Grading a draft is just as pointless as a post-draft power ranking. There is just no way of knowing how the prospects turn out. A high overall pick could become a flop. A seventh-rounder might become a future Hall-of-Famer. An injury, heaven forbid, could stall the rebuilding process for another year. Nonetheless, teams expect their first-round choices to become starters and others are expected to make an immediate impact. Let's see whether the 49ers drafted potential starters and impact players.

The 49ers did a great job in free agency, addressing their need for a deeper and more talented receiver corps. With the exception of maybe a right guard San Francisco didn't need to draft a designated first-year starter. The Niners could use all their picks to add depth and slowly transition the draftees into impact players.

San Francisco selected WR A.J. Jenkins (first round), RB LaMichael James (second), G Joe Looney (fourth), OLB Darius Fleming (fifth), FS Trenton Robinson (sixth), OT Jason Slowey (sixth) and DE Cam Johnson (seventh).

A.J. Jenkins won't be a starter in his first season with the team. He is more of a safety net in case the WR Randy Moss experiment backfires. Jenkins can do everything the 49ers are expecting to get out of Randy Moss. Expect him to catch one or two passes per game with an opportunity to earn an increased role.

The selection of LaMichael James in the second round makes little sense at first. RB Frank Gore and RB Kendall Hunter will almost certainly be ahead of him once the season kicks off and RB Brandon Jacobs and RB Anthony Dixon are set to compete for the short-yardage downs. In the long run, however, James could be groomed to form a one-two-punch with Kendall Hunter once the Frank Gore era has come to an end.

G Joe Looney provides competition at the guard spot and could end up starting on opening day. Looney and G Daniel Kilgore are unproven though. The search for a right guard might not be over yet and a trade seems a possibility, considering the 49ers have a number of additional draft picks in 2013.

OLB Darius Fleming adds depth to the linebacker corps and could make an impact on special teams.

FS Trenton Robinson and T Jason Slowey provide depth but may not survive the cut.

DE Cam Johnson dropped down the draft boards but could turn out to be a steal in the seventh round. Teams were concerned about his history of injuries but if he is healthy he could continue where OLB Aldon Smith left off last season.

It is possible that none of the drafted players wind up starting in 2012. From this angle the draft hasn't made the 49ers a better team but San Francisco was drafting for depth and did just that. Depth is something you can never have enough of. A.J. Jenkins, Joe Looney and Cam Johnson are the most likely players to make an immediate impact. With the exception of the guard spot San Francisco has an overall improved roster compared to last season.

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers agreed to a one-year contract with RB Brandon Jacobs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The New York Giants released Jacobs for salary cap reasons three weeks ago.

The 29-year old was drafted by the Giants in 2005 and spent all of his seven seasons with the G-Men, winning a Super Bowl in 2008 and 2012. He rushed for over 1,000 yards twice in his career.

As RB Ahmad Bradshaw's backup Jacobs ran for 571 yards on 152 carries last season and scored seven touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes for 128 yards and one touchdown.

Jacobs will most likely be used on short-yardage and goal-line plays, since RB Anthony Dixon failed to live up to expectations in this role last year. RB Kendall Hunter is expected to remain RB Frank Gore's primary backup.

St. Louis Rams

WR Torry Holt will sign a one-year contract with the St. Louis Rams and retire as a member of the orginazation one day later.

The St. Louis Rams selected the 35-year old with the sixth overall pick in the 1999 draft. Torry Holt won a Super Bowl in his rookie season when the Rams beat the Tennessee Titans 23-16. Over the years he and WR Isaac Bruce would become one of the best receiver tandems in the league.

Torry Holt is second in franchise history in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, only trailing Isaac Bruce. He had eight consecutive 1,000+ receiving yards seasons and surpassed the century mark for receptions twice. Holt made the Pro Bowl seven times.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Torry Holt in 2009 but he couldn't score a touchdown in 15 games. This turned out to be his last season in the NFL. The New England Patriots took their chance in 2010 but Holt ended up on injured reserve and was released.  

On the all-time list Torry Holt ranks 13^th with 920 receptions, 10^th with 13,382 receiving yards and 28^th with 74 receiving touchdowns. Will this get him into the Hall of Fame one day?

All season long the 49ers demonstrated that winning the turnover battle wins ballgames. The Niners committed two turnovers that proved costly as the New York Giants advanced to the Super Bowl after a 20-17 win in overtime.

It was a rainy and windy afternoon in San Francisco and both teams showed that they wanted to take a different approach on the muddy surface to beat the elements. The 49ers mostly ran on their first drive, whereas the Giants were predominantly passing.

The 49ers struck fast on their second drive. After an incomplete pass QB Alex Smith found TE Vernon Davis for a 73-yard touchdown and the first points of the game.

The New York Giants moved 35 yards downfield on their next possession but couldn’t overcome a yard on San Francisco’s 34-yard line and turned the ball over on downs. 

The G-Men were more successful on their next possession. WR Victor Cruz’ reception for 36 yards got the Giants to San Francisco’s 29-yard line. Play by play the offense kept moving closer to the end zone until QB Eli Manning found TE Bear Pascoe for a 6-yard touchdown to tie the score.

With 1:36 minutes left in the first half Eli Manning got one more opportunity to move the chains. Manning connected with Victor Cruz on 4 passes for 56 yards to lead the offense to San Francisco’s 13-yard line with 5 seconds to spare. Lawrence Tynes made the 31-yard field goal attempt to give the Giants a 10-7 half-time lead.

The 49ers regained the lead in the third quarter. WR Kyle Williams returned a punt for 24 yards to San Francisco’s 46-yard line. A 24-yard pass to RB Frank Gore set up Vernon Davis’ second touchdown of the game, a 28-yard pass from Alex Smith. The Niners were back on top 14-10.

New York’s first possession of the fourth quarter ended after just three plays, or so it seemed. Steve Weatherford punted for 56 yards to San Francisco’s 29-yard line and Kyle Williams inexplicably decided to stay in the vicinity of the hopping ball. The ball touched his knee and WR Devin Thomas recovered the ball for the Giants. Six plays later Eli Manning found WR Mario Manningham for a 17-yard touchdown.

Kyle Williams, seemingly unaffected by the mistake, returned the ensuing kick-off 40 yards to San Francisco’s 45-yard line. The Niners reached the red zone after a 17-yard run from Alex Smith and an 18-yard run from RB Kendall Hunter but eventually had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from David Akers to tie the score at 17, with 5:43 minutes left to play.

The next four drives were threes-and-out, the final two minutes of the game saw three changes of possession and the game was headed for overtime.

The New York Giants were threatening to move into Niners territory on their second possession but RE Justin Smith sacked Eli Manning on 3^rd and 3, which forced the Giants to punt. Steve Weatherford kicked the ball to San Francisco’s 19-yard line, where Kyle Williams was set to return the punt. Five yards later Williams fumbled another punt return and it was Devin Thomas again who recovered the loose ball.

The Giants were at the 13-yard line four running plays later and had to attempt a 31-yard field goal. Lawrence Tynes made it and sent the New York Giants to Super Bowl XLVI, where they will face the New England Patriots.

Game Tidbits

Alex Smith completed 12 of 26 passes for 196 yards, 2 touchdowns and a passer rating of 97.6.

Vernon Davis caught 3 passes for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Frank Gore (6), Vernon Davis (3), TE Delanie Walker (2), WR Michael Crabtree (1) were San Francisco’s only players to catch a pass.

LCB Carlos Rogers recorded 11 tackles.

LE Ray McDonald had 2.5 sacks for a loss of 19.5 yards.

San Francisco allowed Eli Manning to pass for 316 yards.

The 49ers surrendered 142 yards on 10 catches to Victor Cruz.

The Niners converted only 1 third down for a conversion percentage of 7.7%. On the other hand, the Giants converted 7 of 21 third downs.

San Francisco ran for 150 yards and held the Giants to 85 yards on the ground.

The 49ers outsacked the Giants 6-3.

The Niners lost the turnover battle 2-0.

The San Francisco 49ers meet the New York Giants to determine the NFC representative in Super Bowl XLVI. The 49ers reached the NFC Championship game with a 36-32 win over the New Orleans Saints. The Giants qualified for the third round of the playoffs by dismantling the Green Bay Packers 37-20 at Lambeau Field. Both teams faced each other 35 times, including seven times in the postseason. The 49ers lead the series 18-17 overall and won four of the seven playoff encounters. Both sides met in the NFC Championship game in 1990, with the Giants winning 15-13. This is San Francisco’s 13^th NFC Championship game and the first since 1997. On five occasions they advanced to the Super Bowl. Both teams last met in week 10, with the Niners winning 27-20 at The Stick.

The 49ers listed six players as questionable on their final injury report. C Jonathan Goodwin (calf), RCB Tarell Brown (thigh), RILB Patrick Willis (knee), FS Dashon Goldson (ankle) and TE Delanie Walker (jaw) are expected to play. WR Ted Ginn Jr. (knee) didn’t practice all week and will likely be unavailable. WR Kyle Williams will start alongside WR Michael Crabtree and return punts. RB Kendall Hunter will be responsible for returning kick-offs.

TE Jake Ballard is New York’s only concern. He is suffering from a knee injury and will be a game-time decision. TE Travis Beckum and TE Bear Pascoe would replace him if he couldn’t play. C David Baas (illness), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), LE Justin Tuck (shoulder), RE Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee), CB Corey Webster (hamstring), WR Hakeem Nicks (ankle) and QB Eli Manning (illness) are listed as probable and expected to play.

The New York Giants improved in all aspects of the game in the postseason and finally found a running game. Ahmad Bradshaw and RB Brandon Jacobs share the workload and average 4.9 yards per carry and 5.0 yards respectively, as opposed to 3.9 yards and 3.8 yards in the regular season. Pro Bowler Eli Manning completed 67.7% of his passes and has thrown for 6 touchdowns and 1 interception in the playoffs. Hakeem Nicks (13 receptions), Ahmad Bradshaw (8), WR Victor Cruz (7) and WR Mario Manningham (7) are his favorite targets. Victor Cruz, who had 1,536 receiving yards in the regular season, and Hakeem Nicks, 1,192 yards, are a constant threat to make a big play. New York’s offensive line did a good job protecting Eli Manning in the regular season and continues this trend in the postseason as well. New York’s ferocious pass rush hasn’t slowed down in the postseason either, though Justin Tuck and Pro Bowl RE Jason Pierre-Paul are still without a sack. Osi Umenyiora, who had 9 sacks in the regular season, leads the team in the postseason with 3 sacks. CB Corey Webster (6), SS Kenny Phillips (4) and CB Aaron Ross (4) recorded the most interceptions for the Giants in the regular season but S Deon Grant is the only Giants player who intercepted a pass in the postseason.   

Keys to Success

Mix the passing plays up and use slants, play action and screen passes to beat the pass rush.

Establish a running game with RB Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter as one-two-punch and wear the defense down.

The tight ends will play a big role in the passing game as well as additional blockers against the pass rush.

Win the battle in the trenches and contain the pass rush.

Stop the run and make New York’s offense one-dimensional.

LE Ray McDonald and LOLB Ahmad Brooks should get opportunities to put pressure on Eli Manning.

Play the safeties deep to prevent Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz from making big plays.

Special teams has to nail down New York deep in their own territory and generate good field positions for the Niners.

Control the clock.

Force turnovers.

Probable Starters

Offense: QB Alex Smith, RB Frank Gore, FB Bruce Miller, WR Michael Crabtree, WR Kyle Williams, TE Vernon Davis, LT Joe Staley, LG Mike Iupati, C Jonathan Goodwin, RG Adam Snyder, RT Anthony Davis.

Defense: LE Ray McDonald, NT Isaac Sopoaga, RE Justin Smith, LOLB Ahmad Brooks, LILB NaVorro Bowman, RILB Patrick Willis, ROLB Parys Haralson, LCB Carlos Rogers, SS Donte Whitner, FS Dashon Goldson, LCB Tarell Brown.

Prediction

San Francisco 49ers v New York Giants 24-20

San Francisco’s return to the postseason could not have been more dramatic and exciting, as they defeated the New Orleans Saints 36-32 to advance to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1997.

On New Orleans’ first drive of the game it seemed business as usual for the Saints. The offense marched 78 yards downfield, helped by a 23-yard pass interference call on SS Donte Whitner, and had a 3^rd and 6 at San Francisco’s 7-yard line. QB Drew Brees passed to RB Pierre Thomas, when Donte Whitner administered a hard hit to cause a fumble, which was recovered by RILB Patrick Willis. The Niners could not capitalize on this turnover and had to punt eventually.

San Francisco was more successful on their next drive. Starting at their own 46-yard line, it took the Niners two plays and a 49-yard pass to TE Vernon Davis to score the first touchdown of the game.

FS Dashon Goldson intercepted Drew Brees on New Orleans’ following drive and carried the ball to their 4-yard line. After two incompletions QB Alex Smith found WR Michael Crabtree for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

S Madieu Williams tackled WR Courtney Roby on the ensuing kick-off and LB Blake Costanzo recovered the fumble at New Orleans’ 13-yard line. The Saints’ red zone defense made a successful stand and the 49ers had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from David Akers at the start of the second quarter.

New Orleans needed to respond and they needed to do it fast. The Saints were in 49ers territory after a 20-yard catch from WR Marques Colston. 6 plays later Drew Brees found TE Jimmy Graham for a 14-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 10.

The Saints got the ball back after a 49ers three-and-out and scored again. Starting at their own 39-yard line, it took Drew Brees 7 plays to find Marques Colston for a 25-yard touchdown and a score of 17-14.

The Saints couldn’t make it three scores in a row. Instead, CB Tarell Brown intercepted Drew Brees for the MVP-candidate’s second pick of the game.

The final two minutes of the first half saw three changes of possession but no more scores. Alex Smith lost a fumble after a sack from LB Martez Wilson but it didn’t leave the Saints with enough time to score before half time.

Although the Niners had to punt on the opening possession of the second half they basically kept the drive alive. Punter Andy Lee kicked the ball 57 yards and Blake Costanzo forced a fumble, with S Colin Jones recovering the loose ball at New Orleans’ 27-yard line. The Niners could only gain 3 yards and had to settle for a 41-yard field goal from David Akers to extend the lead to 20-14.

It was the only score in the third quarter but the final quarter of the game may have produced one of the greatest shows on grass ever.

The Saints started their drive at their own 34-yard line but it came to a halt at San Francisco’s 29-yard line. John Kasey made the field goal from 48 yards to cut the lead to 20-17.

The 49ers got the ball back after an exchange of threes-and out. The Niners were at New Orleans’ 22-yard line after a magnificent 42-yard run from RB Frank Gore. San Francisco entered the red zone on the next play but this was as far as they got. David Akers' 37-yard field goal made it 23-17 for the Niners.

The New Orleans Saints earned their first lead of the game on the next drive, when Drew Brees connected on a touchdown pass of 44 yards with RB Darren Sproles.

The Niners had a little over 4 minutes left to strike back. Vernon Davis caught a pass for 37 yards to New Orleans’ 30-yard line. San Francisco gained two more yards before Alex Smith took matters in his own hand and rushed for a 28-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed but the 49ers were back on top 29-24.

Drew Brees had 2:07 minutes left, but only needed 30 seconds to find Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard touchdown. The Saints successfully went for two points and took a 32-29 lead.

There were 1:32 minutes on the clock when San Francisco’s offense re-entered the field. Vernon Davis made another big play for 47 yards to get the Niners into field goal position. Moments later San Francisco had a 3^rd and 4 on New Orleans’ 14-yard line. Do you remember “The Catch” between Joe Montana and Dwight Clark from 30 years ago? If you watched yesterday’s game you witnessed “The Grab”. With 14 seconds to go Alex Smith found Vernon Davis who caught the pass on the edge of the end zone and fell backwards for the game-winning touchdown. The 49ers secured a 36-32 win over the favored New Orleans Saints.

Game Tidbits

Alex Smith completed 24 of 42 passes for 299 yards, 3 touchdowns and a passer rating of 103.2.

Vernon Davis caught 7 passes for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 180 yards are an NFL record for a tight end in a single postseason game.

San Francisco converted only 27% of third downs.

The 49ers were outsacked 4-3.

The Niners allowed Drew Brees to pass for 462 yards.

San Francisco allowed Marques Colston (136), Darren Sproles 116) and Jimmy Graham (103) 100+ receiving yards.

The 49ers held the Saints to 37 yards on the ground.

The Niners won the turnover battle 5-1.

San Francisco became the first team in NFL history to score two lead-changing touchdowns in the final three minutes of the 4^th quarter in a postseason game.

Playoff time has finally returned to San Francisco after an absence of nine years. The New Orleans Saints beat the Detroit Lions 45-28 in the Wildcard Playoffs to advance to the Divisional Playoffs, where they face the San Francisco 49ers, who had a first-round bye and got an extra week of rest. Both teams couldn’t be more different. The 49ers rely on an impenetrable defense, whereas the Saints possess a nearly unstoppable offense. This is the first time the 49ers and Saints meet in the postseason. Both teams used to play against each other twice a season before the realignment of the divisions in 2002. In 71 regular season meetings the 49ers hold a 45-24-2 edge over the Saints, though New Orleans won the last six games. Both sides last met, preseason excluded, in 2010, when the Saints spoiled San Francisco’s home opener 25-22.

The 49ers listed five players as questionable, which means TE Delanie Walker’s (jaw) injury has been upgraded, though he has already been ruled out. WR Ted Ginn Jr. (ankle), WR Kyle Williams (concussion) and LE Ray McDonald (hamstring) were limited participants in practice throughout the week but are expected to play. CB Chris Culliver is the biggest concern. He practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday and Thursday, due to a knee injury, but sat out Friday’s practice with an illness, probably the flu. San Francisco needs a healthy number-three cornerback, as they will be in the nickel formation a lot. Signs point towards him playing but CB Tramaine Brock and CB Shawntae Spencer could see an extended amount of snaps as well. 

The New Orleans Saints ruled out WR Lance Moore, who is still suffering from a hamstring injury. Moore missed the wildcard playoff game against the Detroit Lions as well. SS Roman Harper (ankle), MLB Jonathan Vilma (knee) and WR Robert Meachem (knee) are listed as probable but each of them will play and start.   

The New Orleans Saints and QB Drew Brees showed last week that they have no intention of slowing down their record-setting passing offense. The Saints amassed 466 yards through the air and an additional 167 yards on the ground. New Orleans uses multiple receiver sets but TE Jimmy Graham and RB Darren Sproles are just as important as WR Marques Colston and Robert Meachem. New Orleans’ rushing offense is no less unpredictable. Darren Sproles (6.9 yards per carry in the regular season), RB Pierre Thomas (5.1 yards) and RB Christopher Ivory (4.7 yards) can all run for yardage and make sure that the running game never gets tired. Sproles and Thomas rushed for more than 5 yards per carry each against the Lions. New Orleans’ offensive line is one of the best in the league and allowed only 24 sacks in the regular season plus two against the Lions. LT Jermon Bushrod, LG Carl Nicks and RG Jahri Evans will all go to the Pro Bowl. RE Will Smith is the team’s most dangerous pass rusher. He recorded 6.5 sacks in the regular season, but New Orleans’ blitz-heavy defense enabled Roman Harper to sack opposing quarterbacks 7.5 times during the regular season. CB Patrick Robinson, who isn’t even a starter, led the team with 4 interceptions in the regular season. CB Jabari Greer, who recorded one pick during the regular season, intercepted Matt Stafford twice last week.

Keys to Success

Beat the blitz by using quick passing plays like slants, screens etc.

Wear the defense down with RB Frank Gore and RB Kendall Hunter.

WR Michael Crabtree and TE Vernon have to continue to carry the main responsibility in the receiving game.

Frequent use of two-tight end sets.

Pressure Drew Brees. If he has enough time to see the entire field he will almost certainly beat you. Ray McDonald and LOLB Ahmad Brooks will play a vital role.

Move OLB Aldon Smith around at the line.

Never let Darren Sproles out of your sight.

Play the safeties deep to support the cornerbacks.

Win the special teams phase of the game. Drew Brees can overcome any distance at will but why make it easy for him when you can make it difficult and have him start the drive near his own endzone? Field position will play a big role for the Niners.

Control the clock. Every minute Drew Brees is on the sidelines is a minute the Saints are less likely to score.

Avoid turnovers.

Probable Starters

Offense: QB Alex Smith, RB Frank Gore, FB Bruce Miller, WR Michael Crabtree, WR Kyle Williams, TE Vernon Davis, LT Joe Staley, LG Mike Iupati, C Jonathan Goodwin, RG Adam Snyder, RT Anthony Davis.

Defense: LE Ray McDonald, DT Isaac Sopoaga, RE Justin Smith, LOLB Ahmad Brooks, LILB NaVorro Bowman, RILB Patrick Willis, ROLB Parys Haralson, LCB Carlos Rogers, SS Donte Whitner, FS Dashon Goldson, RCB Tarell Brown.

Prediction

It’s hard to pick a winner in this game but since I have to I sincerely hope I am wrong.

San Francisco 49ers v New Orleans Saints 23-24