49ers Draft Pick Curtis Holcomb Confident He Is A Complete Player

When you play a position like cornerback, it takes a certain level of confidence. While players aspire to perfection, no player is perfect. At the cornerback position even the greats get beat from time to time. This confidence is even more necessary when you're a later round pick. When you're drafted in the latter rounds, or sign as an undrafted free agent, you need to have a certain level of swagger when you hit the field.

In looking over the newest 49ers conference call transcript (posted after the jump), it is safe to say Curtis Holcomb does not lack that confidence. Holcomb was the 49ers last pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, coming off the board at 250th overall. You could argue he finds himself in a similar situation to that of Phillip Adams who was also a seventh round defensive back selection. While Holcomb and Adams are different players, Holcomb will follow him in the sense of trying to battle for what could be one of the final roster spots.

In fact, Holcomb and Adams likely will be battling each other for that spot. Adams has the advantage of a year under his belt in the NFL, but he also is dealing with recovery from his season-ending ankle injury. It's never too early to start considering roster and positional battles, and it is safe to say this will be one of those battles whenever football starts back up.

CB Curtis Holcomb
Conference Call - April 30, 2011
San Francisco 49ers 

Listen to Audio | 49ers Draft Center

On his best skill as a cornerback:

"I think I can bring a lot to the table when it comes to cornerback. It may be a shutdown corner, just an all-around type guy. I can make open-field tackles, actually I think that's my best thing. I can tackle well. But, I also like to get my hands on the ball and I think, I believe that I'm an overall good cornerback. I can play wherever the coaches need me to play."

On whether he was anxious about the idea of not getting drafted, particularly with the pending labor situation in the NFL:

"Yeah, I think every player who hasn't gotten drafted was thinking the same thing. So, I couldn't say I wasn't, of course I was. But I'm just glad that the 49ers decided to take me and I just thank coaches and all of the organization for taking a chance on a guy like me."

On his interaction with the 49ers in recent weeks:

"I had a workout, a personal workout with guys and (secondary) coach (Ed) Donatell called me about two or three days ago saying he really loves me. He wants to get me out there. He wants to take me and he's going to talk to the coaches and everything for me and everything, talk to everybody and try to get me out there and I just thank the whole organization once again for taking a chance on a guy like me."

On what he means by the organization taking a chance on a guy like him:

"I'm just saying, it's getting close to the end and most, as you know, small school guys, they go free agents and stuff like that. But I really feel like I put in a lot of work over the last four years and I deserve to be a draft pick and I just thank God and the organization for taking the chance with drafting me because I really believe that I was worth a draft pick."

On how well he knows cornerback Leroy Vann:

"He was my teammate for the past three years. Great guy, great kid. I think he's in Canada right now playing but he was my teammate for the past three years. Me and him have a close relationship."

On whether he ever talked to Vann about his brief experience with the 49ers:

"I talked to him a few times. I didn't talk to him like that because I knew he was in training camp and stuff like that so I didn't want to bother him. But he was like, ‘It's an experience out there in California. It's a lot of fun, just like it is in Florida.' So, I guess I'm going to get used to it."

On where he is right now:

"I'm actually in Tallahassee right now, Tallahassee."

On whether he is a cornerback all the way:

"Yes sir. I can play everything. I know I can play special teams; as a matter of fact I played on three out of four special teams. I'm a cornerback, a special teams guy, an overall complete football player."