Just one day before the 2011 NFL Draft, and the rumor mills are swirling.
The topics include which players are going to be taken in which order, who will be picked first overall and where will current Auburn quarterback Cam Newton be picked.
But these are not the foremost important questions for the Bay Area football franchises, the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers will be drafting in the first round with the seventh overall pick. They will be going forward into the draft with new head coach Jim Harbaugh running the show for the San Francisco organization.
The 49ers are hoping that Harbaugh, former Stanford Cardinal football coach, can bring the team back to high hopes and promise that were prevalent in the late 1980s through the early 2000s.
The team is expected to take a defensive standout with their first overall pick.
NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper said in the 2011 NFL Mock Draft article on ESPN, “In [LSU’s Patrick]Peterson, you get safety size, the best overall athlete in the draft, a dangerous returner and, ultimately, a starter and potential impact player from Day 1.”
Besides securing defense, the 49ers need to solidify their offense. In particular, finding a replacement quarterback if the current one year deal with Alex Smith does not pan out.
Smith, who was drafted number one overall by the 49ers in the 2004, is considered by most analysts and Monday morning quarterbacks to be a flop, and the 49er faithful want to see a new captain running the show.
While the 49ers have a chance to land a highly touted prospect in the first round, the Raiders do not have the luxury of a first round pick this year because of a 2009 trade involving Richard Seymour, current Raiders defensive lineman, and the New England Patriots.
Currently, the Raiders are slated to start with the 48th overall pick, which is halfway through the second round.
The Raiders, who have been known to take the best athlete over positional needs, will be looking to do the same in the 2011 draft.
Raiders head coach Hue Jackson said in an article about the 2011 NFL Draft on Bleacherreport.com, “If there is one (quarterback) the Raiders want to draft, we will. I don’t know that it’s a position of need as it is a position that we will evaluate as we go through the draft. Would I love to get a younger arm on this team? Yes, no question.”
The Raiders’ plan looks “OK” to the mainstream fan because of the lockout that had occurred between NFL owners and the players, the draft this year will be a little different then in the past.
This year, no free agent signings occurred before the NFL draft, as well trades of players.
At the same time, the most interesting thing will be the trading of draft picks. Previously, draft picks were good trading chips. In the 2011 draft, however, the teams will need to draft players to fill their rosters because of the lack of free agent signings.
The NFL Draft will air Thursday on the NFL Network. The draft will begin at 8p.m. ET, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York.
