a beast, great value for the Bills @ 3

Note: Patrick Peterson Goes 5 to Arizona!

_________________________________________

*The Niners Take Missouri DE/LB Aldon Smith with Pick 7*

Just typed up a big piece on it and it got erased, so I'm going to be shorter version repeat.

In short, I don't love the pick and I certainly don't hate it. I probably would have still rather had the "Prince", though he fell into the 20's. My fear with Smith is the raw athleticism and un-polished football IQ. I hate to see it lead to Manny Lawson 2.0. when there were other options out there I felt more polished and ready to contribute (CB Prince Amukamara, DE J.J. Watt, DE Cameron Jordan to name a few). Now, that said, the kid is as explosive as they come and if you watch him, it's hard not to get enamored. Should help provide a pass rush opposite of Justin Smith and get the double-team off of him on passing downs. Smith had 11 sacks in his Freshman year followed by 6 in his shortened sophomore season, and that's another thing that raises a flag to me. He didn't play a full year and was a non-factor in the bowl-game. Plus his TFL's are obsolete for a guy with that much penetration and quickness. Positives are, he is darn quick and has great instincts, as you'll see in the video. And I think he knows of his weaknesses and wants to eliminate them, which shows maturity. He still joins a crowded Niners line-backing corps that will certainly have some competition come July (if there is a season that is). Overall, I give this particular pick a "B-"! Not my firs choice, but if he compiles 10 sacks in 2011, he'll be worth it!

Check back for tomorrow's draft coverage as we have much, much more including the Niners #2 pick and finally a Raider selection.

Round 1 Complete Update: For the Niners, I said I'd love to see Ryan Mallet fall, and he's ,lasted into day two. Gabe Carimi (T, Wisconsin) is hte only one who went late in round one. Bot now it's game on in round tow on some very good football players. Cb Brandon Harris Aaron Williams (FS, Texas) and Colin Kaepernick (QB, Nevada) are also a strong possibility who would all be adequate choices. Just no Chris Dalton please, never played in a big game and even in a lesser conference, his numbers weren't that good! What an odd draft, first Aldon Smith, and now D'Quan Bowers ( I know about the health issue) and these high profile guys lasting into round 2. Can't wait to see what Friday has in store!