Niners close draft with seventh-round picks

The 49ers selected a big free safety, Curtis Taylor of LSU, with their first of two seventh-round picks.And with their final pick, No. 244 overall, the 49ers selected LSU defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois.

Taylor (6-2, 210) had an interception in the BCS championship against Ohio State as a junior. His best games in 2008 came against Ole Miss (six tackles and a fumble recovery) and against South Carolina (seven tackles, a sack and an interception).

 

Mel Kiper says Taylor has “a ton of athletic ability” but he is “just an average prospect.” Kiper said Taylor has excellent special-teams skills but figures as more of a backup. In other words, Taylor appears to be a replacement for Keith Lewis, who was released and later signed with the Cardinals.

 

* * *

 

Jean-Francois (6-2, 295) is seen as a good value at this pick because of his athleticism. He had problems with consistency at LSU. But Mel Kiper said there were games in which he looked like a first-round pick. As a sophomore, he nine tackles, 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and a half-sack in the BCS title game against Ohio State.

 

* * *