It would be easy to simply call this class a bust because none of them have made an impact this regular season. Aside from Josh Morgan (discussed below), none of the draft picks was really expected to make a much of an impact heading into the regular season. They drafted a couple of offensive linemen that are being groomed for the future. They drafted Kentwan Balmer in the first round and don’t seem to have a spot for him yet or even a specific idea where he’ll end up. He’s likely a defensive end but could conceivably be beefed into a nose tackle.

I think 3rd round pick Reggie Smith and 6th round pick Josh Morgan are the two guys who could make a decent impact this season. Morgan had a phenomenal preseason before suffering a staph infection that caused him to lose 15 pounds. The 49ers had numerous WR injuries in the preseason so Morgan got most of the first team reps and developed a solid rapport with JTO before suffering the infection. He has seen playing time thus far in the regular season and if Bryant Johnson remains hurt, Morgan could finally make a decent impact.

Reggie Smith hasn’t gotten much playing time but an injury to Shawntae Spencer could lead to a little more playing time. However, Tarell Brown (drafted in 2007) is ahead of him and getting the first opportunity.

I have a sinking feeling this class could end up as a bust, but for now I’m willing to give it 3 seasons. No expectations this season, something decent from some of these guys next year and full-on starting in year 3. We’ll see how it plays out.

I think in general people like Mike Nolan but most everybody has some problem with him one way or another. Nolan has brought a sense of discipline to the 49ers that seemed to be missing under Dennis Erickson and even at times under Steve Mariucci.

The negatives though, would be some of Nolan’s gameday decisions and his communication issues. While I might be mistaken I can honestly only remember one game where Mike Nolan did not use all his timeouts with more than 2 minutes left in a given half. I’m sure there are some but I honestly can’t remember them.

The communication issues seemed to deal mostly with the Alex Smith. Now that he’s on the IR Nolan’s communication problems don’t seem to be much of an issue. In fact, one positive has been the way he’s worked with Mike Martz and particularly how he basically handed the offense over to Martz and really doesn’t interfere.

I’d say it’s 99% likely Alex Smith is finished as a 49er. He has a huge raise due in his contract for 2009 and 2010 and the 49ers will not pay a backup that kind of money (I believe $9M and $20M give or take). And I don’t see him agreeing to less money to stick around because it’s been a pretty toxic situation for him. Who’s to blame for his lack of success in San Francisco? I could go on forever, but some of the popular picks include:

1) having a different offensive coordinator every year of his career
2) He ran the spread option offense at Utah, which is not conducive to turning into an NFL QB (see Tebow, Tim in a year or two)
3) He lacks some of the physical skills to be a starter
4) Lack of confidence – JT O’Sullivan exudes a cockiness that may be annoying in real life, but is necessary for your starting QB – We never felt that with Alex
5) Small hands – people enjoy throwing that one out there and it’s become a running punchline now
6) Troy Aikman and a few others aside, the number of QBs thrown into the starting situation in year 1 don’t do so well – Some will have stretches of good play, but seem to fail in the end
7) Too many injuries to get some consistent performances

Can he succeed in the NFL? I think so. I honestly think if Norv Turner had stuck around and the offensive line had performed in 2007 like it did in 2006 he would have taken the next step in his QB evolution. I think the perfect situation for him would be going to a place with an established QB and just sit and learn from the QB and from the same offensive coordinator for multiple years.

People try and compare him to Aaron Rodgers, but the minute Rodgers went to Green Bay that comparison was dead. Rodgers sat for 3 years learning from one of the all-time greats and stepped in to a quality team. Alex Smith was thrown to the wolves on some god-awful offensive teams. No comparison whatsoever.

I wish Smith had succeeded in San Francisco (and not just because my #11 jersey is pretty much useless now). Assuming he leaves after this year I really hope he finds success in the NFL.

just cut and paste. : )

1. by a long shot: Justin Smith – Smith lines up at six of the defense positions of the 3-4/4-3 (just not Patrick Willis’s mike position). In a given game Smith might not secure a ton of tackles or sacks but he makes a major impact. He forces fumbles, creates pressure leading to sacks and even has a nice INT to his credit. Money very well spent

#2: Isaac Bruce – The veteran was the reason we beat Seattle in week 2 with a vintage Bruce performance. He brings a veteran guidance to the younger players and has developed a fun combative relationship with the local media.

#3: Bryant Johnson – He hasn’t blown up as the #1 receiver he thinks he is but he was the most consistent performance over the first 3 weeks among the WR corp. The receiving corp has been one of the biggest weaknesses of the Nolan era so hopefully the combination of Johnson and Bruce will be a significant upgrade.