SAN FRANCISCO FORTY NINERS
Niners Reload and Prepare for Playoff Run

General manager? Who needs a general manager? Not the San Francisco 49ers team that is completing a great off-season in which it solved the most glaring weaknesses of last season's improving team.

Coach Mike Singletary's decision to name Alex Smith as his permanent starting quarterback midway through the 2009 season paid dividends as Smith's confidence level and effectiveness grew. With an excellent group of young receivers led by Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan, and running back Frank Gore always a threat to turn a short pass into a long gain, the team's pass attack was limited only by uneven offensive line play.

While many draft prognosticators predicted the 49ers would use their two first-round picks on a wide receiver, defensive backs, a linebacker and even a new quarterback, the GM-less brain trust did just as we hoped — they drafted two studs who will help anchor their offensive line for at least the next decade.

Anthony Davis, a svelte 6-foot-5, 325-pound Rutgers product, will soon stop the revolving door that has plagued the Niners at the right tackle position since Jonas Jennings yielded to years of physical injuries. Singletary is confident that he will help Davis solve all of the "motivational issues" raised by some pundits. Davis and fourth-year standout Joe Staley, the left tackle, will give the team its best pair of tackles since QB Y.A. Tittle's heyday 50 years ago.

As good as Davis may become, the other new offensive lineman, Mike Iupati, could be even better. Described as a cross between a drag racer and a bulldozer, the 6-foot-5, 330-pound guard from Idaho did not receive the attention given to several of the top tackles in the draft because he played the less heralded guard position in college. Iupati has the skills to become an NFL tackle, but, as he did in college, may remain a guard to accommodate his coaches' needs.

It may take a few months for the rookies to develop, but I can hardly wait to see Smith and Gore operating behind a line of Staley, Davis, Iupati, center Eric Heitman and one of last year's starters at guard, Chilo Rachal or David Baas.

The team made a move to add a speed burner to its receiving corps when it traded a draft pick for Ted Ginn Jr., who had 128 catches in three seasons with the Dolphins. Ginn, who also returns punts, was a 2007 first-round draft pick from Ohio State.

The other obvious 49ers prize from this year's draft is hard-hitting safety Taylor Mays, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Ronnie Lott lookalike from Lott's alma mater, USC. Mays will join the much improved Dashon Goldson and Michael Stewart, last year's starters, at what will be a strength of a team defense that was already effective against the league's top running backs. If there is still a question mark for the Niners defense, it is at the corner position. Nate Clements seemed to have lost a bit of his star quality last year, while Shawntee Spencer came back from injuries to take the other starting spot from third-year player Tarell Brown. The Niners recently signed free agent William James, a 10-year veteran who may be able to help.

The first pre-season game is just around the corner. You read it here first: the 49ers will be the class of the NFL West as they return to years of glory.