2011 NFL Draft, 50 in 50: Brooks Reed - OLB - Arizona (12 of 50)

There's a good chance that the 49ers will be looking for another pass rusher in the upcoming draft. The round that they do so is the big question.

Vic Fangio will more than likely be looking to build a defense similar to what Dom Capers has done over in Green Bay.

The defense in Green Bay was predicated on a very sound defensive back field with pass rushers like Clay Matthews and a combo of Frank Zombo and Erik Walden. Most of the pressure and success of the three outside pass rushers would not have been possible without the help from players like Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Nick Collins, and Atari Bigby though. Having the 5th ranked secondary in the NFL allowed the Packers to finish 2nd in sacks for the 2010 regular season. But it's all about scheme, scheme, and some more scheme which Fangio will try and emulate some of Capers' to a degree.

There's been a lot of back and forth about what is more important for the foundation of a solid defense but there is little debate that it all boils down to which players are available and where they are available at.

With that, here is the outside linebacker from Arizona, Brooks Reed.

This is an excellent video of Brooks Reed here. It Illustrates all of the positives and what exactly he is good at. But, it is a "highlight" video, so take it with a grain of salt because no player is perfect.

The video shows that Brooks Reed's motor never shuts down. He pursue's the ball and not the ball-carrier which is what is taught from a young age typically. Some players do not implement that very effectively but Reed certainly is and exception. The pressure that he creates single-handedly can change a game sometimes. And with that, I am not sure he has even peaked yet. Every player peaks at different times in their career; sometimes in college and sometimes as a pro.

Here are his stats:

Summary: I don't think that we've seen the best of Brooks Reed just yet. He has the potential to have a great career as a pro football player. If he is available when the 49ers select in the 2nd round, and they don't get an outside linebacker in the first round, the 49ers may be hard pressed to go in any other direction. Although again, it really just boils down to who else is available.

PREDICTION: 2nd Round. There is a slight possibility that Reed could sneak his way in to the 1st round.