After a 6-10 season and a coaching change, people wouldn’t expect optimism on the horizon for the San Francisco 49ers. Thanks to a dominant run defense and some very skilled offensive players at skill positions, there is reason for hope. But before they start buying plane tickets to the Super Bowl, the Niners front office brass should focus on improving the team that they might go to war with through the draft. Here are the Niners' three most pressing needs as the draft approaches next week, in order of most important to least.

Coach: Oh wait, never mind ...

Cornerback: The best thing that Mike Singletary did as Niners coach was give San Francisco a top ten pick this year in a draft loaded with secondary help. After addressing their safety need in last year's draft with Taylor Mays, San Francisco should move to the outside to improve on its 24th ranked pass defense of last season. The logical move, one that is expected by many, is for the Niners to grab LSU CB Patrick Peterson with the seventh pick, a move that would be both logical and smart. Peterson is about as much of a sure thing as exists in this year's talent crop, and not taking him if he is available at seven would be a joke. If Peterson is taken, Nebraska;s Prince Amukamara could be a logical pick.

Quarterback: They tried over and over again. And once everyone thought that was it, they tried one more time. And Alex Smith failed. Over and over again. And with the lack of a true offseason, it sure seems that the only way to find a replacement for Smith is through the draft. Currently, the only quarterback on the 49ers roster is David Carr. I would be willing to personally guarantee to anybody that David Carr will not make the opening game start next season, whenever that will be. The most logical options early in the draft are likely to be off the board, namely Auburn's Cam Newton and Missouri's Blaine Gabbert. If the 49ers are truly set on taking a quarterback in the first round, they could move down and aim for Washington's Jake Locker or Arkansas' Ryan Mallett. Or they could wait until the second or third rounds and go for Nevada's Colin Kaepernick or TCU’s Andy Dalton. The Niners have a lot of room and a lot of options. They need to utilize them and grab a passer.

Running back: Frank Gore will be 28 by the time the season starts (if it starts). Most backs tend to decline rapidly once they hit the age of 30. While Gore hasn't yet shown signs of slowing down, he has had trouble staying healthy, issing the end of last season with a broken hip. Anthony Dixon looked good in spurts as a backup last year, but questions remain about his speed. If the Niners don’t feel like Dixon, a sixth-round draft choice last year, isn't their future starter, then they should make a move for a ball carrier in the middle of the draft somewhere. There are a number of potential sleepers in the middle of the draft board, including Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter, Eastern Washington's Taiwan Jones and Cal's Shane Vereen. Any one of them could be a future difference maker and would make a good back up this year for Gore.

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-- DANIEL RUBENS
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