San Francisco 49ers Patrick Willis Adam Carriker

While no one really knows whom the San Francisco 49ers will select with the 11th overall pick in the NFL draft, the field seems to have narrowed substantially leading up to the weekend. Barring a trade, the race seems to have boiled down to two players: Patrick Willis and Adam Carriker.When the 6-foot-2, 242-pound Willis -- an Ole Miss product -- ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at his Pro Day workout, his draft stock began to soar immediately. What really sealed the deal was his performance in the Senior Bowl, where 49ers head coach 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
Mike Nolan named Willis team captain, and he performed brilliantly the entire week. Having played both inside and outside linebacker in college, Willis' versatility is ideal for what the 49ers are trying to establish defensively. "The first two years in college, I played outside linebacker, covered some slot receivers," said Willis. "I'd say I'm confident in my (coverage) abilities, but anything I need to do I'll work on and do my best to get the job done." Willis is a great tackler whose physical style ranges from sideline to sideline. His exceptional playmaking abilities would make the 49ers' linebacking corps impressive overnight and help enforce the physical style that Nolan wants to instill in his defense.Meanwhile, the 6-6, 296-pound Carriker is an absolutely menacing defensive lineman. He is a physical force who can overpower anyone trying to block him and commands double teams consistently. Carriker has been called the best 3-4 DE prospect to come out of college since Richard Seymour after playing both tackle and end positions in college and excelling at both. He raised his draft stock immensely after his showing at the Senior Bowl (two forced fumbles, one sack) while playing a different defensive style than in college. "In our defensive scheme at Nebraska, I wasn't really allowed to come off the ball, fly off the ball and make plays," Carriker said. "In our scheme (at the Senior Bowl), I was like a two-gap guy, I either took up two gaps or two offensive linemen. So I wasn't really allowed to just come off the ball and make plays."A front line consisting of Carriker, Bryant Young and Aubrayo Franklin looks like a unit that could make an immediate impact in San Francisco. The selection of Carriker also eases concerns about depth and Young's impending retirement at the end of the 2007 season. Many NFL teams feel that there isn't that much true first-round talent in this particular draft and, as a result, are focusing on trading down. The Niners, however, are in the perfect position to 36 Bettis Black Jersey
address their most pressing need in Round 1, without moving. The 49ers will come away with a very solid player by drafting either Willis or Carriker and should fill a need for years to come. Questions? Comments? E-mail the writer: peide .Get more San Francisco 49ers