Super Bowl and Mock Draft 4.0

It's been a week since the Super Bowl yet I still don't feel like writing about it. I'll just say that I was surprised about how much the Cardinals put up a fight, especially towards the end of the game. I was almost certain that the Steelers were going to blow them out. Also, Mike Tomlin is the baddest motherfucker in the NFL and he deserves all the credit he can get from taking the Steelers to their sixth championship. I know this is really reaching, but his no-nonsense, team-first coaching style reminds me of a young Mike Singletary, and it's really working for that team. To stay true to the copy-cat league rule, I expect to see a lot of teams going in that direction with their coaches, as opposed to the player-friendly coaches in Dallas that let their TEs fight with their WRs over their pussy shit QB. Did you see how Mike Tomlin refused to take a Gatorade bath at the end of the game? Yeah, ONLY Mike Tomlin can pull that off.

****

So, other than the Texas vs the Nation game, not much has happened in the draft universe since the Senior Bowl. Thus, not a lot of changes in this mock draft update, except I'm going to take a crack at fitting in the compensatory picks, as well. I have no idea what rounds we'll be getting comp picks, but I'm going to take a guess at rounds 5 and 6, which isn't that bad. Also, I'm only going to comment on the picks that I changed.

With that said, I think the 49ers should go hard after Julius Peppers or Terrell Suggs to add that extra element to our defense. I also expect the team to make a strong push for an O-lineman, such as Mark Tauscher or Vernon Carey. Another guy to look out for is Tony Richardson, who played FB for Jimmy Raye many times in the past. While he's not the biggest fullback and a few years passed his prime, he understands Jimmy Raye's system and can fill a role similar to Isaac Bruce in Mike Martz's offense last season. Other FBs to watch are Moran "Gore's FB" Morris, Lorenzo Neal, or Leonard Weaver.

Mock Draft 4.0

1. DT BJ Raji. Raji's stock is skyrocketing up to the point that he may not even make it to this pick. With that in mind, there's now an outside chance that one of the top-3 offensive tackles will drop to #10. Andre Smith and Michael Oher would make fantastic bookends and will solidify our line for years with Joe Staley on the other side. Lastly, don't count out CB Malcolm Jenkins if he's there. Pairing him up with Nate Clements would give us one of the best CB tandems in the league. Also, Jenkins has been projected to become a steller FS, as well.

2. OLB Clint Sintim. Again, if Shonn Greene is available at this pick, we're grabbing him. For this pick, I just went for the pass rusher that's most likely to be available. I've love to land LB Larry English here, but he'll probably be grabbed very early in the round if not in the 1st. Sintim was a very productive elephant linebacker in UVA's 3-4 (led the nation in sacks by a linebacker) and will fulfill the same role on the 49ers. Whether the Niners sign a free agent pass-rusher or not, this is a value pick that will greatly enhance our defense and bring us that much closer to dominance. Another value pick would be up-and-comer OLB Clay Matthews, the "other" USC linebacker. While he doesn't have the experience and production of the other two USC LBs, he might actually turn out to be the better pro.

3. OT Fenuki Tupou

4. RB Andre Brown. If not available, I really like FS David Bruton at this spot, as well.

5. LB Frantz Joseph. I love this pick. Last season, Takeo Spikes took over the TED linebacker position and thrived. While the team expects him to be back at the same position next season, there is also cause for concern regarding his longevity. The Texas vs the Nation MVP, Frantz Joseph, is built to become a dominant TED. At 243 lbs, what Joseph does best is pin his ears back and throw his body into holes on the lines with ferocity. Picking him up would be an ideal situation for both sides. Frantz can wait in the wings behind Spikes and learn the system, while the team can secure their future sidekick for Patrick Willis once Spikes leaves.

5. FS Darcel McBath. Just five minutes ago, I had FS Brandon Underwood as the pick here. However, I think the Niners currently have enough FS/CB tweeners on the team as it is. McBath stepped it up at the Shrine game and has shown his abilities as a centerfielding FS. Most importantly, he's a natural leader which is a must-have trait for the FS in the Niners' defense. Also, I really like QB Nathan Brown, and I'll be happy to see him as the pick here.

6. CB Bruce Johnson

6. QB Stephen McGee. The team might also be interested in picking up a scat back such as Devin Moore or Tyrell Sutton with one of their 5th or 6th round picks to add a change of pace to their running game. Stephen McGee is among one of the many names littered along the last few rounds of the draft. He's not a sexy pick, but he's a smart field general with an good size, anaccurate arm, quick feet, and intangibles to become a starter. With a strong workout, he has a chance of improving his stock. Also, if the team decides to pass on a TED linebacker earlier in the draft, Cal LB Worrell Williams would be a great pick up in this round.

7. FB Conredge Collins. I figure that there's a really good chance that the Niners pick up Tony Richardson to help the transition into Jimmy Raye's offense, similar to the way the team picked up Isaac Bruce when Mike Martz was calling plays. However, Richardson is on the decline and finding a young successor would be the smart move. Collins doesn't have ideal size for the FB position, but is built similarly to Tony Richardson and has flashed some of the same abilities. He shined that ability in the Texas vs the Nation game and will get a long look from teams still utilizing their FBs.

That's it. Next update will come during the NFL Combine, which starts in less than 2 weeks.

NEXT: The NFL Combine and NFL Free Agency Update