Morning, everyone. I'm practically giddy with excitement right now. I mean, aside from the crushing pain in my... everywhere due to the Sharks apparently disliking winning in the playoffs, I'm pretty darn excited for the NFL draft. I guess everyone here is. Be it a dark "Oh God how are we going to screw this up" or a "Yesss, instant improvement with a good draft" kind of excitement. Whether you're a half-full or half-empty guy at least know that... we're not the Lions. Or the Raiders. Why did I pick those two teams? Because I just spent an hour talking to a fan of each about the draft. The Raiders fan was thinking about getting drunk five minutes into it. The Lions fan actually was bright eyed, full of hope. Good for her, right? Anyway. Here's some links for you guys.
This draft is so important because it's not just any old rebuilding draft. It's a draft in which the 49ers hope to seize control of their division by filling their few holes. Let's hope one of those holes doesn't end up being a quarterback. (SacBee.com)
Here's Barrows' latest mock draft. It's not bad, but I don't agree on more than a couple points. (SacBee.com)
All eyes are definitely on Baalke and how he handles this draft. If he does well, does the team keep him or decide that they need a guy with more experience and chalk it up to the board already being set? (Yahoo.com)
A closer look at the trip Baalke and Singletary took to scout in Texas, among other things. (SFGate.com)
Sando has his latest mailbag post, with only one 49ers-related question but it's still worth checking out. (ESPN.com)
Hm, a decent read. Is WR Josh Morgan a wide receiver... or a blocker? (Rotoworld.com)
I do think it's crazy how the NFL draft has went from this modest event to this huge primetime thing. I think it's cool for the NFL and the draft, but I hate that it's so late in the day now. I liked it earlier on in the day. (MercuryNews.com)
Just a reminder that getting a new NFL stadium is not nearly just about the cash it takes. (MercuryNews.com)
Taylor Mays visited several teams, the 49ers among them. The article seems to think, though, that Mays is a serious option for the rival Seahawks to consider. Interesting. (NationalFootballPost.com)