Bay Area Sports Blogging

Day 1 of the NFL 2008 Draft had one less than the record number of draft deals. Some teams moved up to grab their coveted players while other teams moved down to grab more picks.

Not surprisingly, no WRs were drafted in the first round as the draft class was stocked full of good offensive and defensive linemen. Eight offensive linemen and seven defensive linemen were taken in the first round.

The Niners did not stray from the trend of the day. With the 29th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers took Kentwan Balmer out of North Carolina.

Balmer was rated to be gone by the time the 29th slot rolled around, but due to some reaches by other teams, he fell to the end of the first. The Niners did not hestitate to pick Balmer as could be seen by the team not using any time on the clock to come to a decision.

Balmer is a 6'5" 300lb defensive tackle. Scout Inc. reports on Balmer as "an NFL defensive lineman with a nice combination of power, quickness, speed and change of direction skills." They also believe Palmer can add more muscle and weight to his frame which would make him a stout nose tackle.

The report also mentions Balmer's underachiever status. Many feel Balmer was only a one-hit wonder in college, putting on a show in his senior year to get picked high. However, Balmer's dramatic improvement in his senior year may be attributed to the positive coaching change.

Mel Kiper Jr. had been noted to be very high on Balmer's potential as a legit NT. He feels that once Palmer learns correct technique in the pros, he would be able to hold his own as the anchor to a 3-4 defense. A certain upgrade over the players the Niners currently have at the position.

With the 39th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2008 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Chilo Rachal out of USC. To many mock boards, Rachal seemed like a reach at the 39th pick. Some felt he could have been easily had in the 3rd or even early 4th rounds.

Scount Inc. has Rachal as "an explosive, nasty inline mauler who is best suited working in confined quarters." At 6'6" 310lbs, Chilo Rachal fits the prototypical Mike Nolan offense lineman. Tall, strong, and heavy.

This pick may have been done due to David Bass' recent injury which will cause him to miss most if not all of training camp. Rachal's frame and demeanor also gives the impression of a favorable comparison to the strongman Larry Allen. If Rachal can transition from a guard position to a tackle position, then this pick could be very good. Otherwise, the Niners may have just picked up a career backup.

Many fans may be a bit disappointed with Day 1 of the Niners 2008 draft. Picking a NT and an OT with the first two picks of the draft is not very interesting, but necessary. All too often, you hear the experts say, "Games are decided in the trenches." With these two picks, the Niners are headed in the right direction to solidify the team's backbone.