Alex Smith, Frank Gore, David Baas, Ronald Fields, Adam Snyder, Mike Nolan

The inaugural draft class of the Mike Nolan era in San Francisco laid the foundation for the team's upward trend last season. The first five players selected in the 2005 NFL Draft have become pivotal and dependable assets to the organization. Assured of the first overall pick because of Steelers 36 Bettis Jersey
a horrendous 2004 campaign, the 49ers chose to make Utah quarterback Alex Smith the face of their franchise. In his first two seasons at the helm, Smith has shown continued growth and development in leading the team. Last season, he completed 58 percent of his passes and amassed nearly 2,900 yards in the air. However, his touchdown-to-interception rate needs improvement (he threw 16 TDs and 16 INTs in 2006). Heading into his third year under center, Smith is expected to take a big leap in terms of production and protecting the football. The Niners' second-round pick that year was David Baas, a versatile offensive lineman from the University of Michigan. The big fellow from Ann Arbor can play either center or guard and has been a solid contributor upfront. Baas played in all 16 games last year without committing a single penalty, and his contributions to the team should continue to increase this upcoming season. With the first pick in the third round, the 49ers struck gold with running back Frank Gore. The former Miami Hurricane had a breakout year in 2006, grinding out nearly 1,700 yards on the ground at an average of 5.4 yards per carry. Needless to say, Gore is being counted on to duplicate last season's performance in 2007. Considering less successful RBs Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams were top five overall picks in '05, the addition of Gore in Round 3 should be considered legalized theft and a good indicator of Nolan's eye for talent. Later in the third round, San Francisco chose guard Adam Snyder, who has made 14 starts in two seasons. Impressed by his play, the 49ers rewarded Snyder with a four-year contract worth about $10.5 million, including a $4 million signing bonus.The team got good value with its fifth-round selection, too, drafting defensive lineman Ronald Fields out of Mississippi State. He started the last nine games of the '06 season, compiling 28 tackles. Fields is expected to be a regular on the D-line this season. The success of the 49ers' 2005 Steelers 10 Santonio Holmes jersey
draft class has been crucial to the team's return to respectability. If this year's draftees can even come close to the contributions made by the '05 selections, then the team's prospects for the future will be even brighter.Got a bone to pick with a newspaper columnist, talk show personality or television analyst? E-mail us at mediawatch . For more information, visit our Media Watch info page.