The San Francisco 49ers were minutes away from a Super Bowl bid this past season and they are looking to take yet another step towards a championship with a strong showing in the 2012 NFL Draft. While they will not have the early selection they have had the last few years, you can still find very capable players with the No. 30 overall pick, which is what the 49ers will have to work with this time around.
The latest update from SB Nation has San Francisco improving their secondary in the first round.
30. San Francisco 49ers, Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
Conventional wisdom in most of the recent mocks gives the 49ers a receiver here, but all the first-round worthy guys are off the board. Gilmore would be a nice addition for the 49ers, who run a lot of zone coverage out of the base defense. He also has tremendous ball skills.
As mentioned in the blurb above, many would like to see the 49ers improve their offense with the addition of a wide receiver, but the top players available will likely be off the board by the time the end of the first round arrives. Gilmore played very well at South Carolina this past season, and while he may lack the potential to become a star at the next level, he will likely have a long career with whichever team selects him.
For more on the 49ers and to discuss the upcoming draft, head on over to Niners Nation.