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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Could the 49ers go WR in the 1st round again?

2013-04-18T02:56:04Z

A number of recent mock drafts have projected the 49ers to go defense with their first round pick, however, at least one mock draft predicts San Francisco to go offense. The 49ers are projected to take wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the latest mock draft from Don Banks of Sports Illustrated.

More: Niners Nation Silver and Black Pride Mocking the Draft

Patterson, who played one season at Tennessee, is one of the most explosive players in the draft. He was timed at 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, but has good size at 6'2 and 216 pounds. While San Francisco would add another playmaker by taking Patterson, it would also be the second-straight season the 49ers used their first round pick on a wide receiver. San Francisco used the No. 30 pick on A.J. Jenkins last season.

SB Nation's latest mock draft projects the 49ers to go defense by selecting South Carolina safety D.J. Swearinger. Patterson was not available to San Francisco in that scenario as he was projected to go No. 17 to Pittsburgh.

For the second week in a row, Banks projects the Raiders to use the No. 3 pick on Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd. Many are projecting the Raiders to take a defensive tackle with Floyd and Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei the two most common selections. While Banks leans toward Floyd, SB Nation projects the Raiders to take Lotulelei.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders, 49ers projected to take defensive linemen

2013-04-11T01:42:33Z

The 2013 NFL Draft is deep on defensive lineman, and in his latest mock draft, Sports Illustrated's Don Banks projected both the Raiders and 49ers to select defensive linemen in the first round.

More: Niners Nation Silver and Black Pride Mocking the Draft

Banks projects Oakland to select Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd with the No. 3 pick. The Raiders have lost a number of defensive linemen in free agency, and Floyd would help fill the void. He is considered to be one of the top defenders in the draft and could slide into a starting role immediately. In addition to Floyd, Banks mentions Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei as another possibility.

The 49ers have an abundance of draft picks and Banks projects San Francisco to use a few of them to trade up to the No. 18 pick and select Florida State defensive end Tank Carradine. San Francisco currently has the No. 31 pick. Carradine's stock has risen recently and the 49ers would likely need to move up in the draft if they are going to land the senior pass rusher.

In his latest mock draft for SB Nation, Matthew Fairburn also projects Oakland and San Francisco to select defensive linemen, although his picks differ from Banks. Oakland is projected to take Lotulelei with the No. 3 pick with Fairburn calling the Utah defensive tackle a more versatile prospect than Floyd.

Carradine comes off the board at No. 19 in SB Nation's mock and with the 49ers remaining at No. 31, they instead come away with Alabama defensive tackle Jesse Williams. At 6'3 and 323 pounds, Williams would give the 49ers another option at nose tackle.

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NFL Mock Draft 2013: 49ers load up on secondary help

2013-04-08T20:59:14Z

It almost seems unfair that a Super Bowl team would have so many draft picks in the early rounds, but that's the position the San Francisco 49ers find themselves in. They hold five picks in the first three rounds (including one in the high second thanks to the Alex Smith trade), and with few glaring holes on the roster they can afford to shore up depth at important positions.

SB Nation's Matthew Fairburn released a three-round mock draft on Monday. Here's who he has the 49ers taking:

31. Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama

The 49ers need to replace Isaac Sopoaga, who left in free agency. While most view Jesse Williams as a nose tackle, he's much more than that and has the ability to play in the multiple looks that the 49ers use on defense.

34. Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers

I've given the 49ers Logan Ryan a few times in the first round, so this a nice value pick for a team in need of secondary help.

61. D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston

The 49ers get another steal thanks to the depth of the cornerback class.

74. Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M

90. Shawn Williams, S, Georgia

The Michael pick is a slight head-scratcher given the presence of LaMichael James, Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon on the depth chart, but every other pick would be a huge boon to a secondary that got exposed in the playoffs. With this draft scenario, the 49ers would be heavy favorites to get back into the Super Bowl next year.

Check out Fairburn's complete mock draft at the link below.

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NFL Mock Draft 2013: Raiders select Sharrif Floyd in SBNation's blogger draft

2013-04-04T22:07:05Z

The Oakland Raiders made somewhat of a lateral move when they "addressed" their need at quarterback by trading for Matt Flynn from the Seahawks and then dealing Carson Palmer to the Cardinals. While they got younger at the position, theoretically it might not change their needs all that much, though it should make it unlikely to see the Raiders draft Geno Smith or another quarterback with the third overall pick. So what will they do instead?

More: Silver and Black Pride

Oakland should be in perfect position to simply take the best player available, no matter what position he plays. As general manager Reggie McKenzie continues to rebuild the roster, there should not be any area where the Raiders can't afford to just take whatever player has the most ability and then step in right away to play that position for Oakland as a rookie next season.

It just so happens that Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd is possibly going to be the best player available when the Raiders pick third in this month's draft, and also fills an area recently vacated by Desmond Bryant, Richard Seymour, and Tommy Kelly. That's where Silver and Black Pride picked Floyd in the SBNation collaborative mock draft:

They brought in Vance Walker recently but still need another starter at defensive tackle. Floyd and Star Lotulelei both could stake a claim as top defensive tackle in this draft depending on which scout you ask.

Whether it's Floyd or Lotulelei, we do not know yet. But either would at least fill an important need, and either could be argued as the best available player come April 25.

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NCAA Final Four predictions: Louisville the overwhelming favorite

2013-04-04T02:58:39Z

The Final Four has come at last, and the No. 1 overall seed Louisville Cardinals appear to be the heavy favorite to leave Atlanta with the National Championship trophy.

For complete Final Four coverage, check out our local blogs: Card Chronicle Maize n Brew Nunes Magician Mid Major Madness

Nate Silver, of the famed FiveThirtyEight blog from The New York Times, gives Louisville a 55 percent chance of winning it all. Michigan is a distant second, with a 21 percent chance at a championship. Silver also says that if Wichita State, the Cardinals' semifinal opponent, were to somehow beat Louisville and either Michigan or Syracuse in the final, it would make the Shockers the most unlikely champions ever.

Oddsshark.com agrees with Silver. The experts over there are urging bettors to go chalk and have called the Cardinals a "lock" to at least play in the title game. There, they'll be expected to win and cover, making them the logical choice to cut down the nets.

The experts at CBS haven't made their championship picks just yet, but they have made their semifinal picks. All four analysts have Louisville beating Wichita State and Michigan topping Syracuse, setting up a Cardinals-Wolverines championship game.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders, 49ers both projected to select defensive linemen

2013-04-01T21:12:36Z

The NFL Draft is less than a month away and the top of the class is still muddled, but we are starting to get a little bit of clarity. The Oakland Raiders have completed a trade for Matt Flynn, securing their starting quarterback for the 2013 season. That likely takes Geno Smith out of the running for Oakland, though he's still a possibility if the Jaguars pass on him.

With that in mind, SB Nation's Dan Kadar hasn't made many changes in his latest mock draft. He still projects the Raiders to select Florida DT Sharrif Floyd in the first round:

The Raiders are heavy after Matt Flynn. Great. But if Smith isn't the pick for Jacksonville, the Raiders should take him. We've had Floyd as the pick for Oakland for quite some time. It finally released Tommy Kelly and has a need on the line. The choice, if Smith is not there, could be down to Floyd and Star Lotulelei.

As for the San Francisco 49ers, their situation hasn't changed much. Kadar still has them taking Alabama DT Jesse Williams with the 31st overall pick:

After losing Isaac Sopoaga in free agency, the 49ers have a hole in the middle of their defense. Ian Williams is a solid player, but more of a backup. If they happen to keep this pick, San Francisco has its pick of nose tackles with Williams and John Jenkins of Georgia. While we've often considered a safety or defensive end for San Francisco, the value of Williams here is too good to pass up. He can play inside or outside.

Check out Mocking The Draft's complete scouting reports on Floyd and Williams.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Sharrif Floyd to Oakland, defensive line help to San Francisco

2013-03-28T02:41:25Z

In their most recent mock draft, three of four experts at CBS Sports believe the Oakland Raiders will select Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd. Only Dane Brugler has the Raiders leaving Floyd on the board, predicting Oakland will select West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith.

More: Silver And Black Pride Niners Nation

The 6'3, 297-lb. Floyd has vaulted up draft boards in recent weeks, firmly entrenching himself as the 2013 Draft's top defensive tackle. Floyd, who was named the Maxwell Football Club National High School Player of the Year, played 3-4 defensive end at Florida and recorded 26 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in two years as a starter. He projects as a defensive tackle in the NFL, in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.

The board is far more of a crapshoot for the San Francisco 49ers, selecting 31st in the draft. Three of four CBS Sports experts have the Niners selecting a defensive linemen, though debate rages over who that lineman might be. SMU defensive end Margus Hunt, Alabama defensive tackle Jesse Williams, and North Carolina defensive tackle Sylvester Williams are all mentioned. The two defensive ends, each in excess of 310 pounds, project as nose tackles in San Francisco's 3-4 scheme. Hunt, a 277-lb. pass rusher who ran a 4.6 40 yard dash at the Combine, would not be a traditional 3-4 defensive end fit but could thrive in Vic Fangio's system.

CBS Sports' fourth draft expert, Pete Prisco, has the 49ers selecting Mississippi State cornerback Jonathan Banks.

The NFL Draft starts Thursday, April 25.

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NFL Mock Draft 2013: Raiders, 49ers both projected to add defensive tackle

2013-03-25T21:17:55Z

The 2013 NFL Draft is just one month away, and this year's class is as muddled as ever. There's a bunch of deep talent to be had, but the top of the class isn't well defined, which puts the Oakland Raiders, holders of the third overall pick, in a bit of a bind.

More: Silver And Black Pride Niners Nation

SB Nation's Dan Kadar and Matthew Fairburn released their latest mock draft on Monday. In it, they have the Raiders selecting Florida DT Sharrif Floyd in the first round:

There are quite a few signs pointing to Sharrif Floyd being the best defensive tackle in the 2013 NFL Draft. He sits atop Mel Kiper's venerable big board. NFL Network's Greg Cosell prefers him over Star Lotulelei. He has garnered comparisons to Ndamukong Suh. While we may not rate Floyd quite as highly as others, he's still a talented, high-ceiling lineman. The Raiders have lost several key pieces up front and a player like Floyd could make players like Desmond Bryant and Richard Seymour a distant memory.

Even after their minor spending spree in free agency, the Raiders field one of the least talented defenses in football. They are in such a position that nearly anybody here would be an upgrade regardless of position.

Quarterback is one position that may get attention. Carson Palmer is expected to be released soon, and the team may be coveting West Virginia's Geno Smith.

As for the 49ers, Kadar has them taking Alabama DT Jesse Williams with the 31st pick:

After losing Isaac Sopoaga in free agency, the 49ers have a hole in the middle of their defense. Ian Williams is a solid player, but more of a backup. If they happen to keep this pick, San Francisco has its pick of nose tackles with Williams and John Jenkins of Georgia. While we've often considered a safety or defensive end for San Francisco, the value of Williams here is too good to pass up.

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