http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/158458.html
49ers eyeing help on 'D'
Mike Nolan will take the best player left even if he doesn't fit into a 3-4 alignment.
By Matthew Barrows - Bee Staff Writer
Last updated 12:06 am PDT Friday, April 20, 2007
SANTA CLARA -- Mike Nolan wants his 49ers to run a 3-4 defense this season, but he insists he won't let the scheme dictate which players he chooses on draft day.
"We are still looking to draft the best player," Nolan said Thursday at the team's annual draft-day luncheon. "If there's a real good football player that puts us into a 4-3, then that's what we do."
As it happens, every defensive player likely to be available to Nolan in the first round of the April 28-29 draft can play both schemes.
Many believe the 49ers will tap Michigan defensive lineman Alan Branch, one of the draft's largest players at any position. Branch once was considered a top-five selection, but questions about his conditioning and intensity could cause him to slip toward the 49ers at pick No. 11.
Personnel director Scot McCloughan said Thursday that Branch's weight has ballooned to 360 pounds in the past, but that he recently weighed in at about 335 pounds, his playing weight at Michigan.
McCloughan said Branch is one of only three true nose tackles in the draft -- North Carolina State's DeMarcus Tyler and Utah's Paul Soliai are the others -- and that he also could play either of the end positions in a 3-4 front.
Nebraska's Adam Carriker has similar versatility.
McCloughan said Carriker was strong enough to play defensive tackle in a 4-3 front, but had enough pass-rush skills to be effective as a 3-4 defensive end.
A third defensive lineman, Arkansas defensive end Jamaal Anderson, also could figure into the mix.
Most believe Anderson, who had 13 1/2 sacks last year for the Razorbacks, is a better fit in a 4-3 defense because he is more accomplished at rushing the passer than he is at holding his ground against the run.
McCloughan, however, noted that Anderson is a junior with the potential to add plenty of bulk. After all, the 6-foot-5 Anderson began his college career as a 218-pound wide receiver but tipped the scales at 288 pounds in February.
"Who's to say that Jamaal can't be 305 or 320 (pounds) and carry it fine?" McCloughan said.
Another potential first-round selection likely to pique the 49ers' interest is Mississippi linebacker Patrick Willis. Though Willis mostly played middle linebacker in a 4-3 scheme at Mississippi, his combination of size and speed makes a good candidate for the so-called "Mike" inside linebacker spot in a 3-4 defense.
Anderson and Branch will visit with 49ers coaches in Santa Clara this week. Carriker and Willis, meanwhile, are familiar to Nolan and his staff from playing in the Senior Bowl in January.
While Willis was one of the best players on Nolan's South squad, Carriker was just as impressive playing for Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden's North squad. The 49ers also interviewed Carriker at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.
About the writer: The Bee's Matthew Barrows can be reached at mbarrows@sacbee.com.
49ers eyeing help on 'D'
Mike Nolan will take the best player left even if he doesn't fit into a 3-4 alignment.
By Matthew Barrows - Bee Staff Writer
Last updated 12:06 am PDT Friday, April 20, 2007
SANTA CLARA -- Mike Nolan wants his 49ers to run a 3-4 defense this season, but he insists he won't let the scheme dictate which players he chooses on draft day.
"We are still looking to draft the best player," Nolan said Thursday at the team's annual draft-day luncheon. "If there's a real good football player that puts us into a 4-3, then that's what we do."
As it happens, every defensive player likely to be available to Nolan in the first round of the April 28-29 draft can play both schemes.
Many believe the 49ers will tap Michigan defensive lineman Alan Branch, one of the draft's largest players at any position. Branch once was considered a top-five selection, but questions about his conditioning and intensity could cause him to slip toward the 49ers at pick No. 11.
Personnel director Scot McCloughan said Thursday that Branch's weight has ballooned to 360 pounds in the past, but that he recently weighed in at about 335 pounds, his playing weight at Michigan.
McCloughan said Branch is one of only three true nose tackles in the draft -- North Carolina State's DeMarcus Tyler and Utah's Paul Soliai are the others -- and that he also could play either of the end positions in a 3-4 front.
Nebraska's Adam Carriker has similar versatility.
McCloughan said Carriker was strong enough to play defensive tackle in a 4-3 front, but had enough pass-rush skills to be effective as a 3-4 defensive end.
A third defensive lineman, Arkansas defensive end Jamaal Anderson, also could figure into the mix.
Most believe Anderson, who had 13 1/2 sacks last year for the Razorbacks, is a better fit in a 4-3 defense because he is more accomplished at rushing the passer than he is at holding his ground against the run.
McCloughan, however, noted that Anderson is a junior with the potential to add plenty of bulk. After all, the 6-foot-5 Anderson began his college career as a 218-pound wide receiver but tipped the scales at 288 pounds in February.
"Who's to say that Jamaal can't be 305 or 320 (pounds) and carry it fine?" McCloughan said.
Another potential first-round selection likely to pique the 49ers' interest is Mississippi linebacker Patrick Willis. Though Willis mostly played middle linebacker in a 4-3 scheme at Mississippi, his combination of size and speed makes a good candidate for the so-called "Mike" inside linebacker spot in a 3-4 defense.
Anderson and Branch will visit with 49ers coaches in Santa Clara this week. Carriker and Willis, meanwhile, are familiar to Nolan and his staff from playing in the Senior Bowl in January.
While Willis was one of the best players on Nolan's South squad, Carriker was just as impressive playing for Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden's North squad. The 49ers also interviewed Carriker at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.
About the writer: The Bee's Matthew Barrows can be reached at mbarrows@sacbee.com.
