San Francisco 49ers "Sidney Rice draft prospectus"

In Monday's column regarding Dwayne Jarrett and the chances he could be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, I wrapped things up with the following paragraph:"In my opinion, Jarrett will be a very good pro ... (but) I really don't think the Niners are going to be taking him, especially when they could get the same type of Steelers 43 Polamalu jersey
receiver in the second round." The player I was referring to has a name that all football fans are familiar with. A name that helped define the 49ers franchise for nearly two decades: Rice. Jerry Rice, to be exact.Today's Rice, Sidney, is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound wide receiver from the University of South Carolina who chose to declare for the draft after his redshirt-sophomore season. Although many scouts feel Rice should have returned to school for one more year of polishing, he is still a phenomenal athlete, and he has arguably the best hands of any receiver in the draft. Rice only played two seasons for the Gamecocks, but he put up remarkable numbers and dominated his SEC opponents each week. In 24 games he grabbed 142 passes for 2,233 yards (15.7 per catch) and 23 touchdowns.In the NBA, a prospect with a large wingspan and excellent vertical leap is referred to as "long," and the word is a fitting description of Rice. With his long arms, lanky frame and 39.5-inch vertical, he plays even taller than his substantial 6-3 height, and he has a natural advantage over the smaller cornerbacks in the NFL. Granted, Rice is not as well built as Calvin Johnson, Dwayne Jarrett or Dwayne Bowe, but he is physical enough to shield off defensive backs and knows how to use his body to his advantage. Also, he is excellent at catching the ball at its highest point, and he rarely used his body to make the catch. He knows how to set up cornerbacks when he runs his routes, too, and does not take false steps.Though Rice is not a speed demon like Robert Meachem or Ted Ginn Jr., he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash, which is good enough for him to be a dominant force in the NFL in the right system. No matter what, he will be the type of red zone threat teams crave -- Chris Henry minus the baggage...and gun.In spite of all of his positive attributes, however, Rice is not projected as a top pick in the draft. NFLDraftCountdown.com says of Rice, "The key word is upside, and Steelers 43 Polamalu jersey
had he gone back to school for one more year he might have been a top five-10 overall pick in 2008...A bit of a project who teams will have to be patient with and develop, but he certainly has No. 1 wideout potential at the next level and could ultimately end up being a steal."Rice could certainly end up being a steal, because he will be almost assuredly be available in the second round when the Niners are on the clock. I hesitate to use the word "guarantee," but depending on your outlook on the class, there are five receivers who will likely go ahead of him: Johnson, Jarrett, Ginn Jr., Bowe and Meachem. But why? Well, for one, he has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career. He missed the 2004 season because of a hyper-extended left knee; he broke a finger and had to have surgery on it in 2005; and prior to the 2006 season, he broke his thumb.Big deal. Niners running back Frank Gore barely even played in college, and he had one of the most productive seasons in the history of the NFL last year.Another knock on Rice is his lack of experience. Again, big deal. As mentioned earlier, it's widely believed that had he waited to come out in 2008 draft, he'd have been a top-10 pick. He has all the talent and potential you can ask for in a receiver, and for the 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
Niners, he is the perfect fit in the second round. San Francisco needs a receiver with height who can make plays in the red zone. As of right now, the 49ers simply do not have that player on their team, and they will not find someone with Rice's potential later in the draft. Question? Comment? Have a player you want to see profiled? E-mail Thomas at tsorrell .Stay up to date with the San Francisco 49ers and the rest of the NFL this offseason