Here's a link to a video from the World-Wide Leader where McShay compares the success the teams in the NFC West had in the draft.

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3372865&categoryId=2459789&n8pe6c=2

He ranked the Niners 1st, Seahawks 2nd, Rams, 3rd, and the Cards 4th in the division.  The consensus seems to be that the Niners draft wasn't a home run, but that it also wasn't a stinker, and when you put it into a context that actually matters (how does the talent we picked up stack up in comparison with the talent picked up by the teams we play half of our games against?), it actually starts to mean something.

McShay had a lot of good things to say about the Niners draft.  He really liked the Balmer pick, the Rachal pick (even suggested that he could start this year, which seems a bit optimistic), and the Smith pick (he praised  his versatility).

My take?

I like the Balmer pick for a number of reasons.  He seems like he's got a great attitude (AND he's a UNC alum...Go Heels!), and a really good fit for the defensive scheme, especially if he can play to the standard he played in his senior year.  The story about his dad wearing a Niners cap during the draft was awesome, too.   Seriously, though, he seems like he'll be able to hold down that LDE spot for a good long while.  When he was on the board, this pick looks to have been a no-brainer, since they took all of 15 seconds to hand in the card.

I wasn't initially sold on the Rachal pick because it seemed like a reach, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense; if you look at who was on the board as far as O-Line talent, he was the only genuine 2nd-round talent that was there.  I'd rather have Rachal than Mike Pollack and John Greco--the next two O-Linemen taken.  In fact, I might rather have him than Duane Brown or Sam Baker, two 1st-rounders.  We should also consider that he's coming out as a junior because he wanted to help his mom out with a medical problem, so he's still a work in progress.

The Reggie Smith pick is OK, but this is one where  I wonder why they didn't go for a pass-rushing OLB, since there were a few guys who would've been available at that point.  It seems like they would've had the night to go over their assessments of  Crable, Avril, and Wheeler, since that's a real need area.  Perhaps they were thinking that they'd only get ANOTHER Parys Haralson/TBC-type player, and that Smith was too good a value to pass up, not least because he can play a couple of different positions.  I like him as a Nickel corner early on, since Shawntae doesn't seem to be developing beyond what we've seen, and it'll be good to have him for when Walt Harris is too old to keep running to the fountain of youth.  Also, the "he's a potential match-up for some of these big-bodied recievers" rationale does make some sense to me, since Boldin, Fitzgerald, and Holt aren't going anywhere.  Also, if he turns into any kind of return man, that's great.

One thing that had me wondering, though, was whether the Niners took a hard look at Lavelle Hawkins.  He was there in round 4, and while I think the Wallace pick makes sense for depth and for a long-term succession plan should Heitmann leave, I'm not as sure about it. 

SO...Anybody have info on Hawkins?  Your take on McShay's assessment?  On Smith vs. big-bodied receivers?  On why the Niners went for Smith over an OLB?

Here are some guys that I think could help us on Day 2.  I would be shocked if Dan Conner fell to us, but he's not gone yet, so he's on the list.  I think our biggest needs are probably at linebacker after the first 2 picks (loved the Balmer pick, by the way--talk about a guy who brings flexibility to your D-line; I'm less wild about the Rachal pick, but I think he has the ability to contribute and the potential to develop into a solid player, particularly because he's a Junior with upside).  The guys are listed in the order they appear on newerascouting's site.  I've listed in brackets my own order of preference and reasoning after each of the guys listed.  Right now I'm bummed about the Chicago flip-flop, because I think some of the top-drawer guys here will be gone, but I'm confident that there's still value to be had.  We shall see.

Dan Connor, LB
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=25
(1-coulda/shoulda been a 1st-rounder, and would line up at the TED spot nicely; he's the sure thing)

Shawn Crable, DE/OLB
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=36
(2-seems to fit the pass-rushing OLB need really nicely, and if he could live up to the Julian Petersen-esque upside, that would be outstanding.  If Connor’s the sure thing, Crable’s the guy you pick on potential.)

Reggie Smith, S
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=90
(4-I know that safety isn't a huge need, but everything I've read about this guy says that he should be gone by now, so this is a value pick.  He'd be another guy who could even step in as a nickel corner and bring some good coverage ability to the safety spot--which we know is not Lewis' strong side.)

Earl Bennett, WR
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=106
(7-I like his experience coming out of Vandy and his potential in a Martz-ian offense.  He also seems to fit Martz’s draft metrics—though he’s a bit slow.  He’ll probably work the slot better than Caldwell will, so his contributions could come earlier than Caldwell’s would)

Andre Caldwell, WR
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=135
(6-this is another value-type pick.  I like his stretch-the-field speed and his route-running ability.)

Justin King, CB
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=123
(11-I’m surprised no team has become infatuated with his 4.31 combine time…and think I’ve become infatuated by it myself.  Having a DB with that kind of speed just seems like a good idea, even if he could play the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz.  Deion couldn’t tackle either).

Xavier Adibi, OLB
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=67
(10-I'm surprised how little I've heard about this guy given the scouting report they've given him.  The biggest worry I have about him is his size and whether he's a fit for the 3-4.  He’d probably need a year before he was ready to play a big role, but the scouting report projects him as an inside-backer in a 3-4, so I’m willing to go with that.)

Erin Henderson, ILB
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=51
(9-Here's another guy who could step into the TED spot, though I think he'd only really be a contributor next year, after he’s gone through the Singletary School of Linebacking.  I like his potential, and he’d be higher on this list if it weren’t for his recognition issues and his injury history.)

Dajuan Morgan, S
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=136
(7-This is another guy who could give some flexibility to the defensive backfield.  He looks like a guy with good physical tools

Cliff Avril, DE
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=148
(3-I like the look of this guy at the pass-rushing OLB slot, too--love the 4.5 speed and the Purdue pedigree.  In fact, I wonder why they have this guy so far down the list)

Ali Highsmith, LB
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=46
(12-This guy is the anti-Justin King.  Tons of heart and smarts, but no brains.  The disconnect between the film and the combine numbers might play in this guy’s favor; it just seems like he was too highly rated before the combine to be so far down draft boards after it.  If he could learn to shed blocks and live up to his potential (newera compares him to Briggs), he could be a real steal…so maybe we could pick him up in round 4?)

Carl Nicks, OT
http://www.newerascouting.com/profiler/viewprofile.php?id=88
(5-He seems like a guy that has dropped because of character concerns, which I don’t think are THAT big, especially after Matt B’s interview this past week.  He’d be higher on this list if Rachal hadn’t been picked)