NFL.com's Chad Reuter has been locked away from days, meticulously compiling his complete 2012 NFL mock draft, down to the very last pick on the very past day of the draft.
Reuter has mapped out the San Francisco 49ers plan to a T, and has them selecting mostly defensive players aside from their first and fifth round picks, using them on Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill and Mississippi State center Quentin Saulsberry. Check the picks out for yourself below.
First round:
30. Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech. The team can't assume Randy Moss will be an impact player, given his inactivity in 2011 and lack of production in 2010. Hill's a raw prospect worth a late first-round pick. He's capable of making a few big plays as a rookie for a team in need of a vertical threat.
Second round:
61. Jeff Allen, OG, Illinois. Allen started at left tackle for Illinois, but showed improvement inside as Senior Bowl week went on.
Third round:
92. Olivier Vernon, DE/OLB, Miami. Vernon's an intriguing conversion prospect, and the 49ers are always looking for depth at LB.
Fourth round:
125. Jaye Howard, DE, Florida. His athleticism makes him a potential impact starter at five-technique.
Fifth round:
165. Quentin Saulsberry, C, Mississippi State
Sixth round:
199. Jeremy Lane, CB, Northwestern State (LA)
Seventh round:
237. Christian Thompson, FS, South Carolina State
These are some solid additions to the squad, and I especially appreciate the attention to the secondary paid in the later rounds by Reuter in this draft, one of the areas where the 49ers have little depth as is. Harbuagh stayed away from his former Stanford players in this draft as well, something many have predicted he will not do, possibly taking Coby Fleener in the first round instead of Hill.
We'll just have to wait and see how these predictions hold up.
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