No Logo Needed Mock Draft: 10th Pick

Next up in the draft are the folks from Niners Nation, one of the better blogs on the internet, even if you're not a 49ers fan. Hopefully I'll have some analysis of the draft so far up tomorrow, but we'll see what my schedule allows (and maybe the Vikings will give me something much better to write about, like, say, a trade for a certain pouting quarterback). Anyway.

With the tenth pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select

Everette Brown, OLB, Florida State.

The 49ers have various needs this offseason, but unlike what some people are predicting, a first round QB is not one of those needs. The 49ers have a pair of outside linebackers, one of whom turned in a very solid season in 2008. Parys Haralson seems to have a legitimate future going forward as a pass rushing outside linebacker. Manny Lawson is an athletic freak, but he seems less inclined to rush the passer or more likely to be a guy in coverage and in a read position.

Although Everette Brown didn't have a ton of experience (only one season as a fulltime starter), he still racked up 23 sacks for his 3-year career. This pick is a really tough one for the 49ers because it seems like they're too high for guys like Oher, but they're too low for a BJ Raji. Andre Smith is plummeting and seems like too much of a headcase. If the first 9 picks go in the above order, I think the 49ers will battle themselves in trying to decide between Michael Oher and Everette Brown. What wouldn't surprise me is if the 49ers tried to move up from the second round into the late first round to grab the right tackle they need. They've shown no qualms about making those kinds of moves, so we'll see if they do so again.