Frank Gore the Prospect

1. Hindsight Being 20-20

One way we've been getting ready for NFL Draft day – and, yes, it's finally here – is reviewing past 49ers drafts and what the talking heads said about notable picks. We went as far back as 2007, when one expert smartly called Patrick Willis the NFL's "next great middle linebacker." With the time we have left, let's go back to '05, when No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith overshadowed the rest of San Francisco's class, including a third-round draft pick out of Miami. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. wrote, "Frank Gore could help take some pressure off Smith as they mature together." Other observers went a few steps further. "Gore, the running back who kept Willis McGahee on the bench, would have been a first-round pick except for multiple knee injuries," noted NFLDraftScout.com at the time. Gore would be "out to prove college knee injuries won't prevent him from becoming a star," said USA Today in its report card.

Jim Harbaugh has said that Gore has "three more good years" left in the NFL.


(49ers.com)