2008 DRAFT NOTES

DT KENTWAN BALMER

·         The 49ers made defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer (1^st Round – 29^th overall) its eighth player taken from the University of North Carolina and third player selected in the first round (fullback Ken Willard in 1965 and tackle Harris Barton in 1987) from that college. 

·         Balmer is the Tar Heels' first defensive lineman ever taken by San Francisco. 

·         The last Tarheel to be taken as high in the draft as Balmer was DE Julius Peppers (2^nd overall pick, Carolina Panthers in 2002).

·         DT Bryant Young (7^th overall pick in 1994) was the last defensive tackle to be taken as high in the draft by the 49ers. Prior to that, DT Ted Washington (25^th overall pick in 1991) was the next highest defensive tackle taken in most recent drafts by San Francisco.

·         Balmer joins fellow Tarheel G Jeb Terry (146^th overall pick in 2004, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) on the 49ers roster.

G CHILO RACHAL

·         The 49ers' selection of USC guard Chilo Rachal (2^nd Round – 39^th overall) makes him the 24th player selected from the institution by San Francisco since 1950. That is the most players from any one school in the 49ers' NFL draft history. The University of Notre Dame is a close second in providing 20 players to the San Francisco pro football club.

·         The last two Trojans selected by San Francisco were also taken in the second round (linebacker Israel Ifeanyi in 1996 and guard Jeff Bregel in 1987). 

·         Rachal is the second guard selected by the 49ers from USC in the second round (Bregel) in team history. 

·         Hall-of-Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott remains the only Trojan taken in the first round (1981) by San Francisco.

·         With a total of seven USC players selected on the first day of the 2008 NFL Draft, Rachal was the fifth player selected from the school and second offensive lineman chosen from USC this year behind tackle Sam Baker (21^st overall pick, Atlanta Falcons).

·         In the past three NFL drafts, the 49ers have selected four offensive linemen in the first three rounds: Rachal, T Joe Staley (1^st Round – 28^th overall, 2007), C/G David Baas (2^nd Round – 33^rd overall, 2005), G/T Adam Snyder (3^rd Round – 94^th overall, 2005).

DB REGGIE SMITH

·         The 49ers' selection of Oklahoma defensive back Reggie Smith (3^rd Round – 75^th overall) makes him the ninth "Sooner" in 49ers' NFL Draft History. 

·         Smith follows in the footsteps of another former Sooner defensive back, 1959 first round choice Dave Baker. The former three-time All-Pro player, Baker established the 49ers' team records for most interceptions in a season (10) and in a single game (4). Both marks were set during the 1960 season when Baker was the NFL's co-leader with St. Louis Cardinals' Jerry Norton. 

·         Prior to Smith, the last Oklahoma player selected by the 49ers was nose tackle Corey Mayfield in 1992, taken in the tenth round.

·         Smith was the third player taken from Oklahoma in the 2008 NFL Draft. LB Curtis Lofton (37^th overall pick, Atlanta Falcons) and WR Malcolm Kelly (51^st overall pick, Washington Redskins) were the Sooners chosen before him.

·         CB Shawntae Spencer (58^th overall pick in 2004) was the last cornerback to be taken as high in the draft by the 49ers.

C CODY WALLACE

·         Texas A&M offensive lineman Cody Wallace (4^th Round – 107^th overall) becomes the eighth Aggie drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. 

·         Wallace is the second offensive lineman selected from Texas A&M by the 49ers following 1998 third-round choice Chris Ruhman. 

·         Second round pick DB Jason Webster (2000) was the last Aggie player selected by the 49ers.

·         Former 49ers defensive tackle Charlie Krueger attended Texas A&M and was selected in the 1959 NFL Draft.

·         Wallace was the second player taken from Texas A&M in the 2008 NFL Draft. TE Martellus Bennett (61^st overall pick, Dallas Cowboys) was the Aggie chosen before him.

San Francisco 49ers

2008 Draft

4-26-08

Head Coach Mike Nolan

Day 1 Wrap-Up – First And Second Round Draft Picks

RE: Opening Statement

“Good afternoon. We obviously drafted two picks. We’re exited about both players, offensive linemen, defensive linemen as you already know. Both will be impact players on our roster. We’re confident of that. As I always say, we are drafting need, but we need the best players. So we got two players of need. I think they were the two best players at the time we chose. As you are well aware, we go through a long process in putting the board up. Scot McCloughan and his staff do that early in February. We go to the combine. We go to the campus workouts. They come back again, Scot and the scouts, and go back over their board, make sure it’s where they see it should be at because you add a lot of juniors at that time. You have to put those guys in and see where they are at. But then the coaches come into the picture in early April, and then Scot will tweak the board along with that. I’m typically in the scout meetings the second time, and the coaches meetings. Since we’ve been here nothing has changed, but it’s Scot’s area and his expertise. He does an outstanding job. A lot of the argument, a lot of the disagreements and things like that that go on in every ‘War Room’ as they call it, go on here every year as well. A lot of guys are on different pages early on, but that’s always good because you can compare the pluses and minuses of each guy. But in the end, this past week, as we had the meeting the other day with you guys out on the patio, at that point, we’re all in agreement as far as who we would take first, second, third. So our statement that we take the best player really is true. I think every team in the NFL now is of that same thought because with free agency you can lose players you want to take. Most teams also don’t just have one or two needs. Most teams can use, as in our case, another defensive lineman, or another offensive lineman, or a wide receiver. I will say this: with each pick, there were two or three players we considered at that pick. So there are a number of good players. It wasn’t like that was the only guy, but it was the guy that we felt was the best at that time, so we took him. But we did compare them across the board: the defensive linemen. We did compare them to the offensive players as well as other defensive positions, and the same thing with the offensive lineman that we took. So, that’s kind of the process. That’s where we came up with our decisions today. We’re excited about both players. And as I already mentioned, I will say again, both players will have an impact on our roster this year. How extensive? We’ll let that happen on the field. So, as far as starting or not, as is the situation with our quarterback, it’s no different. They’ll play it out. So you’ll get to see it as well as anybody.”

RE: Where do you see Balmer competing for a spot?

“He’s a very athletic big guy. He’ll compete at the nose as well as the end position. Since we only have three offensive line positions, he will compete at both. I would think more along the lines of the nose and the left end position where (Bryant Young) has left, but that’s also where Isaac Sopoaga, right now, is pegged to be the guy. So there will be some competition there. But, again, depth on the defensive line is something we really haven’t been able to address, other than adding Justin Smith this past free agency. I know Aubrayo (Franklin) came in last year, but he wasn’t necessarily that top guy we were looking at. Justin Smith was that guy, as Nate Clements was two years ago. Balmer, obviously, is a guy who was a high pick for us, and our picks – whether you go all the way back to Alex (Smith), to Vernon (Davis), to Manny (Lawson), to Joe Staley, Patrick Willis – all of those players have been impact players for our football team. We look for both of these players that we took, in particular Kentwan (Balmer), to do the same.”

RE: Does this cement your 3-4?

“No. As you know, it’s a versatile 3-4. All I can tell you is the language stays the same, the way we utilize it. But your objective is to get your best 11 on the field. Now what I think he’ll do, is he’ll make one of those defensive linemen either stay on the field or come off the field. He’s going to make somebody better. Whether he takes their job or he pushes them, but I’m looking for him to contribute. One of the things that was interesting and also encouraging was he’s a guy that plays almost every snap. Justin Smith, at Cincinnati, was one of those guys. It’s very difficult to have the stamina to play ever snap in a football game as a defensive linemen. For any of you that may have wrestled as a kid, or even wrestled in your own house with your brother or whatever, you know you get tired real fast. That’s what a defensive lineman does every snap. So a guy that can play and have the stamina is really big. He’s also athletic. He’s got great size. I’m excited about it. Like I said, he was the highest guy of the guys we talked about, but I was very excited he was there. Scot (McCloughan) and I both were a little bit caught by surprise. We had heard possibly, but at the same time, sometimes you look at it and go: ‘That’s a little bit of a dream. I don’t know if that’s going to happen.’ But he was there, and we feel good.”

RE: Did you have any opportunities to move back?

“We had opportunities to do that. As you saw many teams moving up, there were a lot of teams willing to move up. And there was a lot of talk about it. If we had thought it was necessary to do that, we might have done that. But as the board fell, we have six picks and six only, we don’t have seven. We weren’t really in the game, we thought, of giving up a bunch of picks to move up. I’ll say this: we talked at length the last number of picks to move up, possibly, for Balmer. If he wasn’t there, we would take maybe the next guy, because we saw a lot of value. But at the same time, and to Scot (McLoughlin’s) credit – I’m kind of the devil’s advocate, as I’ve always said, in this process, and I throw things at him – he stayed strong throughout the process and said, ‘I think we’re going to get this player.’ And we did get him. To his credit, that was a very good move.”

RE: So, more of the discussion in the draft room was moving up instead of moving back?

“At that time, because we felt there were a couple players, I’ll use the term 'that were up getting close to us.' And you start looking between you and them who’s picking and what it looks like. And those teams were also changing. I know Jacksonville’s pick went to Baltimore, then it went to Houston, and then Seattle swapped with somebody. There was a lot going on there. So you’re trying to think: ‘As it looks, nobody wants these couple of players that we’re looking at.’ Then, all of a sudden, bang, somebody else jumps in the hunt, you’re (thinking): ‘Wait a minute. Do they need one of those guys? Do they need a Balmer? Do they need an offensive player? What do they need?’ But as it turned out, the decision to stay there was a good one. I feel very good about it because we didn’t have to give anything to get good value from the pick.”

RE: Which teams were you nervous that might take (Kentwan) Balmer right ahead of you?

“I won’t name any in particular. I just know this, the ones that did come out ahead of us we felt good they wouldn’t want the couple of players we were looking at. So that was good.”

RE: What did you think of the top of the draft?

“I thought they would go. I’m not going to say who I think is a good player at the top or not. But at the same time, we did think those players would go. I think that you guys, when it was all said and done, said ‘well that’s about what I thought.’ It wasn’t a real big surprise. I will say that the one player that might have surprised some, but didn’t surprise us at all was New England’s pick (Jerod Mayo). That’s a good pick. And a lot of people said ‘I didn’t see his name.’ Well you may have not, but if you’re in a lot of the war rooms looking at a lot of the players, you’d have thought that guy was a pretty good player. That was one I heard somebody say something about. That was the 10th guy. Those Top 10 picks came off about like we would have seen and Scot (McCloughan) I think would say the same.”

RE: What did you see in Rachal?

“When it all started back in February, the first thing Scot (McCloughan) said to me before going to the combine was ‘I think this guy is like a poor man’s Larry Allen.’ Now whatever that means, take it for what it means. I kind of started to wonder what he was saying too. Does that mean he’s going to play 14 years? Or does that mean he’s going to be a big athletic mauler that’s going to the Hall of Fame? I didn’t know. He (Scot McCloughan) said that was the style of play he (Rachal) had. He’s a tough guy, he’s a big guy, and he’s a West Coast guy, which to some may not matter. In this game it really does. You want guys to want to be where they’re playing. If they’ve got family nearby, (if) family sees them, if they’re happy with where they are, all those kinds of things. So we’re excited about him. We didn’t do it because David Baas got nicked up. We knew going into the draft that was an area we wanted to add some depth. And we’re hopefully going to do it in the draft, and we were able to do it with one pick here. That wasn’t the deciding factor. It was just the best player we felt on the offensive line that was left. As you all saw, a lot of offensive linemen went after that second pick. All the tackles, I think there were seven maybe eight, we put Duane Brown in that tackle category. So that’s a lot of linemen to go.”

RE: On Rachal playing tackle.

“Someone said he could play right tackle. We’re looking more for him to be a guard, but if that’s something he could do, we’ll certainly visit that because it’s tougher to find it. We’ve got some depth inside. He’ll add to that. Even if it’s from a backup standpoint on the outside it would be nice. As you all are well aware, Adam Snyder could also do that to some capacity. It would be nice to just get tackles to do that job as well, (ones) that are built for it and do it every down.”

RE: Did you talk to him (Chilo Rachal) at the combine?

“I did not talk to him individually. But we did, yes.”

RE: On his readiness to be at the NFL level.

“Any junior does (raise concern), at least it raises the question. Every time I see a junior coming out I always ask the question ‘why is he coming out?’ If it’s not a good answer then we bump him down the board. If a guy’s talking about money, cars and women, then you hope to say ‘whoa, I hope he’s really good’ because otherwise we’ve got a guy who’s going to bring an entourage with him. But that wasn’t his case. There’s always a maturity factor with a younger player that’s important to me. To be honest with you, I love when you get a fifth-year senior because there’s likelihood of him being more mature. Although you might be only talking about a couple years with a guy, it makes a difference.”

RE: Will he (Chilo Rachal) compete for a starting left guard job?

“He could (compete for) a starting position. He’ll compete for it. I believe he’ll make an impact this year. We’ll see how much it is as we go. That will all take care of itself on the field.”

RE: On adding depth and possibility of Larry Allen being finished.

“When the season ended we knew we had to add some depth at the offensive line. For a lot of reasons that was it, not specifically.”

RE: On who will play right guard.

“Right now I believe that (Tony) Wragge will be the guy that steps in there next week. There won’t be any rookie that will line-up with the first unit as of right now, unless we don’t have the numbers at the position. Right now we have the numbers to line-up with veteran players at all the positions. Through the process they’re going to compete for the job.”

RE: On the wide receivers in the draft.

“We liked a couple of them; we still like a couple of them. But you only get one pick. There was very good discussion on both choices about some of the wide receivers, much more the second choice than with the first. There’s still some good wide receivers on the board. There’s more selection at the wide receivers than at any other position as you go through it. It is the biggest miss position in the draft every year, but that doesn’t make us stay away from it. If we believe in our board and the way we set it up, then we think realistically when we compare him to another player and then we think we make the best decision. We did consider some guys.”

RE: On drafting a wide receiver on Day Two of the draft.

“As likely as any position, yes.”

RE: Were you surprised DeSean Jackson lasted as long as he did?

“Not really, no. He’s a very explosive player. Some people are afraid that he might just be a slot or one dimensional guy, but he’s explosive, he makes plays. He is fun to watch on film. He was being compared to bigger more explosive guys: Malcolm Kelly and (Limas) Sweed. He was a good player among some other good ones.”

RE: Was Phillip Merlin a guy you were looking at?

“He was one of the players we considered.”

RE: Who were the others?

“The ones that were left on the board. The 28 that went before our pick we weren’t considering (laughter), but everyone after that we were considering.”

RE: With Balmer there has been some questions about his work ethic. Are you confident that that issue is behind him?

“Honestly, I’m surprised by the question because truthfully he is a high-motor, play every snap kind of player. The coaches loved him. The (North Carolina) coach that was fired (John Bunting) a couple of years ago called our defensive coaches … and was very positive. He said that the guy was a great individual, a great person, and a hard-worker. They all said a lot of good things about him. Like I said, I’m a little surprised by the question because that was never the feedback we really got about that guy that he was that way. I’ll say this … he was as excited as you could imagine on the phone about coming to be a 49er. I guess he told the story about how his Dad has been a 49er fan for the longest time or something like that. By the noise in the background, I’m sure they were excited he was chosen.”

RE: If you had to play Balmer at one position and one position only where would that be?

“I don’t know that yet. He’s good enough to play on the end. He’s not just a ‘sit in there and hold the point kind of guy.’ There’s some players that are just one dimensional, just stay in there, do the dirty work and don’t go anywhere. If you look at the nose tackles around the league, you look at the guy in San Diego (Jamal Williams) he’s a he’ll of a player and moves a lot. That’s his forte. There’s other guys that just slug it out right there (in the middle). He can do both, so I’m kind of anxious to see it. He’s got great strength and great power. Is he a finesse guy? No, but I’m not looking for a finesse guy unless he’s a hell of a finesse guy and then you take him and you work around him. But, as I said earlier, Patrick Willis is arguably the best defensive player in the league. The guys in front of him have a lot to do with how good those guys are. This was key in protecting the guys that we think are the foundation of what we do. As you (the media) are well aware of BY (Bryant Young) with his situation that’s one less guy we’re working with. We helped the end position with Justin Smith, but even if BY had stayed and we had Justin Smith, we still would have solidified the inside.”

RE: You need a receiver and you need a dynamic edge rusher for your defense but you went for two linemen with your first two picks. Is that kind of a statement that a football game is won in the trenches?

“I don’t know where they’re won. We need to start winning before I answer that question. I would like to see a wide receiver on the roster. I like the two guys we’ve added this season in Bryant Johnson and Isaac (Bruce). We’ll see how the new offense is, but I know that Mike Martz was very much in favor of drafting offensive linemen as well. Although he liked the wide receiver we had up there, and we had a very good discussion, everybody was on the same page with the player that we took. But, I don’t want to count out what we do need. In order to get better, you’ve got to put points on the board. I want to support Alex (Smith) and Shaun (Hill) the best I can in the quarterback position … protection is where it starts though but toughness is, too. That was one of the elements about drafting the offensive lineman (Chilo Rachal) that we did. He is a tough, tough player.”

RE: Balmer had 3.5 sacks last year. Does his arrival make your pass rush better?

“I would suppose so, because if you spend two guys on one that certainly helps. If he can create some push inside that will eat up a center and a guard, and leave one of our ends and outside linebackers one-on-one. In a 3-4 (defense), typically it’s your outside backers that are your rushers. That’s what we would like to build upon, but it all works together. Offensively, you can criticize the line, you can criticize the quarterback, you can say (it’s the) wide receivers. But in the end, it’s pretty evident to me and probably to you, too. From an offensive standpoint last year you can spread the wealth around pretty evenly to say ‘this needs to get better, or that needs to get better.” The potential’s there, but we’ve got to make it happen. Two years ago, we made a lot of progress but last year we stepped back as you are well aware. Defense is the same thing. Everyone affects one another. Now, defense played at a higher level (last year), and we feel very good about the players we’ve added both in the free agency and the players we drafted today. And last year’s group proved every bit – Michael Lewis, Nate Clements and Aubrayo Franklin and those guys – were well worth the investment we put into them. But, we have to take another step now. With Justin (Smith) being added and the guys we drafted today with one on each side, I believe that will help us.”

RE: With Balmer being drafted does that create any displeasure with Aubrayo Franklin?

“No it doesn’t, but I hope it makes him come in here next week for the off-season program.”

RE: Will Isaac (Sopoaga) be able to play a little more inside now?

“We’ll see how it all works out. I would like to leave Isaac alone and let him play one spot. But in the 3-4, those guys are interchangeable. The way we play blocks and the way they read them, whether you are on the nose or on the end, is the same. It’s just that when you are on the nose, you can get hit from both sides. When you’re at an end, you typically know your double team is going to come from the outside, so inside it’s single team. Without getting too technical, that’s about as far as I need to go. It’s a little tougher to play inside. As we say, it gets a little hotter in there than on the outside, but in a 3-4 you like to have good players on the front line.

RE: You mentioned that guys like Balmer and Justin Smith can help protect Patrick Willis. Does the same hold true for the other inside linebacker spot? Is that an area that you want to upgrade?

“Yeah we still have an issue here. We’ve still got to find somebody there. It could come out of the guys we currently have on the roster; it could come out of Dontarrious Thomas. We’ll see how tomorrow goes. There’s still some good value on the board.”

San Francisco 49ers 2008 Draft

4-26-08

First-Round Draft Pick (No. 29 Overall)

North Carolina DT Kentwan Balmer

RE: Who called you from the 49ers?

“Coach Nolan and (Coach Manusky). Everything is going so fast. It’s like a dream come true.”

RE: What’s your reaction on going in the first round and to the 49ers?

“Me, being a first-rounder, just goes to show that it’s all worth the hard work, but being a 49er, it’s actually been in my family for a long time. My father was a big 49ers fan back in the day when Steve Young was playing, so I’ve watched a lot of 49er games, but I never thought that this would happen.”

RE: Have they told you where you’re going to be playing?

“It doesn’t matter, whatever it takes for the team. I’ll get back there and try to kick if they want me to. I’m just going to go in there and work hard and compete. I think that’s the main thing, and everything else will work itself out. I’m willing and I’m hungry and I’m just going to come out there and go back to playing some ball.”

RE: In the days leading up to the draft, did you talk to your dad about the possibility of becoming a 49er?

“We talked a little bit. He’s just proud of me and the situation I am (in). I think he’s crying now just because, and he has his 49ers hat actually. What a coincidence.”

RE: What’s his first name?                                                                                                 

“Charles Balmer.”

RE: How does your father get to be a 49ers fan in that part of the country (North Carolina)?

“There’s a lot of tradition that the 49ers have and there’s a lot of great players. We were watching them seeing that red and that gold, and we just loved it. It’s in me.”

RE: Did you have any idea where you might go?

“Not at all. I just came to this thing with an open mind and just tried to stay patient. This is where God wanted me to end up. I’m all yours.”

RE: Is playing defensive end in the 49ers scheme like playing defensive tackle for the Tar Heels?

“I would definitely say the position is similar. I played a little 4-technique and 5-technique here, and it’s all about get-offs, knock back and make plays; doing what your coached to do and getting the job done.”

RE: Have you followed the team lately? They are a lot different than when your father was a big fan.

“I followed them. I know they’re not happy where they’re at, but you just have to keep working hard, and hopefully I’m going to come in and try to help change that. I think we’ll get it turned around.”

RE: If you were to write a scouting report on yourself, what would you say?

“He plays hard. He plays hard all the time. He’s coachable. He plays with great passion for the game. He’s a student of the game. He still has a lot of growing to do. His best football is ahead of him.”

RE: How much of an impact did Butch Davis have on your career?

“He had a lot of impact. Coming in, bringing that professional mentality of the game, making us take a professional approach to each game. I had a professional defensive line coach in John Blake. He came in bringing that NFL mentality, so every down, holding is not an option. No excuses. You have to play with tenacity and that nastiness every play. That was probably the biggest difference in my career.”

RE: What were you thinking as the first round went through (watching on TV)?

“I just came in with an open mind. I knew it was out of my control. I was just trying to stay patient. I knew whatever team I would go to, I wanted to be there, and I’m going to give my all to them. I’m a 49er now and that’s all I’m concerned with.”

RE: Some people have called you a one year wonder. Do you think it took that NFL coaching to sort of bring out that potential in you at the college level?

“Somewhat. I think more so the preparation was the biggest key. Football is a physical game, but the mental part is even more important. I didn’t know that, and these guys really showed me how to do it.”

RE: How much did the ankle sprain impact your junior year?

“I’m not the one to make excuses, but I came back a week early from it (when) my team needed me. I went out there and did all I could do. I know that wasn’t my best ball, but when your team needs you, whether you’re hurt or not, you gotta go.”

RE: Why do you think it is that some analysts have said that your production hasn’t been as good as your potential so far?

“They don’t know. They don’t know how hard I work here and the effort (I put in). A lot of different things play into this, different schemes, different preparation. It was just a lot of different things and a lot of people didn’t understand that. They’ll definitely get to see a lot more now.”

RE: What do you know about the 49ers defense as it is now?

“I know you guys have Manny Lawson, he played at my rival school, N.C. State. You guys have Patrick Willis, who was a pro-bowler. Bryant Young retired. You’ve got a few holes you need to fill. That’s why I’m coming to town.”

RE: Bryant Young did retire. You might end up playing the position he played. What do you think about that?

“That’s a hall of fame player. I’m not expecting to come in and just replace him. It’s   going to take a lot of work. Hopefully, he’ll be around. I’m going to be in his ear every chance I get. He’s going to have to push me away from him because I’m going to try and get all the knowledge I can from him. I expect to come in and make an impact and try to shadow what he did and get better and progress, and hopefully do some of the things he did.”

RE: Did the light kind of go on for you last year as far as understanding what it takes to make it and take your game to the next level?

“No doubt about it. I really didn’t have a clue what it took and now that I know what it takes to be good, I’m going to do that and more to be the best on the field on Sundays.”

RE: Was there on particular instance that stands out in your mind?

“I would just say film preparation, just watching a lot more film. That helps because you can play that much faster when you know your opponent better than he knows himself. That can give you the edge and I know now that’s what it takes.”

RE: Are you at your family home right now?

“Actually, I’m at North Carolina Stadium.”

RE: Was football always big in your life growing up?

“Actually, I thought I was a better basketball player at first. Then as the years went on, I coach by the name of Ken Browning came and told me that my future would be in football. I believed him and here we are.”