I figured that with all the questions surrounding the draft yesterday, it was easier to roll out answers and try and at least allow for some clarity. We didn't answer a ton of questions, but there are some things we can be safe in knowing going into the season.

However, the grayer area comes when we start discussing the questions raised as a result of the draft. There are questions raised on both sides of the ball and I'll do my best to answer them for now. However, it's pretty clear the answers won't come until training camp at the very earliest.

1. What defense will this team be playing?

This draft leaves me wondering whether we'll see the 3-4, a 3-4/4-3 hybrid, a bit of the old 3-3-5, or some combination of everything.  The team did not address the supposed outside linebacker need (especially considering Larry Grant will be competing at the inside linebacker position along with special teams).  They've added Balmer to the mix and he appears like he could fit in as an end, a nose tackle, or a defensive tackle if they roll out the 4-3 on occasion.  Justin Smith can play end, but could get into that elephant role discussed previously.  I have no problem with a mix of defenses but it still leaves me curious.

2. What position will Kentwan Balmer play?

Depending on the defense used, he could be anywhere from a nose tackle to a defensive end in the 3-4 to a defensive tackle in the 4-3.  It didn't help that MM and Barrows mentioned him as both potentially filling Bryant Young's role to being the nose tackle and ESPN referred to him repeatedly as a nose tackle.  Any thoughts?  I'm not concerned because I think he could handily develop into any of those roles.  My issue with it deals more with the next question:

3. What of Ray McDonald?

McDonald has some work to do to get more playing time, but I was quite pleased with his development towards the end of last season.  Now, Isaac Sopoaga has been resigned to get time at nose tackle and defensive end.  If Kentwan Balmer plays mostly nose tackle, he'll be splitting time with Aubrayo Franklin meaning Sopoaga gets even more time at defensive end.  Justin Smith is clearly the man on one side.  Or maybe it turns into McDonald being in primarily on passing downs since he's more of a pass rush threat than Balmer.  The one plus to this is that you can mix and match bodies and keep guys fresh.  At the same time, I would imagine it would mess up the line's timing if you're constantly rotating bodies in and out.

4. How will the offensive line shuffle shake out?

While the offense might have issues, I don't see a whole lot of questions.  The primary one is how the drafting of Rachal and Wallace affects the rest of the offensive line.  Will the team try and get some versatility out of the draftees at different positions, or will they be there to only learn and compete at guard and center respectively?  Dave Baas is expected to miss a chunk of training camp, which definitely could help to speed along the development of Rachal.  I'm not expecting a big impact from Rachal right away, but it will be interesting to see how he handles the chance to compete for an immediate starting role.  As for Wallace, I'd expect him to get some playing time spelling Heitmann but I really don't expect to see him on the field much barring injury.  Let's hope that doesn't happen.  Of course maybe can shock us and win the job in training camp.

Feel free to throw out your own questions and answers.  I know there are plenty of them out there.

After 2 days and give picks, the San Francisco 49ers draft is complete and the time for irrational and rational analysis is upon us.  Right off the bat, I'll say this is a very tough draft to grade.  The general consensus was the 49ers had starting needs on the offensive line, the defensive line and at outside linebacker, with additional depth needs at wide receiver and in the secondary.  The prognisticators (yours truly included) felt Quentin Groves would be taken if he was there in the first or second round.  Offensive tackle seemed a sure bet to be addressed.  Many felt (or maybe it was just wanted) wide receiver would be addressed relatively early.  And the actual outcome?  No offensive tackles were taken, a short not so fast wide receiver with some issues was taken in the sixth round and they addressed OLB in the seventh round with a guy who is more likely to be a special teams start than an impact outside linebacker.

I will not say I'm disappointed or think it was a bad draft.  Aside from the usual cliches about waiting 3 years to fully evaluate a draft, I think there are some good things to come out of this, depending on how you view the players taken.  If you view this as a lot of reaches, you're going to be disappointed until they prove it on the field.  I can see how the team appeared to reach when other quality talents were still around.  I think my opinion is more of disappointment in who the 49ers could have taken, rather that who they actual took. 

While plenty of new questions arise, we've at least gotten some answers.  I'll deal with questions raised later, but for now I just want to look at questions answered.  And feel free to add any I miss.

1. The 49ers are happy with their receivers.  Yes they added Josh Morgan, but we all know how 6th rounders usually work out.  I'd say right I'm happier with Isaac Bruce, Bryant Johnson and Arnaz Battle as the 1-2-3 than last year with DJack, Battle and Ashley Lelie.  While it's not the greatest show on turf, I think there are sufficient weapons on the field.
2. Joe Staley and Jonas Jennings are your tackles next season.  After going guard with Rachal, I was kind of hoping the 49ers would grab OT Anthony Collins in the 4th round, but it was not to be.  I suppose they could work Rachal over to tackle, but I don't see that happening.
3. McNolan has tethered themselves to Smith/Hill (with a little O'Sullivan thrown in for good measure).  They could bring in an undrafted free agent, but I think it's safe to say the QB competition is officially set for this summerinside linebacker spot
4. Reggie Smith will be returning kicks and/or punts.  Maurice Hicks was quite solid on special teams, but the 49ers have not had the game-breaking kick/punt returning in ages.  It'd be pretty sweet to see Reggie Smith develop that aspect of the 49ers special teams. (Just corrected on Rossum.  I still think Smith will get a chance to make an impact in the return game.)
5. Eric Heitmann would seem to be a goner after this season.  Heitmann really struggled to bounce back from his broken leg at the end of 2006.  Who knows if Cody Wallace is the answer, but he'll definitely get every chance to prove it.  Heitmann had very solid stretches in his time with the 49ers, but it is quickly approaching the time to move on.

With the 107th overall pick, the 49ers select Cody Wallace, Center, Texas A&M.  Eric Heitmann is a guy who struggled coming back from his broken leg, so if Wallace is going to be an NFL center, I suppose this pick would make some sense.  I know you often see offensive lineman getting shuffled around so maybe they'll see what they can do with Wallace along the rest of the line.  Electing to take a center over some of the extremely talented offensive tackles seems to indicate Jonas Jennings is not going anywhere and will be playing the tackle position opposite Joe Staley.  According to MM:

Hmmm, what does this mean for Heitmann and Baas? Wallace (6-4, 295) was Mel Kiper's No. 1 ranked center. Says Kiper, "He's athletic, has some agility for his size, is smart, has sound technique, as well as plenty of experience against quality competition."

New Era did not have much info on him, so I swung over to Scout's Inc and they said:

Strengths: Gets adequate hand placement, locks onto defender's frame and can sustain once in position. Plays with good leverage for a player as tall as him and does an adequate job of getting under defender's pads. Has a mean streak and never stops working . . . Keeps head on a swivel and looks to help guards when no one comes to him . . . Though lacks ideal bulk for an NFL guard has the frame to comfortably add weight and could eventually provide depth there.

Weaknesses: Hasn't shown great lower body strength and is going to have problems driving two-gap defenders off the ball . . .Takes some false steps, isn't quick enough to get into position when footwork is sloppy and can have problems preventing penetration. Doesn't extend arms and frequently bails too early when combo blocking up to the second level . . . Can recognize blitz but gets caught flatfooted when isn't engaged with a defender and has some problems adjusting.

Overall: Wallace is a little too light and his footwork is still inconsistent at this point but he has the strong upper body, frame, tenacity and smarts to develop into an excellent backup or capable starter in time.

I'm not exactly sold on this pick (because clearly the 49ers need to convince me of these things before hand), but this certainly continues this year's trend of slightly off the radar guys.  These are all talented players of course, but they're not guys many of us saw ending up as 49ers.  Of course depending on how these picks work out, in a year, McNolan could be sitting in the same position as us at the draft...at home in our parents basement bitching about the 49ers picks.

Editor's Update 9:45am: Wallace just had a conference call with Bay Area reporters and some interesting info came out of that thanks to Barrows and MM:

MB: [H]e's another guy who fits the 49ers' mold. He's a smart and powerful interior lineman who holds the Texas A&M record with a 740-pound squat lift. Wallace is a Senior Bowl alum who worked closely with George Warhop in Mobile. He also is a two-year captain, which likely endeared him to the 49ers. It's notable that the 49ers have spent two picks on the interior of the offensive line, a huge problem last season. It's also notable that the current center, Eric Heitmann, is entering the final season on his contract.

MM: His father reportedly died in prison when Cody was 8 years old. His mother died when he was 16. His only sibling, Marcus, who is 2 1/2 years old than Cody, is currently serving time on felony drug charges. Wallace was raised by his grandparents.

Wallace said living through those difficult circumstances has conditioned him to deal with challenging situations on the football field. He said he does not stress out about little things.