Previously, I took a look at why picking late in the first round hasn't worked out very well for the San Francisco 49ers in the past - with names like Kentwan Balmer and Kwame Harris, I didn't need to say much. But that's the draft history of some pretty terrible general managers or some pretty troubled ones, while there's plenty of good ones around the league.

But instead of taking a look at, say, all of the late-round picks over the last decade, what about the players taken at No. 30? Over the next couple of days I'm going to take a look at the players selected at No. 30, and also the players selected at the 49ers' pick in the second and third rounds as well. I think, after that point, it gets a little murky anyway, so there's not much point.

Let's start with last year, shall we? Make the jump.

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It's Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 and today is a blue day anyway you look at it. It's two days after the Super Bowl, and everyone around me seems to be either feeling blue because their Patriots lost or wearing blue because their Giants won. I'm pretty angry, so I guess that makes me red, which makes sense because as much as the NFL and FOX NBC wanted me to be into that circus on Sunday, I just wasn't. I still don't believe the Giants are the better team. They certainly don't come to mind when discussing the league's best teams.

And on top of that, the Patriots just looked shorthanded out there against a team I already didn't feel deserved to be there. They put on a piss poor performance during the 2011-12 regular season, finishing with a 9-7 record, barely topping .500. They got beat by teams like the Eagles, the Seahawks and the Redskins twice. Not to mention, they got beat by the three powerhouses representing the NFC this year in The Packers, Saints and 49ers. So, do I feel the best team won? No. Do I feel the NFC is well represented? Eh..not since I believe they are the third or fourth best team in the NFC.

It drives me nuts that the 49ers could have the miraculous season they had, taking every game like it's their last, and finishing with a 13-3 record, a first round bye and numerous NFL and team records, and it it's trumped by the team who was mostly absent. It's like when the slacker in school gets better grades than you, and you studied your tail off. This was a weird season for a lot of reasons, so I'm just going to chalk this Super Bowl up to that. Let's see how things differ next year with a full offseason in place.

Because I know that if I'm feeling this way, there are 53 guys in San Francisco that are equally as furious. And they also have a wise leader to channel that fury into a supreme performance on the field. The 2012 season starts now for me. I expect more Peyton Manning news to come soon, probably about his release and followed by that will be a slew of offseason rumors and news. Soon enough, free agency will begin and then we'll have the NFL Draft the following month in April. It's time to start getting better so we can compensate for our own mistakes and the luck that comes with the game.

I can't wait for the talks to start heating up. I anticipate Carlos Rogers and Alex Smith will be the first 49ers with expired contracts that are dealt with. The wide receiver situation will be interesting since Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams are the only ones currently under contract for next year. With that in mind, Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn Jr. are notables that will need to be dealt with. If the 49ers go a different direction with one of them, it may be with Ginn who's only use is as a return man. We're also going to find out if the 49ers will need another outside linebacker and/or guard with the expired contracts of Ahmad Brooks and Adam Snyder.

Just counting the seconds until then.

Follow me on Twitter: @DeSimone80

Well, here we go. The 49ers kick things off at 3:30pm PT on FOX with the chance to head to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. I'm not really sure what else needs to be said.

We know that the pass rush on both teams will be a key factor in this game. If Eli gets all day he could pick apart the 49ers. If Alex Smith can get some time, he could do some good things on offense. I actually think the pass rush and how each offensive line handles said pass rush will really be the difference-maker today.

We know the 49ers have some filthy receivers and we know somebody among the 49ers skill position players will need to step up if Vernon Davis finds himself double and triple covered. Will Michael Crabtree bounce back from his serious struggles against the Saints? He had the touchdown, but he had some issues with alligator arms. The 49ers could need a big day from Crabtree to take care of business today.

There is plenty to discuss, but at this point, all that's left is playing the game. The winner goes to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, the loser heads home for the offseason. We do NOT want to head home for the offseason quite yet. I'd love a couple more wins before that happens.

We'll have a Patriots-Ravens game thread closer to noon, 49ers-Giants inactives at around 2:00pm and then the first of several 49ers-Giants threads at 3:15. In the meantime, consider this a chance to get fired up and ready to go. This morning could be interminable, but game time is just around the corner!

We have spent the whole week talking about the 49ers and Giants for very obvious reasons. However, as we get ready for tomorrow's NFC Championship Game, there is still one more game of slight importance. The New England Patriots host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game with the Patriots sitting as seven point favorites.

I was checking out some odds in the sports books here in Las Vegas and the Patriots odds to win the Super Bowl are currently going off at 5/6 at the Mandalay Bay and even money at Caesars. The Ravens are the long shot at 11/2 with the 49ers at 2/1 and the Giants right behind them at around 3/1.

I can understand the Patriots having better odds than Baltimore to win the Super Bowl if they are favored to beat the Ravens. What I don't understand is why people think it is such a drastic difference. The Patriots do have a fantastic offense, but in spite of what they did to Denver, their defense is normally not particularly good. They face a Ravens squad that has a great defense and an offense that probably is best described as inconsistent.

While Joe Flacco and company have some question marks, I find myself thinking the Patriots defense could provide the Ravens offense with an opportunity to look impressive. Maybe I am mis-reading something here, but I actually think the Ravens win this one. 49ers and Giants fans have thought the opposing team is thinking it's a walk in the park, but in the AFC, I don't see anybody giving the Ravens much of a chance. Am I missing something?

Although the 49ers defense gets much of the publicity around the nation, we all know how important the special teams units are to the team's success. The list is long and glorious when it comes to key special teamers. Whether we're talking about David Akers, Andy Lee, Ted Ginn, Blake Costanzo, Anthony Dixon, CJ Spillman, Tavares Gooden or any one of a number of special teamers, these units have been downright dominant in 2011-2012.

The 49ers will potentially be missing Ginn on returns, but otherwise, the unit remains intact. Although the team would miss an absent Ginn, they still hold a sizable advantage over the Giants in special teams. The Giants were fairly solid in punt and kick coverage, but they struggled in punt and kick returns. They also were not particularly spectacular in their field goal unit, sitting in the bottom third of the league.

The weather tomorrow could make the special teams units all the more critical. You could make arguments for a variety of impacts in the nasty weather. The direction of the winds will be particularly intriguing for the punters and the kickers. In Las Vegas, they have a random prop parlay card where I can bet on over/under for number of made field goals. The number is three. While I was tempted to take the over, this weather scenario has me wondering how the kickers will handle this.

On the punting side, I had a couple thoughts. On the one hand, maybe we see return men dropping some slick footballs or they are slipping and falling while trying to make their moves. On the other hand, maybe a guy in a coverage unit slips and falls, opening up a lane for a returner. Or does it all just break even in the end?

I'll be doing a couple radio interviews this morning and thought I'd post a couple links for your listening enjoyment. At 10:45 AM, I will be going on the air with XTRA Sports 1360 in San Diego. There is a Listen Live link in the top center of the page. At 11:30 I'll be going on a show hosted by Jim Kozimor on KNBR 680. On the top right of the page, there is a link to Listen Live. Click on 680, not 1050.

Both interviews will feature some basic discussion of tomorrow's game. I'd imagine we'll hit some of the pertinent points about the weather, the 49ers pass rush against Eli, the Giants receivers. I've found that radio interviews generally hit the high points of the games, but I like to try and mix in a few points that aren't covered as much. I've been getting asked about the weather in about half the interviews, but I usually look to mention that one in all of them. These should be fun, so make sure and check in at 10:45 and 11:30.

The 2011 NFL season saw some significant issues arise at 49ers games as Candlestick Park got a little to a lot ugly at times. The 49ers-Raiders game was the worst example, but there were also some complaints arising out of fan behavior at this past weekend's 49ers-Saints game. On my way home from the game, some fans were particularly rowdy and obnoxious, particularly to Saints fans, although even to some of their fellow 49ers fans.

The 49ers and the NFL will not be messing around on Sunday as they prepare for the NFC Championship Game.

Undercover police will be dressed in Giants' garb and on the lookout for nasty fans. Giants ticketholders will be handed a card as they enter Candlestick Park with details on how to contact police if they feel threatened. And more security cameras and undercover police officers will be in place to identify abusive fans.

Season ticketholders have also been warned to follow the NFL Fan Code of Conduct: no foul or abusive language or obscene gestures and no verbal or physical abuse of opposing team fans.

If you are going to the game tomorrow, definitely be prepared to have a great time. However, please be classy with opposing fans. I understand the taunting that can go on throughout games, but there is definitely a line that does not need to be crossed. The 49ers have fantastic fans, but it is easy to get a little too fired up. Just make sure and be classy....or at least moderately classy. It's all about having a good time, and swearing at and throwing stuff at opposing fans is not cool.

The 49ers and Giants get going in less than 48 hours, which means everybody needs to figure out their viewing plans. I'm down in Las Vegas for the weekend and will likely be watching the game somewhere at the Mandalay Bay. Viewing plans remain TBD. There's a chance I end up watching most of the Patriots-Ravens game at the Sports Book and then watch the 49ers game upstairs in my hotel room. I'm not sure I need to be around some of the obnoxious folks that will be going crazy in the Sports Book.

What are people planning for Sunday's game? Anything new or something similar to last week? If you are planning a viewing party at your home, I got an email recently from some folks connected with Bus Stop in San Francisco with a great drink idea. They came up with something called "Big Red" for the game. It is available at Bus Stop, but they provided the recipe if you want to make it at home. I've also posted a picture of the drink after the jump.

4 parts Hornitos Plata Tequila
2 parts Cranberry Juice
A dash of Sweet-n-Sour mix
1 part Rose's Lime juice
Squeeze of fresh lemon and lime

Combine ingredients in a shaker over ice.
Strain and serve on the rocks.

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