The Niners showed signs of cognizance last year when they trimmed the pricey fat off their roster prior to the draft and began to build for the future. After seasons off plugging the dam, General Manager Bill Walsh and Director of Player Personnel Terry Donahue chose to restructure an organization that was coming down from a euphoric high, which claimed five titles over a span of 14 years. The San Francisco defense received most of the attention last April, and it s likely it will again be the order of the day in 2001.
Defensive end is another area that ll certainly get a boost through the draft.
The Niners need to improve a pass rush that was near the bottom of the league in total sacks last fall. On the other side of the ball, expect the 49ers to try and improve things at tight end. Current starter Greg Clark is injury prone and the behind him isn t there. San Francisco will also try to get better in the trenches on offense, as OC Chris Dalman is still working towards recovery from a neck injury that ended his 00 season. One last thing to keep in mind headed into this draft, San Francisco is well aware of its overall weakness, so trading its first overall selection for a bunch of picks late isn t out of the question.