I get an RSS feed from ProFootballTalk.com more just to see what rumors are flying around.  It's not my source for 49ers info, but sometimes an interesting tidbit will pop up about some other time.  Obviously you have to take anything from PFT with a grain of salt.  Today, though, I saw something today that was a link from a Green Bay newspaper discussing the likelihood of Mike Nolan being hired as the Packers defensive coordinator.

“He’s good now. He’s smart,” said the scout who’s familiar with Nolan. “He can run 3-4, 4-3, he knows it all. It depends on what personnel you have. He’ll do whatever, morph to whatever. He’ll use your players to their strengths. He’s smart that way.”

Use players to their strengths?  I think the Big Sub and Manny Lawson would beg to differ.  JRPhillips suggested some discussion of Nolan potentially going to the Packers as a front page post and after reading the above quote today, it seems now is as good a time as any.  As JRPhillips put it:

Seems the Nolan rumor might be worthy of its own front page post, because I’m curious what you all think. I recall hearing that Nolan basically took over the defense that whats-his-name built, and most of his success is due to Ray Lewis. But at the same time, when he was named HC for the Niners, the hiring was universally applauded. Opinions on the subject?

What's-his-name is Marvin Lewis, who was defensive coordinator from 1996-2001.  I thought I'd take a very simplified at defensive DVOA to just get a basic assessment of the situation.  The year before Lewis took over, the Ravens defense was ranked 25th.  In Lewis's six seasons the defense was ranked (in this order): 29th, 13th, 14th, 2nd, 1st, 4th.  Mike Nolan immediately followed him in Baltimore from 2002-2004.  In those three seasons, the defense was ranked (in this order): 6th, 1st and 2nd.

One small factor to consider is that, in 2002, Ray Lewis only played five games.  Other than that, how much credit can be given to Mike Nolan?  I'm not saying he doesn't deserve credit for continuing the defensive domination, but it's tough to give him a ton of credit.  That first season happened to be Ed Reed's rookie year, but again I don't know what kind of credit can go to Nolan given Reed's immense talent.

So, what do people think?  Assessing Mike Nolan's defensive coordinating prowess is not exactly a black and white argument.  His bull-headed ways made for great annoyance with the Big Sub.  The 49ers defense improved during his time in SF, but given how bad it previously was, that's not saying much.

We're going on almost a week and a half since Mike Martz was shown the door as the offensive coordinator.  In that time, the organization has been rather tight-lipped about who their considering for the position.  Up to this points, two names have slipped out via Maiocco and Barrows: Scott Linehan and now Tom Rathman.  We'll discuss Linehan at another point.  For now, Tom Rathman raises some interesting questions worth discussing.

Coach Singletary mentioned Rathman as a guy he was interested in talking with, although no mention was made of what position exactly.  Two options exist with Rathman.  They could of course hire him for the big job, as offensive coordinator.  Such a move would be ballsy at best, downright stupid at worst.  Although nobody will call him the next Jim Hostler, it's certainly worth keeping in mind how that went down. A guy like Linehan may not be absolutely awesome, but he's got the experience that would be beneficial to this team.

The upside to Rathman the offensive coordinator, as Barrows was quick to point out, is that: 1) he's got the hard-nosed running style that Singletary is looking for, and 2) he's a nice connection to the glory days.

The second option is one I'm wildly intrigued by.  Rathman comes on as running backs coach (it would be his second tenure at that position with the 49ers) and is basically groomed to become the next offensive coordinator.  Such an idea is thrown out there by Ann Killion over at the Mercury News.  The argument for this type of hire is that you get the best of both worlds.  You can bring in someone experienced, like say a Scott Linehan and when he goes off for a head-coaching job, your RB coach is right there to take over.

This brings me to my own question of the hour.  Every offensive coordinator starts at some lower position on the food chain.  In the case of the Bill Walsh tree, a lot of these guys went from offensive assistant, to quarterbacks coach, to offensive coordinator.  I'm wondering if QB coach to OC is a necessity to become an effective offensive coordinator? 

On the one hand, the QB is one guy who is involved in every single play offensive play, even if it is just handing off the ball.  As QB coach you have to know enough about the run game to work with your QB.  However, if, like Singletary wants, the 49ers become a power running team, is a running backs coach promotion just as do-able?  I've honestly been pondering this since Mike Martz was fired, and obviously this has become a hot-button issue with you guys.

I thought about throwing up a poll but it's not a black and white issue, given the availability of other options.  So the basic question is how do you feel about Tom Rathman as a potential hire for the 49ers?  Do you want him in as OC now?  Would you prefer him in as RB coach with an experienced OC ahead of him, with Rathman being groomed to take over?  Would you prefer Rathman as RB coach and nothing more?  Am I out of my mind to think someone other than a QB coach can be groomed as a future OC?  So many questions and thankfully we've got plenty of time to answer them.

Also, someone at Silver and Black Pride put up a FanPost mentioning the 49ers interest in Rathman.  I threw up a comment asking them about Rathman's performance in Oakland.  We'll see what kind of response I get.

This has nothing to do with the 49ers, but I'm curious what people think of the redesign of espn.com.  I'm not sure how they did it, but the site appears to have been simplified while being overly complicated.  I think part of my discomfort is just the change in general.  When they switched to their last incarnation I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I grew to enjoy it just fine.  I'm assuming I'll get used to this version as well.

What do I dislike about it?  Well, in the previous versions, when you scrolled over a given sport (NFL, MLB, NBA, etc...) there was an automatic drop-down menu where you could click on scoreboard, standings and other assorted league information.  That does not seem to exist anymore and it's kind of a pain.

What do I like about it?  Well, what they do have on the front page is distinctly separated, whether it be Simmons and Reilly, the headlines, what's on ESPN today, the poll, and so forth.  I could definitely get used to that.

So what do you guys think about this?  I've included a poll, but I'd like to hear your substantive thoughts on it.  Am I missing something that makes it more user friendly?

I was all set to take a look at Scott Linehan this morning when Barrows jumped on it.  Such is life.  I'll come up with my own alternative take on Linehan in the coming days (think DVOA among other things.  In the meantime, now seems as good a time as any to make the first, ridiculously early predictions of the 49ers 2009 slate of opponents.  We have no clue when the games will take place, but that won't stop us from throwing out predictions.  In the front page poll, so far 80% of people think the 49ers will win at least 9 games in 2009.  I like the optimism!

vs. Atlanta Falcons: WIN - The Falcons were merely average on the road this season, going 4-5, including the playoffs.  I think the 49ers can win this even if Matt Ryan does NOT have a sophomore slump.  Nate Clements vs. Roddy White looks to be a phenomenal matchup and while Michael Turner had a great season, the 49ers have done well at times in the past against solid running backs.  This will be a very tough won, but it is winnable.

vs. Detroit Lions: WIN - I don't care what they do in the offseason, I'll continue to notch this up as a win until further notice.  The Lions have a lot of work to do this offseason throughout the organization and I honestly have no idea when they'll become a decent football team.  I'd say return to relevance, but when you go 0-16 you're relevantly awful.

vs. Chicago Bears: WIN: I wonder if this will send GeoMak into shock, although maybe he's only a fan of the old teams.  The Bears did have a shot at the division title heading into Week 17, but I just can't respect a team with Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman at quarterback.  They rock the great defense, but part of their success in 2009 might be predicated on whether Devin Hester can develop into a better receiver (or maybe if they stick him back at kick returner full time).

vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: LOSS - This is based on a bounce back season by the Jaguars.  They've got an impressive array of talent and yet it all collapsed this season, big time.  I think the Jaguars are fixing to bounce back in 2009.  I see no home loss being a blowout this season meaning they're all quite winnable.  I've got this team going 6-2 at home, but that could honestly range anywhere from 8-0 to 4-4 and I would not be surprised

vs. Tennessee Titans: LOSS - The Titans looked really impressive at times season and really average at times this season.  The two questions heading into 2009 is who will be quarterbacking team and whether Chris Johnson will have a sophomore slump.  The good thing for them at running back though is they've got a solid LenDale White to make up for a Johnson slump.  However, QB is another question.  Collins is getting a bit long in the tooth and Vince Young remains a little coo-coo for coco puffs.  RIght now I have this as a loss, but depending on how the offseason moves, I'm tempted to swing this into the win column.  Call me VY crazy.

@ Minnesota Vikings: WIN - The last time the 49ers faced the Vikings (2007), they shut down Adrian Peterson (3 yards on 14 carries), but were roughed up by Chester Taylor.  The defense is improved since then and I think they can contain the running back duo in 2009.  The Vikings continue to have huge questions at the quarterback position, which will hold them back until further notice.

@ Green Bay Packers: WIN - After a decent enough start, the Packers really struggled.  Aaron Rodgers had a solid first year starting, but the team as a whole just could not take care of business.  They had a 1,000 yard rusher, but Ryan Grant only averaged 3.9 a carry in doing so.  On defense, they were quite solid against the pass, but horrible against the run.  By DVOA's terms, they finished 16th in team efficiency, but finished with the 24th best record.  I think this is a big time wildcard game.  Initially I was hoping for a warm weather game, but given the 49ers rushing tendency going forward, maybe the 49ers will have the advantage on the frozen tundra?

@ Indianapolis Colts: LOSS - Even in what was supposed to be a down year, the Colts put together a solid 12-4 season.  If they can stay healthy in the offseason and get Joseph Addai back to his 2007 form (just murder in 2008 on fantasy teams), they're a dangerous team.  I think this is the closest there is to a guaranteed loss, although I think the 49ers can still hang with the Colts.

@ Houston Texans: WIN - This might actually have a lot to do with scheduling.  The last two season, the Texans have finished 5-1 and 3-1 while finishing the season as a whole at 8-8.  I'm thinking we want to face this team in the first couple months.  They've got a lot of talent, but consider me one person who thinks Steve Slaton is the rookie most likely to hit the rookie wall in 2009.

@ Philadelphia Eagles: LOSS - The Eagles had the 49ers number during the Nolan era.  It'd be nice to see Mike Singletary change that but I'm not sure it will happen on the road.  Of course, given the Jekkyl and Hyde nature of the Eagles anything is possible.  With the firing of Mike Nolan, Andy Reid can possibly lay claim to worst in-game manager in the NFL.  Thast certainly leaves the door open for an upset.

St. Louis Rams: WIN/LOSS - I just split the divisional games down the middle.  We could very well sweep the Rams, and be swept by another team.  The Rams face an important offseason in getting back to respectability.  The players want Jim Haslett back, but I really don't think that's the best idea.

Arizona Cardinals: WIN/LOSS - The 49ers need to at least split with the Cardinals if they're going to take that step back to respectability and winning the division.  The Cardinals were solid at times and awful at times, although the awful probably relates to being locked into playoff position.  However, I think the Cardinals are primed to be knocked off their perch (pun only partially intended).  A split at the very least is a must.

Seattle Seahawks: WIN/LOSS - I honestly have no idea what to expect from the Seahawks in 2009.  Yes they'll have Matt Hasselbeck returning, but he turns 34 early in the season.  Their running game was solid, but not spectacular.  They went through more receivers than I thought was possible and their defense did nothing for anybody.  And yet they bring their A game when they face the 49ers, which means anything is possible.

And just like, I've got a final prediction of 9-7.  I'm probably being a bit optimistic, but I think the wins I have listed are entirely possible.  Of course, as the slate of opponents for 2008 showed, anything is possible (see Dolphins, Miami and Jets, NY).  One trade can completely change a team.  Given that, I'll be back with another round of schedule predictions after free agency and just before the draft.  Are there any games I've predicted where you think I'm 100% wrong?

Now that the 49ers offseason is in full swing, it seemed like a great time to start back up with the NIners Nation All-Time Team.  We added one position midseason, WR #2.  Congratulations to John Taylor who pulled away from Terrell Owens to make the team.  Now that we're in the offseason we'll fill up the rest of the team and also get to our Niners Nation All-Time Bums team (name to be determined).

Rather than open with a vote, I figued we'd start with a position that requires absolutely no vote.  If you think a vote is necessary for this position, then I'm guessing you either are not a 49ers fan or really think democracy is awesome.

Yes, we're talking about the Niners Nation all-time team #1 wide receiver, G.O.A.T. himself, Jerry Rice.  As far as I'm concerned, Jerry Rice is not just the greatest wide receiver of all time, but the greatest football player of all time.  He shredded the record books in a way that could only be compared to someone like Wayne Gretzky.  Just consider the fact that if you eliminate the four seasons he played outside of San Francisco, he'd still easily hold every receiving record in the books.  He holds NFL career records for receptions, receiving yards, total touchdowns, consecutive games with a reception and most points by a non-kicker.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

We all know the story of Jerry Rice coming out of unheralded Mississippi Valley State and proceeded to just torch the NFL.  The most amazing part is how nobody really wanted him coming out of high school even though he was All-State as a defensive back, not even Ole Miss or nearby Mississippi State.  Rice says the MVSU coach was the only head coach to come see him in person.

What I find most amazing about Jerry Rice is that while he was certainly a talented player, he was never the fastest or biggest guy out there.  He willed himself to become the greatest and that's seen in his legendary offseason hill runs.  Guys like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens bring outrageous size and speed to the wide receiver position and are appropriately recognized as great receivers.  While it might be easy to say, well imagine the records Rice would have broken with the speed and jump of Moss or the raw physicality of TO.  However, I think Rice willed himself to greatness because of the lack of size or so-called 40 speed.  He was not quite along the lines of Larry Bird (too slow, can't jump, can't shoot, etc.), but he was underestimated coming out of college (two wide receivers went ahead of him).

One knock on Rice was his ego.  However, to be the greatest, you have to think you're the greatest.  Jerry Rice believed he was the greatest and the stats back him up.  Furthermore, his teams obviously won Super Bowls and spent most of their time in the playoffs.  So even if his teammates hated him (not saying that's the case), it didn't affect the on-field team product.

I'll close with a brief story about why I'm more than a little more than biased towards Jerry Rice.  In April of 2007 I was fortunate enough to attend Rice's induction ceremony into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.  Thanks to where I worked at the time, I was able to get up into the pre-ceremony VIP reception.  All the inductees came in and were milling around with their handlers.  At one point Rice was separated from his handler and standing by myself.  I quickly pounced and struck up a conversation with him.  Someone interrupted our conversation and it looked he was going to guide Rice somewhere else.  I started to back away and Rice put a hand on my shoulder and told me to hang on one second.  After he finished talking to that person we continued our conversation for a couple more minutes.

I realize it's not the biggest thing in the world, but given the size of the crowd and the event in question, the fact that he was willing to take a couple minutes to talk to some fan meant a lot.  It leaves me a little more biased towards his greatness, but I don't see anything wrong with that.  It wasn't even that he could have just been a complete prick.  If he'd gone off to talk to everybody else I would not have been surprised given the circumstances.  Even as a 20-something sports fan that recognizes the reality of how athletes can be, having a positive encounter like this still makes me feel like a kid.

In 54 days, the 2009 free agency period begins.  There are some potentially big names on the market and I know people are clamoring for some of them already.  I'll certainly be taking a look at the free agent market in the coming weeks, but for now, I thought I'd take a look back at the 49ers free agent pick-ups last off season.  Unlike draft choices, it's a lot easier to assess free agent pickups after a single season.  At the end, I've included a poll asking who you think ended up being the best free agent pickup.  You'll notice Dontarrious Thomas is not included (or maybe you didn't notice it at all).  Given his brief time with the team, I think it's safe to say nobody was going to be voting for him.

Justin Smith (6 years/$45 million): Smith was the big money haul this time around as the 49ers put on the full court press culminating in the Nolan helicopter ride around the Bay Area.  No matter what you think of the dollar figure, Justin Smith earned his contract this season.  If you were to just look at his statistics you wouldn't think he'd done a whole lot of much.  However, he was involved in most every big play that happened on defense, even if he wasn't filling up the stat sheet.  I think Parys Haralson can thank Smith for a fair number of those sacks he got this season.  I could not be happier about the Justin Smith signing.

Isaac Bruce (2 years/$6 million): Bruce had an up and down season but he finished very strong.  When the 49ers signed Bruce I said I did not think we were getting Bruce in the Jerry Rice as a Seahawk phase of his career and that proved mostly true.  He was rather quiet for much of the first half of the season, before becoming Shaun Hill's go-to guy in the second half of the season.  Bruce still has some game left in those old legs and I expect him to have a solid second season in San Francisco (although not having Martz around will be interesting in how it affects him).  In year 2 I'd like to see his numbers come down a little due to the younger guys numbers moving up.

Takeo Spikes (1 year/$1.68 million): After an interminable wait, the 49ers inked Spikes during training camp to play inside next to Patrick Willis.  And did he ever perform.  Spikes had finished his previous season in Philly with an injury that some thought would slow him down.  Fortunately it did not as he had a very good season with the 49ers.  He finished tied for second in total tackles and had a three-game interception streak early on.  Some people out there are mildly indifferent to his return, but consider me in the camp of people that really want him back.  He proved he can still make plays and has to be a good influence on Bamm Bamm.  The pressure is not on Spikes to be the man and so he can just settle into a role that seems to suit him quite well.  And it certainly helps that he really wants to come back.

Allen Rossum (1 year/$870,000): Considering Rossum signed for the veteran's minimum, he certainly turned out well.  I expected next to nothing from him heading into the season and he finished it third in the NFC in kick return average and first in punt return average for those with double digit punt returns.  Not too shabby indeed.  The downside were the injuries.  Of course that only exemplified his value in the battle for field position.  It'd be nice to get a younger guy back there that can stay healthy, but given the impact Rossum had, he might be worth bringing back to mentor a young returner.

Bryant Johnson (1 year/$2 million): It's hard to argue he was the most valuable free agent pickup last season.  Injuries robbed him of most of training camp and it took him a while to get back in the swing of things.  He settled into a groove late in the season and made some big catches.  One reason to see some value is that his training camp injury gave us a chance to see the potential of Josh Morgan.  Morgan got all of Johnson's first team snaps and was on pace to start the season opener before also being cut down by injury.

DeShaun Foster (1 year deal): Foster started off rather quietly, which wasn't surprising given that he was backing up a work horse back like Frank Gore.  I think the optimal situation would have been to get more than the 2 or 3 carries he was getting for much of the season.  Once Gore went down with the ankle injury, Foster showed some bright spots.  He's a talented back, but he is a guy who needs to get a decent number of carries or else he gets rusty.  Given his history I'm not sure if there's much better out there, but maybe it's worth grabbing someone in the draft to compete with Thomas Clayton for the backup role come July and August.

J.T. O'Sullivan (1 year/$645,000): Now, before you throw up on your computer screen and never return to Niners Nation again, follow me on this.  J.T. O'Sullivan showed some signs of promise early on before crashing and burning midway through the season and giving way to Shaun Hill.  The reason i'd consider him a valuable signing is because it indirectly (or maybe directly) led to the canning of Mike Nolan and the hiring of Mike Singletary.  For the Shaun Hill faithful, if Hill had somehow gotten the job in training camp and struggled out of the gate, maybe we never see that second half surge.  So, I think there's some value in considering that.

So there you have it.  Who was the best free agent pick up last offseason?  You can make compelling arguments for a few of these folks so let's have at it.

And so we reach the second day of Wildcard Weekend.  Both home teams won yesterday in spite of being underdogs, so we'll see if the pattern holds today.

  
Baltimore Ravens (11-5) at Miami Dolphins (11-5)
1:00 PM EST, CBS
Ravens coverage: Baltimore Beatdown
Dolphins coverage: The Phinsider

I'm rooting for the fighting Penningtons, but I have a feeling Baltimore can pull this out.  After NBC felt the need to call Matt Ryan Matty Ice, what do we call Joe Flacco?

  
Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) at Minnesota Vikings (10-6)
4:30 PM EST, FOX
Eagles coverage: Bleeding Green Nation
Vikings coverage: Daily Norseman

I'm honestly not sure who I want to win.  I'm a McNabb fan, but I'm curious to see how far Adrian Peterson can carry the Vikings.  Because we all know Tavaris Jackson can't carry this team.

The NFL's second season begins today as the wildcard round of the playoffs kicks off.  In what might very well be a first, all four road teams are sitting as slim favorites.  Given the close nature of each spread, no result would really surprise me today.  Philly could destroy Minnesota, or Adrian Peterson could run wild.  Atlanta is a popular pick, and yet they will be led out by a rookie QB and they're only 4-4 on the road.  Hmmmm.....

Even without the 49ers in the playoffs, there are enough compelling matchups to keep me somewhat interested.  And given yesterday's stunning BCS upset, we'll see who rises up.  If you're not sure what to look for this weekend, our man Florida Danny was kind enough to tell us what the stats tell us about the matchups.  And, of course, Josh from Hollywood came through with his own preview of the weekend's action.

Also, if you don't get predictions in before the kickoff of the early game, you are more than welcome to throw out out your predictions for the later game.  Even if you did not participate in the regular season contest, you're more than welcome to join the prediction contest now.  Top two in the postseason win fame, glory and a modest prize.

  
Atlanta Falcons (11-5) at Arizona Cardinals (9-7)
4:30 PM EST, NBC
Falcons coverage: The Falcoholic
Cardinals coverage: Revenge of the Birds

The model for every downtrodden franchise hits the road in its playoff opener.  The Falcons are 4-4 on the road, but probably have most of America rooting for them.  Michael Turner has proven he's as good as most people think while Matt Ryan has shut up the critics.  The question is whether the playoff jitters will get to them.  And of course if the Cardinals will bother showing up.  They played much of the last few weeks as if the season was already over.

  
Indianapolis Colts (12-4) at San Diego Chargers (8-8)
8:00 PM EST, NBC
Colts coverage: Stampede Blue
Chargers coverage: Bolts from the Blue

The Chargers became the first team to come back from 3 games down with 3 games to go to win the division, and in the process, quite possibly save Norv Turner's job and cost Mike Shanahan his.  Colts QB Peyton Manning won his third MVP award and is looking to avenge last season's playoff loss to the Chargers in Indy.

Each year the SB Nation Football sites vote on a variety of awards.  Naturally we've got the obvious awards for MVP, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year.  However, we also vote on the duds around the league including worst coach, worst player and worst rookie.  There were no 49ers on the list, but I'm not exactly shocked by that.  While we had some talented guys, nobody was going to be nationally prominent enough for this sort of list.

NFL MVP: Peyton Manning, Colts & Chad Pennington, Dolphins TIE (35%)
Best Player on Offense: Drew Brees, Saints
Best Player on Defense: James Harrison, Steelers
Best Rookie: Matt Ryan, Falcons
Best Coach: Tony Sporano, Dolphins

Comeback Player of the Year: Chad Pennington, Dolphins

Worst Player of the Year: Braylon Edwards, Browns
Worst Rookie of the Year: Vernon Gholston, Jets
Worst Coach of the Year: Romeo Crennel, Browns & Rod Marinelli, Lions

Notables from the voting:

• Mike Smith, head coach for the Falcons, was one vote away from tying Tony Sparano for Stud Coach of the Year.
• Vikings RB Adrian Peterson and Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams tied for second behind Drew Brees for Stud Offensive player.
• Matt Ryan, who won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award unanimously, won our award with 18 votes. The second place candidate, Broncos LT Ryan Clady, received 2 votes.

I voted for Peyton Manning as MVP, but I was kind of tempted to write-in J.T. O'Sullivan.  Why, you ask?  Well, if not for his fine performance, we might not have Mike Singletary.  I think that's an MVP performance if there ever was one.

For those who have been checking in at Niners Nation for at least 10 or so months, you probably remember the mock draft database we had in place last season.  There are probably hundreds of mock drafts out there providing useful and not so useful information.  Hail Redskins is one of the preeminent mock draft databases, but naturally they focus on Redskins picks.  So, last year I decided to create a mock draft database of 49ers picks.  We started with just first round picks, but slowly added second and third rounders as well.

Well, now we're back with the 2009 Niners Nation Mock Draft Database.  If you checked out last year's, you'll notice some changes.  I've removed player height and weight, and I've removed the specific sites commentary.  Space was an issue and it's a pain in the butt copying that stuff over.  I may add it back in down the road, but I'm not sure yet.  As with last year, the plan is to update the database once a week.  Of course, if somebody out there has some free time and wants it updated on a more regular basis, I'd certainly accept a volunteer for the task.  If you're interested in helping with this, email me at ninersnation@gmail.com (or post a comment here) and we can figure something out.

It's still early so some of these mocks might occasionally throw out some pretty random picks.  Also, underclassmen will be declaring in the coming weeks, which will affect many of these mock drafts.  Right now we've got 23 mock drafts and I will continue to add more to the list.  At the bottom of the page you can see the breakdown of positions and players being projected so far.  Also, in the coming weeks I'll add pages with 2nd and 3rd round picks more than likely.

If you don't see a particular mock draft, feel free to let me know through the comments or via email and I'll get them added.  There is no real order to these and some obviously are a little more "expert" than others.  To give you an idea of the value of some of these mocks: Last year I had approximately 58 first round mocks up and only 2 had the 49ers selecting Kentwan Balmer.