49ers set for Saturday's draft

San Francisco will have the 27th selection in the first round.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- With their preparations all but complete for Saturday's NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers front office celebrated a surprising 2001 season with a Thursday afternoon luau.
"We're about as ready as we can be," said Terry Donahue, the 49ers general manager who will oversee his first draft this weekend after working as Bill Walsh's assistant the previous three.
"We still have a couple more hours of meetings tonight, but I want it to be short," Donahue said at the team's headquarters. "I think it's important that everyone get out of here Friday afternoon and go play some golf or do something relaxing. It will be hectic again on Saturday."
Donahue pleased
Donahue added he was pleased by the hard work his coaches, scouts and front office staff put in following the 12-4 season that has the 49ers on the clock behind so many others, just like in the glory years when the team won five Super Bowl championships in 14 seasons.
"It's good to be picking late again," agreed coach Steve Mariucci of the team's first selection, at No. 27.
"On draft day, that's not the greatest thing because you'd rather be picking early," Mariucci said. "But the reason we're picking late is that we had a darn good season, and that's a sign of good things.
"Unlike other years here, we don't necessarily have to draft starters."
In 1999 when John and Denise DeBartolo York of Canfield assumed control of the 49ers, the team was way over the salary cap after extravagant free-agent signings in the mid-'90s.
When the 1998 season ended, the 49ers were forced to release many of their playoff-tested veterans.
The team plummeted in the standings, going 4-12 in 1999 and 6-10 in 2000 as young players were thrust into starting roles.
That playing time proved beneficial last fall as the 49ers blossomed into a NFL contender, challenging the St. Louis Rams for the NFC West Division title until a Week 16 loss at Dallas.
Kept free agents
Since a wild-card playoff loss at Green Bay launched the off-season, the 49ers retained all but one of their free agents, losing only safety Lance Schulters who recently signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Choosing to stay were center Jeremy Newberry, running back Garrison Hearst and fullback Fred Beasley.
"We're still building the team, but I think we're certainly headed in the right direction," Mariucci said. "There's a real good feeling around here. The environment is terrific.
"They chose to stay because they like it here," Mariucci said.
Going into the draft, the 49ers have 20 of the 22 offensive and defensive starters in place.
"We're so young," Mariucci said. "Many of our starters are first- and second-year players. We're still a young team, but we're gaining experience as we go.
The 49ers replaced Schulters with Bears free agent Tony Parrish.
The other change will come at offensive guard as former Giants lineman Ron Stone signed with San Francisco last week. Thirty-nine-year-old Ray Brown, who enjoyed his first Pro Bowl season last fall, will be released in June.
Looking for depth
With veterans manning every position, the 49ers are looking to bolster their depth with draft picks, especially on defense.
"The last couple of drafts, we've had so many holes to fill that we would draft kids that we would plug right into the starting lineup," Mariucci said.
"That's not the case anymore, which makes it a little easier on draft day because then you can afford to take the best available athlete on the board rather than try to draft to fill a need," Mariucci said.
williams@vindy.com