Niner Insider Kevin Lynch pointed out in a recent column that head coach Mike Nolan said the team would have taken Dwayne Bowe with the 11th pick last April if they hadn’t used it on Patrick Willis. This got me thinking: knowing now that both players excelled in their rookie years and look to be future stars – if not superstars – which would I rather see wearing the red and gold?

It’s easy to make the argument that a great middle linebacker is likely to have a more meaningful impact on a team than a great wide receiver. The middle ‘backer is the “quarterback” of the defense. More importantly – at least in Willis’ case – he can set the emotional tone for an entire unit.

You don’t often see a wide receiver having such a profound impact on the offense – unless he is a wild prima donna, in which case the impact is rather negative.

With those points made, I am happy the Niners chose Willis. What do you think?