2011 NFL Mock Draft Database: 49ers Draft Predictions 1.0

Now that the 2011 Senior Bowl is officially in our rear view mirror, I thought now would be as good a time as any to unveil the fourth edition of the annual Niners Nation mock draft database. And so I present to you in all its glory the 2011 NFL Mock Draft Database, brought to you by...unlike the rest of SB Nation this is actually not sponsored by anything. It's simply the first version of our database of predictions, many of which will prove wrong in three months. And thanks to wjackalope for this graphic actually from April 2009. Big thanks.

The past few years we've simply rolled out the database and linked to it here and there. You'd see it change but once the database was updated on a given day you couldn't see what it previously looked like. What I've decided to do this year is post the database as it currently stands after the jump. Going forward, every time I update the database I'll post the newest results after the jump and link to the previous posts. That will allow us to see how different sites develop over time and what sites stick to their guns from beginning to end.

In this first database, I was caught a bit off guard by all the Blaine Gabbert love. Yesterday I had mentioned how the top six picks seemed to be settling in but Gabbert is a guy I constantly forget about. This is a year in which the QBs available all have some flaw that makes it a bit easier to discount them. They may prove to be great NFL quarterbacks down the road, but for now there are question marks.

Gabbert is the leader out of the gates with 10 of our 30 mocks predicting the 49ers will grab him. He's followed by cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara each being selected in five mocks. Every year we have a player or two that is picked by a single mock just to mix things up a little bit. Our first database features Julio Jones and Aldon Smith as your preliminary random picks. There is some value with each, but they're definitely a bit out of left field at this point given some of the talent on the board.

How do folks feel about Blaine Gabbert as a potential first round pick for the 49ers? He comes from a spread offense in Missouri which will automatically make some folks (including myself) wary. Having been burned once by a spread offense QB, I'd imagine there are a few folks out there who are skeptical of the value of such quarterbacks going forward (oh so subtle hints of my own feelings). Is Gabbert a guy who could overcome that spread offense stigma?

Some of these mocks haven't been updated since last week (or earlier) so they don't all factor in this past week's Senior Bowl practices and game. It's interesting to note that one update that does include that information (NFL Draft Updates) still has Jake Locker projected to the 49ers at No. 7 overall. He can boost his draft stock going forward, but I just don't know if he'll be able to convince people he's worth a top ten pick come April.