The San Francisco 49ers head into draft season with few needs on both sides of the ball. They might want to think about adding a young wide receiver to complement Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree. Outside of that, don't expect a ton of changes from this current starting lineup.
New Starter: Daniel Kilgore
Kilgore, a three-year pro out of Appalachian State, will take over for Jonathan Goodwin as the 49ers starting center barring them drafting a top prospect at that position in May. Kilgore has been San Francisco's extra offensive lineman when they go to jumbo packages. The brass in Santa Clara seem to have confidence in Kilgore to not only take over for Goodwin, but improve on what we saw from the center position last year.
Area of Improvement
There isn't a glaring hole on San Francisco's offense. It has a solid wide receiver duo in Boldin and Crabtree. In addition to that, Vernon Davis is one of the best all-around tight ends in the NFL. San Francisco also boasts one of the best offensive lines in the league. Where Kaepernick will have to take his game to the next level in order for the 49ers to be considered favorites to win the Super Bowl, he's led them deep into the playoffs in each of the last two years, including a trip to the Super Bowl back in 2012.
It has been well documented that the 49ers will be looking wide receiver early in the 2014 NFL draft. They do need to find a down-field threat to go with the possession receivers they already have on the roster. A lot of that depends on whether San Francisco is sold on Patton to be that guy. If not, someone like Brandin Cooks from Oregon State could make sense. That's likely the one area of improvement the 49ers need on offense.
Potential Breakout Star: Quinton Patton
Patton was injured for the vast majority of his rookie campaign, but when he was on the field, the Louisiana Tech product showed flashes of brilliance. He was one of my favorite receivers heading into the 2013 NFL draft and should be given a decent chance to earn the No. 3 wide receiver role out of training camp. Shifty with the ball in his hands and solid in terms of second-level speed, Patton could be a difference maker in 2014.
On His Way Out: Frank Gore
Gore has been one of the most consistent running backs in the NFL over the past nine years. It is, however, important to note that Gore is turning 31 next month and has a ton of mileage on his legs. He's simply not going to be able to continue performing at a high level forever.
San Francisco added an heir-apparent in the form of Marcus Lattimore last April. Lattimore sat out his entire rookie campaign after tearing his ACL in his final college game at South Carolina. Reports are that he's 100 percent and ready to go. In addition to that, San Francsico possesses a solid young backup in the form of Kendall Hunter, who is averaging over five yards per touch in his three-year NFL career. At the very least, Gore will see a down tick in terms of touches in 2014.