2008 NFL Draft: 49ers select Larry Grant, OLB, Ohio State

With their final pick of the draft, the 49ers select Larry Grant, OLB, THE Ohio State University.  The 49ers had a need for an outside linebacker that many expected to be filled by Quentin Groves.  Instead, the 49ers loaded up on both sides of the line and snagged Grant late.  From New Era Scouting:

Grant is a jack of all trades.  He can play all three linebacker positions and could be a very good special teams player.  He has blocked 15 kicks in his college career.  With his versatility and special teams contributions, he could stick on an NFL team and be a contributor.

From Scout's Inc:

Grant may never develop serviceable man-to-man cover skills but he can still bring a lot to a team. He's versatile enough to provide some depth at all three linebacker positions and he has the potential to develop into an excellent special teams' player.

So, the consensus early on seems to be that he's a potential special teams beast.  While it'd be great if he turned into a solid linebacker, a great special teamer in the 7th round is nothing to sneeze at.

With that last pick, the 49ers are done for the day and we get to start looking forward to minicamps, training camps, the preseason and the regular season.  I'll have a wrap up later today with my initial thoughts going forward.  There is certainly plenty to discuss.  It was not a glamorous draft for the 49ers, but they grabbed some guys who will make contributions.  In the past, they've gotten a guy or two that you just felt good about, whether it be Julian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Manny Lawson, Rashaun Woods (hope that didn't cause anybody to choke).  This is one draft where I honestly have no idea what to expect going forward.  Balmer and Rachal are talented guys but it will definitely take plenty more research to figure out what they'll bring to the table (and hopefully not take from the table).