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Drafting Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller fifth overall would help the Arizona Cardinals catch up with their division rivals in at least one category.

Since 2005, linebackers drafted by Arizona have combined to start only 16 games for the team, with 2010 second-round choice Daryl Washington starting 11 of them.

Cody Brown (2009), Buster Davis (2007) and Darryl Blackstock (2005) combined to start two games for the team, both by Blackstock, despite entering the NFL as second- or third-round selections. Only Brown remains in the NFL.

The Seattle Seahawks have gotten 145 starts from second- and third-round linebackers during the same span. Overall, linebackers drafted by NFC West teams since 2005 have combined to start 423 games for their original teams: 180 for Seattle, 173 for San Francisco, 54 for St. Louis and 16 for Arizona.

Washington showed last season he's likely to help Arizona close the gap. The 49ers could lose 57-game starter Manny Lawson in free agency. Seattle could move on without 61-game starter Leroy Hill while teammate Lofa Tatupu, a three-time Pro Bowl choice with 84 starts, is coming off surgeries on both knees.

With that in mind, I'll continue our position-by-position series on relatively recent NFC West draft choices with a look at linebackers.

Italics identify what teams might have been thinking as they entered various stages of the draft.

In the charts, I've used the term "not active" to describe, in most cases, players who weren't on regular-season rosters recently, including Jon Alston, recently cut by Tampa Bay.

Some players described as "starters" or "backups" could see their roles change pending free agency, roster changes and other dynamics.

We'd better find perennial Pro Bowlers in this range ...

Feeling safe drafting linebackers in this range ...

Not really sure what we're getting here ...

More questions than answers, but worth a shot ...

Not too late to find special-teams contributors, and possibly more ...

The San Francisco 49ers have gone for quality over quantity in trying to build a big, powerful offensive line.

The team has drafted seven offensive linemen since 2005, one below the NFL average. But the 49ers selected a league-high three of the seven in the first round and a league-high five of them in the first two rounds.

That jumped out right away when sizing up NFC West offensive linemen from the 2005-2010 draft classes for the latest "adventures in drafting" installment.

The Arizona Cardinals have taken a different approach, using a division-low one first-round selection for the offensive line since 2005. Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Oakland, San Diego, Tennessee, Dallas, Minnesota and the New York Giants have selected no first-round offensive linemen during that span.

The charts break out NFC West selections by general draft position, with a column showing how many starts each has made for his original team. I am using the term "not active" loosely to describe players who haven't been on rosters during the regular season recently.

Italics reveal what teams might have been thinking as they entered various stages of the draft.

We should find 10-year starters with Pro Bowl potential, most often at tackle ...

Every offensive lineman selected among the top 50 or so choices should contribute and hopefully start ...

The most athletic prospects are gone by now, but tough guys still have value ...

These guys have question marks, obvious limitations or both, but we'll still get some starts from them ...

Anyone seen the Seahawks or 49ers lately?

What are our numbers on the line again? Let's get another one here.

Larry Fitzgerald's arrival with the Arizona Cardinals via the 2004 NFL draft serves as the starting point for the latest item looking at recent NFC West choices.

Fitzgerald already has 613 receptions, far more than any other NFC West receiver over the last seven seasons.

In fact, the wide receivers with the most receptions for the Cardinals' division rivals during the same time period -- Torry Holt (St. Louis), Bobby Engram (Seattle) and Arnaz Battle (San Francisco) -- have long since moved on. I ran across Engram in the 49ers' main lobby Wednesday; he's a quality control coach with the team.

History tells us receivers carry more risk than some other positions. For every Fitzgerald, there seems to be a Koren Robinson, David Terrell or Troy Williamson -- high picks that never came close to realizing their potential. Mike Williams' revival with Seattle last season was an exception.

The charts break down every receiver NFC West teams have drafted since 2004. Will the St. Louis Rams add Julio Jones to their list of drafted wideouts?

As in the past, I'll preface each chart with thoughts from the teams' perspectives.

Immediate needs don't matter so much when front-line talent is available ...

Time to start finding replacements for veterans who might not fit into our plans (Terrell Owens for the 49ers, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt for the Rams) ...

These guys might not start, but every team needs secondary options in the passing game ...

We're getting late enough in the draft to consider grabbing a receiver while a few with decent potential remain on the board ...

Time to fill out the roster and hope we find depth for special teams ...

Every NFC West team has needs greater than running back heading into the 2011 NFL draft.

There are still issues at the position.

The St. Louis Rams could stand to upgrade and diversify their depth behind Steven Jackson.

The San Francisco 49ers could use a young fullback and, possibly, additional insurance as Frank Gore returns from a season-ending hip injury.

The Arizona Cardinals will be watching Beanie Wells closely this coming season while mindful that Tim Hightower does not have a long-term contract.

And the Seattle Seahawks, though happy with Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett, do not have a dynamic breakaway threat in the backfield.

With that in mind, I'll build upon recent items on quarterbacks and cornerbacks. This one looks at every running back NFC West teams have selected since 2000, the year Shaun Alexander and Thomas Jones entered the league. Sixteen of the 26 backs in question remain active.

I would also encourage you to check out Don Banks' recent piece on running backs and the 2011 draft. It dovetails with the 2010 draft recap file I offered last year. That file showed NFL teams selecting no running backs at all in the third round, only two across the third, fourth and fifth rounds and none in the seventh.

Now, on to the charts, with italicized comments projecting what teams might have been thinking ...

Sure, it's a passing league, but a marquee back still carries plenty of value ...

We think these guys can play specific roles within our systems, but it's an upset if they become every-down backs ...

Time to focus on other positions ...

Time to grab a fullback, most likely ...

Hey, wait a minute, we had these guys rated quite a bit higher ...

With the San Francisco 49ers in the market for cornerback help and our offseason power rankings focusing on the position later Tuesday, I'll look back at the corners current NFC West teams have drafted over the last decade.

This is the second part in a series that began with a look at 15 classes of NFC West quarterbacks. Then as now, I'll break up the charts with narration from teams' perspectives.

These guys had better start early and challenge for Pro Bowls ...

Some prospects aren't ideal in one area or another, but they could shine in the right scheme ...

Still not too late to find decent starters ...

Last chance to find a likely contributor ...

Time to fill out the 80-man roster ...

Some narration is in order while looking back at every quarterback current NFC West teams have selected over the past 15 NFL drafts.

Back up the Brink's truck. We're all in with these guys ...


Rolling the dice at the top of the draft is risky. Good thing so many top quarterbacks are available a little later ...

How are these guys still on the board? We must know something other teams do not ...

You mean we haven't selected a quarterback yet? Better grab one now ...


Signing free agents after the draft is a pain. Let's save some time, and if we luck into the next Tom Brady, everyone will call us geniuses ...