Bryant Young

Linebacker Darius Fleming, the 49ers' fifth-round draft pick from Notre Dame, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during last weekend's rookie minicamp. An ACL tear could cost Fleming his rookie season. He was expected to ...  

Though the 49ers selected seven players overall, the two who matter are wide receiver A.J. Jenkins and running back LaMichael James. 49ers solidify roster with seven draft choices | 49ers draft capsules | Cal receiver Marvin Jones goes to Bengals Facebook | Blog | More 49ers More Monte Poole columns  

Day two of the 2012 NFL Draft saw the San Francisco 49ers draft Oregon running back LaMichael James in the second round. Although James is not a big guy, he brings impressive athleticism to the table. There are some concerns about his size and whether he replicates some of Kendall Hunter's skill set. And yet, I have to think Coaches Harbaugh and Roman have some plans in mind for how they plan on using the speedy Oregon back. James ran the 40...  

2012 NFL Draft - Re-Mock for the Niners I've gone back and done a re-mock of the 49ers picks in the 2012 NFL Draft. If you're going to grade the 49ers draft, you have to compare it to the decisions they chose not to make. I stick to the 49ers assumed existing boards -- I don't insert my own preferences in stead. I'm making three assumptions: 1. AJ Jenkins is the #1 WR on our board (after Floyd and Blackmon) and they don't like Stephen...  

The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up their 2012 NFL Draft by selecting Virginia outside linebacker Cam Johnson in the seventh round. This follows the 49ers earlier decision to draft OLB Darius Fleming in the fifth round. This provides even more competition as the 49ers look to improve their pass rush depth behind Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith. It will be interesting to see the training camp battle and whether either rookie can climb past Parys...  

The 49ers are back at it again early in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft thanks to a pick acquired from the Carolina Panthers in one of their fourth round trades. With the tenth pick of the sixth round (180 overall), the San Francisco 49ers selected free safety Trenton Robinson out of Michigan State. The 49ers will head into the 2012 season with Dashon Goldson as their free safety and Donte Whitner as their strong safety. However, behind...  

The 2012 NFL Draft is officially in the rear view mirror and the San Francisco 49ers have done some interesting work in addressing depth concerns at a variety of positions. They drafted a host of names most of us were not expecting, while still hitting on various depth needs. Here is a rundown of the 49ers 2012 NFL Draft class: 1 (30) - A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois2 (61) - LaMichael James, RB, Oregon4 (117) - Joe Looney, OG, Wake...  

The 2012 NFL Draft rolls on and the San Francisco 49ers used their fifth round pick to address a need for outside linebacker depth. The team selected Notre Dame outside linebacker Darius Fleming with the 165th overall pick of the draft. Although the 49ers are rock solid with Ahmad Brooks, Aldon Smith and Parys Haralson at the OLB positions, the team did well in terms of injuries in 2011, so getting some depth at the position is a big plus. I...  

The San Francisco 49ers were very busy to start Saturday as they moved down twice and then moved back up to No. 117 in a deal with the Detroit Lions. With that pick, the 49ers drafted offensive guard Joe Looney out of Wake Forest. There was some question as to what the 49ers would do along the offensive line. Looney tore a ligament in his foot during the Senior Bowl, which likely hurt his draft stock a bit. Here's a quick scouting report...  

The 49ers are not only securing the long-term services of their star performers as they aim to build an enduring contender, they also are rewarding them with the big bucks of top-dollar contracts. Andy Lee’s new deal that makes him one of the highest ...  

The San Francisco 49ers continued adding competition to their offensive line battle as they selected offensive guard Jason Slowey with their sixth round pick. The team entered the draft with some possible short/long term question marks at right guard and long-term questions at the center position. Joe Looney in the fourth is a guy who will compete at right guard immediately. Slowey on the other hand, will get some competition there, but could...  

After a whole lot of waiting and numerous draft day deals around the league, the San Francisco 49ers finally got their chance to make a pick. With the No. 30 pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected wide receiver A.J. Jenkins out of Illinois. Ummm, ok. I won't say this is a good or bad pick because it really is more just a really surprising pick. Jenkins put together a very strong 2011 season at Illinois, finishing with 90 receptions for...  

The 49ers got back into business in the 2012 NFL Draft on Friday evening as they drafted Oregon running back LaMichael James. This adds a whole ton of speed to the backfield to go with Kendall Hunter behind Frank Gore. Brandon Jacobs would be expected to bring the big physical presence, but would the team really carry four running backs? Even though Dixon plays a different role, this would seem to mean he would be pretty likely...  

Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh have a man in mind for the 30th pick in Thursday’s NFL draft, if the player is still around at that spot for San Francisco. And if the 49ers don’t jump on a chance to move up to land someone they believe could help right away as the reigning NFC West champions look to make another Super Bowl push in 2012.  

I think at this point, the San Francisco 49ers may be done in free agency. If they were to acquire anyone, I would have to believe it would be an offensive linemen. But the market is thin unless you're thinking about bringing in a tackle to convert to guard -- or moving a current 49er over to make way for a tackle. But in any case, it seems like the 49ers are preparing for draft mode right about now, and after looking at a few of...  

The Havelock Niners opened their Babe Ruth season with a 16-2 victory over Western Park Gold last week in Havelock. The Niners (1-0) fell behind 2-0 but scored 16 unanswered — including five each in the second and third innings — to win in five...  

With the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers chose Jason Slowey. And he's got a better shot of making the 53-man roster than you may initially believe. Slowey, a 6'3", 303-pounder out of little-known Western ...  

Writers Note: Justin Blackmon is not included in the draft poll because it is a virtual certainty he is out of the 49ers reach, as his top 5 status dictates. Coby Fleener is also not included because he is listed as a tight end. At Niners Nation, we are introducing a pre-draft series that will allow the 49ers faithful to create a big board for the upcoming draft on April 26th. By polling you, we will collect data to organize the...  

DE Trevor Guyton, DT Billy Winn, S George Iloka and CB Chase Minnifield all would have offered exceptional value at the end of the fifth round. Fleming still provides beneficial depth for Smith, Brooks and Parys Haralson at the outside linebacker position.  

Niners Nation Predict the Pick League Fill out your mock draft of the first round and compete against your fellow Niners Nation-ers for bragging rights. League Name: Niners Nation Password: Niners2012 Please use your NinersNation screen name so we can keep the entries straight. Good luck!  

We have to figure Looney will join the open competition for the right guard position, along with Alex Boone and Daniel Kilgore. Looney expects to be fully recovered in time for training camp, and you shouldn't be shocked to see him earn significant playing ...  

With the discussions about the added speed and potential increase in passing some folks are saying we are going to radically re-architect our offense for next year. I don't see it. We aren't going to be successful trying to be the Rodgers Packers, Brees Saints or Brady Pats. That is how the NY Jets ended up on the shoals last year, abandoning what had been working and trying to go a whole other direction. Rather, I see us in the mold of...  

MUNSTER — Munster gave Andrean plenty of opportunities and the 59ers repeatedly capitalized. That formula led Andrean to a 12-0 NCC win in five innings. “We got some timely hits,” Andrean (11-2, 5-0 NCC) head coach Dave Pishkur said. “They gave us the opportunity to have some big innings, and it was nice some guys get some hits who haven’t been hitting the ball lately...  

Hello guys. We had a community mock draft today and personally I think it went pretty well. It wasn't as organized as I hoped but this is my first time running it and I will be looking for ways to improve it for next year (if I am given the opportunity to do it again). So if you have any idea on how to improve the draft write it below. For those of you who participated thank you. It was a pleasure to have you. If you continue after the jump...  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers have selected offensive lineman Jason Slowey of Western Oregon in the sixth round of the NFL draft. Slowey’s selection at 199th overall adds depth to an offensive line that prides itself on power ...  

It is interesting, following in the wake of the already infamous Greg Williams pump up speech before the Saints-Niners game, to wonder if Goodell will award the Niners with the 2nd rd draft pick that was forfeited by the Saints. This would surely bolster our draft prospects and improve our team as well as provide some sort of payback to the Saints for their egregious errors in judgement, if they haven't received enough already. There is also...  

With all of the offseason additions and two recent draftees in Jenkins and James, the offense for the Red and Gold will show to the NFL that the 26th-ranked unit in 2011 was a thing of the past. Oh, he’ll also pair with Ted Ginn on kick and punt returns ...  

By the time the San Francisco 49ers got to the stage with their 30th pick, Trent Baalke, the San Francisco 49er general manager, had many options. Coby Fleener was there. Cordy Glenn was there. Janoris Jenkins was there. And Baalke selected A.J. Jenkins, the wide receiver out of Illinois. Great speed, great hands, with an average per catch under 15 when other big-time stars would come close to ...  

PORTAGE — Behind strong pitching and one timely swing of the bat on Tuesday afternoon, Andrean gave new softball head coach Brooke Baker-Runyon an entertaining start to her career. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Andrean junior Morghyn Neal cracked a deep fly ball to left field for the go-ahead runs in the 59ers’ comeback 4-2 win over Portage — which also marked...  

CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco has been flexing his mathematical muscle, combing over all of the San Francisco 49ers draft picks this season and calculating what their rookie contract will likely look like comparative to previous draftees in the league.  

Let’s begin with Baalke’s Operation Mock Draft Killer with the selection of ... “We [took] the best player on our board.” Added Baalke: “We feel this is a multi-align guy. A guy who can line up [in] any of those three spots [split end, flanker ...  

James is similar to Hunter but slightly smaller and quicker ... The players who started last season, Adam Snyder and Chilo Rachal, left via free agency, and there are no clear-cut replacements. However, it's hard to see a player drafted in ...  

Last year for the 49ers, we saw the emergence of quarterback Alex Smith, the rise of an elite defense as well as a new leader and face of the franchise in head coach Jim Harbaugh. All in all, 2011 was an incredibly successful season for San Francisco and ...  

They might look at moving Anthony Dixon and Scott Tolzien for draft picks if any team bites. Bowman, a third round steal in 2010, was acquired via a trade with the Chargers Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images More than that, San Francisco might be looking to move ...  

The San Francisco 49ers emerged as a contender in the NFC during the 2011 NFL season as a result of their personnel - both coaches and players. The 49ers had one of the league's best defensive units and had an offense that controlled the ball and did just ...  

The San Francisco 49ers emerged as a contender in the NFC during the 2011 NFL season as a result of their personnel - both coaches and players. The 49ers had one of the league's best defensive units and had an offense that controlled the ball and did just enough to win games. While new GM Trent Baalke did a lot of work to sign players to help the 49ers, many of the key players were brought in via the NFL Draft.  

San Francisco made its long awaited return to the postseason after winning the NFC West with a 13-3 record ... Stanford tight end Coby Fleener may be atop general manager Trent Baalke's list. Wide receivers Stephen Hill and Reuben Randle ...  

The 49ers had only three outside linebackers—Ahmad Brooks, Parys Haralson and Aldon Smith—on the 53-man roster last year ... future role with the 49ers—after playing for former Virginia coach Al Groh in 2008 and 2009.  

Illinois often used him on the outside, but he also could thrive in the slot. His 1,276 receiving yards as a senior were 2 yards shy of the school record. Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree graduates May 13.  

This is a companion piece to the blog I wrote yesterday on how offenses might try to attack the Niners defense. I write this to start discussion. I am not giving away any secrets, not that I know any secrets. NFL teams already know these things ...  

As most of you know, Alex Smith has re-signed with the 49ers and now San Francisco is continuing to build around him. The defense is set, and could be even better in 2012. And the offensive line position needs to be addressed, particularly at right guard.  

San Francisco's first-round pick a year ago, Aldon Smith, made a similar transition. I have to be honest. I didn't really think this was a need-based draft for the San … Full Story »San Francisco 49ers’ Select LaMichael James in Second Round of 2012 ...  

Randy Moss: model teammate? The Niners can't stop raving about what they've seen from Moss so far, writes Ann Killion, as the former All-Pro receiver tries to revive his career at 35.  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ Trent Baalke was so confident the San Francisco 49ers would land A.J. Jenkins that the general manager wrote down the Illinois wide receiver's name on a card Wednesday night, stuck it in an envelope, sealed it and announced to the ...  

The first two days of the 2012 NFL Draft are in the books. The San Francisco 49ers, perhaps not surprisingly, have used their two draft picks thus far to select offensive players. As we all know, the Niners have one of the most stacked defenses ...  

With the draft approaching in several days, there are some questions about the San Francisco 49ers' approach to the draft. Who will they take? Will they try to trade up or trade down? I went to Twitter and asked several followers about their concerns for the draft.  

Chris Erdman and Blake Montanye drew walks ... Niners 17 Morehead City Jr. 1 Drew Simcox pitched a three-hitter and struck out six, getting strong support from the Niners bats in the victory. The Niners scored five runs each in the first two innings ...  

The vision: Looney will probably back up Daniel Kilgore at right guard this season. But he could be the Niners' right guard of the future because they're hoping Kilgore can replace Jonathan Goodwin at center once Goodwin retires. Quotebook ...  

Roy improved by 11 shots to move up from 68th as the native ... Junior Raymond Ho improved by five shots for a 76 to tie for 72nd at 15-over 157. Bobby Wyatt of Alabama shot a 67 to move up to the top spot and lead the field of 75 players ...  

Sacramento BeePossible 49ers Draft PicksSacramento BeeKent Mccorkle | AP Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech: He was the fastest player at the combine and has the size (6-foot-4, 214 pounds) the 49ers prefer. He visited the team this month and met with coaches. Ben Liebenberg | AP LSU wide receiver Rueben ...College position coach: Yes, Hill can run 'NFL routes'San Francisco Chronicle (blog)all 3 news articles »  

Randy Moss is a great player, but also a polarizing figure, so it’s no surprise that his acquisition by the 49ers has been hotly debated by fans and media. Put me down on the positive side. Two things have been known about Moss since before he even ...  

We can’t see the San Francisco 49ers’ draft board. It’s somewhere behind closed doors in the Niners’ Santa Clara headquarters, away from the prying eyes of media and fans. But if we could see it, we’d see about 150 names listed, says ...  

The San Francisco 49ers were not awarded compensatory picks this year. Therefore, the team will maintain their original draft picks with one in each round. (Compensatory picks are derived from the difference of lost and gained free agents from the past season.  

“Football is about production,” Zook said ... Nearly all of their picks produced for a minimum of two years in college against top-level competition. Six of San Francisco’s seven selections, for example, started at least 32 games ...  

The Long Beach State softball team beat Pacific and won its first Big ... After splitting a doubleheader on Friday, the 49ers (27-22, 16-5 Big West Conference) entered their final game of the season needing a win to clinch the conference title.  

The 49ers spent three third-day draft picks on their defense, adding Notre Dame linebacker Darius Fleming , Michigan State safety Trenton Robinson and Virginia defensive end Cam Johnson . They are the only additions to the Niners' defense this offseason.  

NEW YORK -- In a move meant to add an X-factor to an offense seriously lacking a home-run threat, the San Francisco 49ers added to their stable of running backs with Oregon speedster LaMichael James. Standing 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, James has ...  

NEW YORK -- In a move meant to add an X-factor to an offense seriously lacking a home-run threat, the San Francisco 49ers added to their stable of running backs with Oregon speedster LaMichael James. Standing 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, James has ...  

SANTA CLARA (KRON) -- Groundbreaking is set for Thursday in Santa Clara as work begins officially on a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers. That means Candlestick Park, home to the Niners during their glory days, will likely be torn down not long after ...  

The results were: First flight: Dennis Bero and Juergen Haller tied for first with net 35. Joe Vallee, Olie Smith, Tom Gibbs, Randy Brown, David Mann and Rick Conrad tied for third at 36. Second flight: Bill Surber and Bill Lyon tied for first with 35.  

The San Francisco 49ers will host their annual Draft Party presented by Bud Light on April 26 at the Santa Clara Convention Center and in the process will raise money for one of America’s most important landmarks, the Golden Gate Bridge.  

While there won’t be any drama involving the Raiders this preseason, the 49ers do have an interesting schedule in preparing for their defense of the NFC West championship. As expected, the annual 49ers-Raiders game was scrapped after violence — includi ...  

Kyle Williams might have lost the confidence of the San Francisco 49ers faithful with his two-fumble implosion in the NFC Championship Game, but general manager Trent Baalke says Williams still has the faith of the team. "I'm not down on Kyle ...  

Seventeen of the 18 prospects selected by the 49ers in the NFL draft over the previous two years made the team as rookies, but it will be a little more difficult this time around for the Class of 2012. And even those youngsters who do stick on the roster ...  

The 49ers went into the draft wanting to increase their big-play ability and that's exactly what they did with their first two picks. For a team picking near the bottom of every round, the Niners ended up having a rather productive three-day draft excursion.  

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco 49ers, who will break ground on their new $1.2 billion stadium Thursday, are planning to bid for Super Bowl L, The Sacramento Bee reported Saturday, citing sources. Teams are required to play two full seasons ...  

Who made the biggest impact on rookie receiver A.J. Jenkins' first day working out in a 49ers uniform? Jim Harbaugh made the biggest impact afterward, no question, just by standing, talking and taking a fairly direct swipe at Jenkins' very ...  

SAN FRANCISCO - Randy Moss has reported for duty in San Francisco. Before he was signed, Moss and Jim Harbaugh agreed that the 13-year veteran would arrive for voluntary workouts on April 30. And sure enough, Moss arrived. His arrival presumably means he ...  

DEMOTTE — What will Nikki Steinbach do for an encore? Andrean’s dominant ace continued to look nearly unbeatable in a 3-0 Northwest Crossroads Conference victory over Kankakee Valley Tuesday. Steinbach (13-1) fanned 15, walked two, (both in the final ...  

Often in his first year with the 49ers, head coach Jim Harbaugh mentioned the importance of self-scouting. How its important to take a step back, look at your own team and assess its strengths and weaknesses. It’s sometimes a difficult thing to do in the ...  

When the NFL draft finally reached its conclusion Saturday, the 49ers had turned one draft pick into five, added three more picks for next year, found a mauler they think can fill their only open starting position and added depth at one of the team’s few ...  

Former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was recorded urging his players to injure opponents on the eve of January’s NFC Divisional Game with the San Francisco 49ers. In the three-minute, 33-second clip posted on YouTube ...  

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco 49ers added another member of last season's Super Bowl-champion New York Giants on Wednesday, agreeing to terms with veteran running back Brandon Jacobs on a one-year contract. ESPN first reported Jacobs would ...  

Former 49ers defensive lineman Pierce Holt, a defensive assistant at Angelo State ... In 2010, after all, the 49ers hit on the No. 17 pick by selecting left guard Mike Iupati, who dominated lesser competition at Idaho. Last year, Smith ...  

One position that has some serious talent, but still potentially raises a modest question mark or two is inside linebacker ... Behind those two, the primary backup in 2011 was Larry Grant. The former 49ers draft pick returned to San Francisco ...  

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The younger brother of NFL players Vernon and Vontae Davis is accused of hitting a woman in the head with a hammer and police are investigating if the assault is linked to other attacks in the area, including the slaying of a ...  

If you’re a San Francisco 49ers fan, you might want to go to ESPN.com over the next few days and cast a vote. It’s Round 2 of voting to find the next cover boy for the Madden NFL 13 video game, and one bracket matching pits Niners linebacker ...  

MERRILLVILLE — A powerful offense and a masterful pitching performance led Andrean to a 7-0 victory over NCC rival Munster. “This is the team that I want to see,” said Andrean coach Brooke Baker-Runyon. “They were more intense. They kept bad plays ...  

Niners bounce back to defeat BYUDaily 49erThe 'Niners had been having trouble sustaining their early set success as of late, and it seemed like Saturday night was going to be no different after the Beach went down 2-1 in the third set. Visions of the disappointing loss the night before woke ...and more »  

Former Cardinals lineman worked out for the NinersNational Football PostDeuce Lutui took hold of the starting right guard job for the Arizona Cardinals in his rookie year of 2006, but lost the gig in 2011 after reporting to training camp overweight. With very little momentum heading into free agency this offseason, ...and more »  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh have a man in mind for the 30th pick in Thursday's NFL draft, if the player is still around at that spot for San Francisco. And if the 49ers don't jump on a chance to move up to land someone ...  

LBPOST.comAlphabet Super for LBSU as the Niners Come Back from a Shocking WeekendLBPOST.comby Dan Barber | Diamond Dust Plus | 03.26.12 | 11:45am | The well known baseball-mecca, WSU, is Wichita State University. The all purpose PAC 12 WSU, is Washington State University. And as much as the Beach boys of Blair would like to relax and savor ...  

but the 49ers could not get the tying run on base thanks to two called strikeouts in favor of Hawks reliever Steven Schuler, who got his third save of the season. Davidson 7, UNC Greensboro 5: Henry Sisson (3-1) pitched a complete game for the ...  

Is Illinois WR A.J. Jenkins really the player Niners GM Trent Baalke has had his sights set on for some time with the 30th pick in the first round? Baalke had been saying for a while now that there was one guy, in particular, he had targeted ...  

The freshman from San Diego is four strokes behind Pacific's Alex Edfort in first as he turned in the ... Cal Poly and Cal State Northridge are tied for eighth at 13-over. Senior Kevin Roy carded a 1-over 73 to tie for 10th, recording three ...  

Brandon Jacobs isn't the guy you remember from 2005 to 2008. That Brandon Jacobs scared defenders. He ran you over. He always ran hard. The Brandon Jacobs from the last few years in New York was rather different. He was surly, unpredictable, and ...  

Start with the secondary’s high-profile Pro Bowlers and co-leaders in interceptions (six) — LCB Carlos Rogers, who was more than happy ... “He hasn’t really put together two strong back-to-back seasons, and I think they’d like to see him do ...  

There really wasn't much suspense for former North Medford football standout Jason Slowey as the final rounds of the NFL draft unfolded Saturday. Although he mostly kept the information to himself, the offensive lineman from Western Oregon ...  

I’m waiting to hear from the Niners about media availability this week, but as a prelude to that here’s something for you to think about. We don’t know if the offense will be better this year, but let’s assume it is indeed better.  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The San Francisco 49ers have selected offensive lineman Jason Slowey of Western Oregon in the sixth round of the NFL draft.  

Is LaMichael James, the Niners’ surprise second-round selection in this year’s draft, who ranked second in the nation in total rushing yards (1,805) in his final season at Oregon, definitely considered the heir apparent to Frank Gore?  

The year before, the pick of offensive tackle Anthony Davis was a head-scratcher ... they moved smartly to fill what had been their biggest hole. Glenn Dickey has been covering Bay Area sports since 1963 and also writes on www.GlennDickey.com.  

I'm opening the floor for discussion because we want to make video content that you guys would enjoy (sorry ... The NFL Draft is fast approaching, so if you have ideas for that, feel free to provide them. One thought I had for after the draft ...  

The eighth-ranked Long Beach State men's volleyball team had a big performance ... Senior Brad Hemmerling led the 49ers as he matched his career high with 17 kills in his final home game. Sophomore Taylor Crabb added nine kills, a match-best ...  

The No. 8-ranked Long Beach State men’s volleyball team continued its struggles against top 5 opponents by getting swept by No. 1 USC Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. LBSU (14-14, 9-12 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) had no players ...  

At a time when the NFL is trying to entice people to choose to attend games in person, the application of an $80,000 PSL to 1,000 seats in the 49ers forthcoming stadium hasn’t deterred folks from signing up. According to Scott Ostler of the ...  

The 49ers put forth a number of strong performances with ... They now rank fourth and seventh, respectively, on the LBSU all-time charts. Cameron Glasgow was Long Beach State's top finisher in both the 100m and 200m. He was 20th overall in ...  

The Long Beach State softball team took two of three from UC Davis this past weekend, thanks to strong pitching performances from starters senior Taylor Petty and sophomore Erin Jones-Wesley. The 49ers (18-21, 6-3 Big West) swept a Saturday ...  

San Francisco lost guard Adam Snyder to Arizona in free agency, so Slowey could shift to either interior spot. The Niners also traded up earlier in the day to draft guard Joe Looney of Wake Forest in the fourth round.  

Greg Cosell just posted his mock draft and it’s very interesting, so I’m linking it for you here. Here are the highlights: 1. Cosell says Robert Griffin III is a better prospect than Andrew Luck. 2. Cosell says Stephon Gilmore is the best ...  

Unless the team trades their first-round pick, the San Francisco 49ers will make the No. 30 overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. After finding both successes (Aldon Smith, Vernon Davis, and Joe Staley) and failures (Kentwan Balmer, Kwame Harris, and Rashaun Woods) in first-round draft selections over the past 10 years, the team will make their first late first-round pick since the 2008 draft. With much speculation as to what the 49ers will...  

Alex Smith gets defensive when he's asked about his meager passing numbers. And when Alex Smith gets defensive, he apparently likes to take unsolicited shots at other quarterbacks who went with the No. 1 pick. This week, the San Francisco 49ers QB was asked about his passing yards, which averaged under 200 yards during the Niners run to the NFC championship game. "I could absolutely care less on yards per game," Smith  told reporters...  

The San Francisco 49ers will draft at the back end of the draft for the first time in a long time. The team will look for an impact player that will help push the team over the top in 2012. I think there will be several quality players still available at pick number 30. The following are five players I think San Francisco could select in the first round.  

The San Francisco 49ers had a great draft in 2011 and got big performances all season out of their rookies. Another strong draft in 2012 could position San Francisco to make a run towards the Super Bowl once again. Listed below are the five biggest needs the team needs to address in the draft this year.  

With the 2012 NFL Draft just four days away on April 26, teams are starting to solidify their ideas of who they want to take in each round. The San Francisco 49ers are no different from any other NFL team in the sense that they too have to figure out what they are going to do to improve their team via the draft. They are picking a lot later in the first round than they have become accustomed to, so that could dictate exactly how they prepare.  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh have a man in mind for the 30th pick in Thursday's NFL draft, if the player is still around at that spot for San Francisco. And if the 49ers don't jump on a chance to move up to land someone they believe could help right away as the reigning NFC West champions look to make another Super Bowl push in 2012.  

Jim Harbaugh addressed the media upon completion of the 2012 NFL Draft. The session gave us an inside look at exactly what Coach Harbaugh thought of the players he drafted, as well as his mentality prior to and throughout the draft. His intensity is everlasting and it showed during the draft and also during the media session. From his time with the media there were a few things that certainly grabbed my attention.  

I have to be honest. I didn't really think this was a need-based draft for the San Francisco 49ers - and apparently neither did Trent Baalke or Jim Harbaugh. If anything, it was an opportunity to grow deeper at certain positions and if possible, acquire a guard to compete for the starting right guard slot alongside Daniel Kilgore and Alex Boone. The fifth round of the NFL Draft is underway as I type this article, so I won't give my thoughts on...  

After months of speculation, the 2012 NFL Draft has come and gone. All 32 teams are optimistic for their rookies while they prepare for the upcoming season. But more specifically, the San Francisco 49ers expect to build on their 13-3 campaign with their incoming draft class.  

The 2012 NFL draft was an opportunity for the San Francisco 49ers to grow deeper at several positions. In the first round they took A.J. Jenkins, a wide receiver from the University of Illinois and in the second round they took Oregon running back LaMichael James. They certainly surprised some fans by taking those two players in the first two rounds when it was common knowledge that the 49ers needed to strengthen their offensive line. However...  

Team owner Eddie DeBartolo, Seifert said, called and said the team wanted to promote him from defensive coordinator to replace Bill Walsh ... on contracts for Albert Pujols and pitcher C.J. Wilson in the offseason, the TV deal stood by as ...  

The Niners just continue pushing the envelope at the QB position. After finally reaching a meeting of the minds on a new three-year contract for starter Alex Smith once their flirtation with Peyton Manning turned out to be no more than an ...  

Welcome to the 5th annual Niners Nation Mock Draft Database. This compilation of 2012 NFL Mock Drafts contains 30 different mock drafts to give us a snapshot of what folks are predicting the 49ers will do in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft.  

The answer is Alex Smith. What is the question ... and he presumably can stretch the field, too. “I defy anyone to tell me there’s something he lacks,” Jim Harbaugh said. Touchy. Touchy. In the second round, they took fast, elusive ...  

The No. 9-ranked Long Beach State men’s volleyball team swept No. 14 Hawaii – 25-19, 25-22, 25-21 – in a crucial Mountain Pacific Sports Federation matchup Friday night at Stan Sheriff Center. LBSU (12-12, 7-10 MPSF) extended their win ...  

The 49ers pre-draft activity is set to heat up this week as general ... Jacobs also said the team's signing of fellow teammate Mario Manningham was a factor in his decision to choose San Francisco. Jacobs is tight with the wide receiver.  

Brandon Jacobs is hoping to add some punch to the Niners run game, and as the team announced the deal Friday, Jacobs threw a number of compliments at the team. “The 49ers are a great organization,” Jacobs said on Friday. “I’ve played ...  

Policy asked Seifert what he wanted, and the coach tried quickly to assess what first-year head coaches made and replied ... would have to be about eight times as large to match current coach Jim Harbaugh’s deal. Seifert’s raw 1989 ...  

08:03 AM ET 05.08 | San Francisco lacks one rather important component in a minicamp that will feature running backs, fullbacks, wide receivers and tight ends this weekend. What they don't have, for now at least, is someone ...  

Williams' speech is a reminder of what the NFL is really like ... Cleveland defensive lineman Gerard Warren in 2004 spoke of defending Ben Roethlisberger. "One rule they used to tell me: Kill the head and the body's dead," Warren said.  

6 Niners make the PFF Top 101 Players List, all on the def. side Justin Smith (#2), NaVorro Bowman (#14), Patrick Willis (#20), Ray McDonald (#45), Aldon Smith (#64), Carlos Rogers (#78)  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) The San Francisco 49ers have selected Notre Dame outside linebacker Darius Fleming in the fifth round of the NFL draft. He will likely land primarily in a special teams role if he hopes to make the final roster.  

Wide receiver is a position where the San Francisco 49ers need an upgrade, as evidenced by the addition of veterans Randy Moss and Mario Manningham and rookie A.J. Jenkins, who was the 49ers' first-round draft choice.  

The 49ers caught flak for “overdrafting” defensive end Aldon Smith and cornerback Chris Culliver in the first and third ... but his stock rose during pre-draft workouts with a sub-4.4 forty at the Combine.  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) The San Francisco 49ers have used their final pick of the NFL draft to select defensive end Cam Johnson of Virginia.  

The San Francisco 49ers have selected offensive lineman Jason Slowey of Western Oregon in the sixth round of the NFL draft.  

Wake Forest guard obviously was on team's radar early, but team knew it could wait and use higher picks on explosive skill-position talentPhoto Credit: Getty Images  

San Francisco 49ers have needs at guard, wide receiver, defensive line and safety.  

San Francisco 49ers have needs at guard, wide receiver, defensive line and safety.  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) The San Francisco 49ers have selected Oregon running back LaMichael James with the 61st overall pick of the NFL draft in the second round, adding depth behind Frank Gore.  

The free agent quarterback signed his three-year deal with the 49ers, and it will pay him $8 million per season with $16.5 million guaranteed.  

WebMD states that a concussion is "a traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull."  

Running back Brandon Jacobs signed with the 49ers on Wednesday ... They currently have D.J. Ware, Da’Rel Scott and Andre Brown to  compete for carries.  

Running back Brandon Jacobs reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with San Francisco, joining the former wide receiver Mario Manningham.  

While it would be a gigantic stretch to compare them with the Packers, dare we say the Niners all of the sudden have an embarrassment of riches on offense?  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) The San Francisco 49ers have selected free safety Trenton Robinson of Michigan State in the sixth round of the NFL draft.  

Would you want the Niners to trade for him? If the Bucs draft Richardson do you want the Niners to trade for Blount?  

Deuce Lutui took hold of the starting right guard job for the Arizona Cardinals in his rookie year of 2006, but...  

Click here to read our previous draft needs reports The San Francisco 49ers and head coach Jim Harbaugh...