Round 1 (#29) – Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
Balmer is a versatile defensive player who could line up at the nose or at end in Mike Nolan’s 3-4 defense.  It seems like a good fit, but I really didn’t like the pick.  The 49ers needed a pass rusher and even if they didn’t go with a DE/OLB hybrid (Quentin Groves), Phillip Merling would have been a better pick to be a 3-4 DE than Balmer.  At North Carolina, Balmer broke out in his senior year, after not really being an NFL prospect for his first three.  He’s very athletic, so the potential is there, but it will be a few years and a lot of hamburgers (just 308 pounds) before he’s an impact nose tackle for a team that needs a lot of help everywhere.

 Grade: C

 Round 2 (#39) – Chilo Rachal, OG, USC
I liked this pick a lot.  After losing Justin Smiley in free agency, the 49ers had a need at OG and Rachal was easily the second best guard in the draft behind Branden Albert.  Rachal could start from day one, and will excel in pass protection for Alex Smith.  He’s got experience at a big-time program and will likely be a plug-n-play type guy and a mainstay on that offensive line for years to come.

 Grade: B+

 Round 3 (#75) – Reggie Smith, DB, Oklahoma
Simply put, the 49ers should have taken a pass-rusher here.  Tully Banta-Cain was a bust and Manny Lawson was injured and has yet to put it together, so a DE/OLB was a huge need for this team.  Instead they went with Reggie Smith who could play on special teams and dime packages early and may develop into a starting safety down the line.  However, he’s not a guy I want going one-on-one with Larry Fitzgerald or Torry Holt any time soon.  Smith is the type of guy I think could really help a contender right now, not a guy you take to build around in round three.  Decent player, decent value, bad fit for the Niners.  If he’s starting at safety as a rookie, the Rams, Cards, and Seahawks will be the benefactors. 

 Grade: C+

 Round 4 (#107) – Cody Wallace, C, Texas A&M
They addressed the interior offensive line earlier and still passed on a pass rusher here in round four for Cody Wallace.  I like Wallace and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a starter in the future.  He plays with good technique and is a traditional center in the sense that he won’t overpower you, but plays smart and takes good angles.  More offensive line help for a team that needs defense, but you really can’t knock it much because Wallace is a good player.

 Grade: B-

Round 6 (#174) – Josh Morgan, WR, Virginia Tech
Morgan was inconsistent at Virginia Tech in part because of poor quarterback play.  He’s got skills, but never stood out to me on tape and if he does end up making the final roster it will probably tell us more about the Niners receivers than it does about Morgan.  They probably should have gone WR earlier, as Alex Smith is in perfect position to fail in his situation.

 Grade: D

Round 7 (#214) – Larry Grant, LB, Ohio State
This was a pick I liked.  Grant’s a developmental guy with raw skills but he’s not the most polished football player.  With some good coaching he could become a serviceable contributor, but it’s more likely he’ll be a special teamer.

 Grade: B

 If the Niners didn’t trade up for Joe Staley last year we may have been talking about Derrick Harvey right now, but instead they gave up that pick to the Patriots and used the 29^th pick on Kentwan Balmer.  Balmer is a risky pick, as he really didn’t do much at North Carolina until his senior season.  Plus he’s got to put on weight and learn a new position to move to nose tackle which is what the Niners want him to do and that’s always tricky.  In my opinion they needed a WR to help salvage Alex Smith’s career and didn’t address that position until round six with Josh Morgan who I happen to believe won’t be a factor at all in the NFL.  I think they also badly needed a pass rusher and didn’t address that position until round seven with Larry Grant who is probably a special teamer at best.  I did like the focus on the interior offensive line, and I think Rachal and Wallace will both be keepers down the line.  Reggie Smith has undeniable potential, but I’m not sure he fills a need for a team with very good DB’s on the outside.  Does he have the potential to be a starting quality safety?  Yes.  But he probably won’t develop into one until Mike Nolan is long gone as 49ers coach. 

 Overall Grade: C