49ers top Raiders in '09 draft

By Kurt Wagner

The 49ers' 10th overall selection of wide receiver Michael Crabtree was quite possibly the biggest steal of last weekend's NFL draft.

A two-time first team All-American and Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top wide receiver, Crabtree will give Niner fans hope for a return to the playoffs in '09.

Crabtree left Texas Tech after his sophomore season, taking with him school records for receiving yards and touchdowns.

San Francisco elected to trade away their second-round pick along with their fourth-round pick -- which was a great decision -- as they secured the Carolina Panthers' 2010 first-round pick in exchange.

The 49ers also grabbed first team All-South Eastern Conference running back Glen Coffee in the third round.

Coffee, who ran for nearly 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns last year in the strong SEC conference, will compliment Frank Gore in the Niners' backfield.

San Francisco is still in need of an NFL-caliber quarterback, and failed to nab anyone to bolster their offensive or defensive fronts.

49ers fans should be thrilled with this past weekends' results. The Niners made the most of the 2009 NFL draft.

San Francisco Grade: A-

Live TV coverage of the draft reported that someone at Crabtree's table let out a big sigh of relief when Oakland passed on him with their first-round selection, and who can blame them.

The Raiders selected Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh-overall pick, passing on Crabtree and Missouri's Jeremy Maclin, both of whom were rated much higher on draft boards across the league.

Heyward-Bey is not a bad wide receiver by any means. He clocked the fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine, a blistering 4.30 seconds, but managed only 609 receiving yards and 5 touchdown receptions last season. He is a threat for the deep ball, but is not a number one NFL receiver.

The Raiders also shot themselves in the foot with their second-round pick of Ohio defensive back Michael Mitchell. Mitchell was predicted to be a late seventh-round pick at best, and was not even invited to the combine.

Oakland fared the worst out of any team in the NFL during the 2009 draft. Look for them to once again live at the bottom of the AFC West this fall.

I didn't know it was possible to get an F- in the NFL draft, but Al Davis and the Raiders have accomplished it.

Oakland Grade: F-