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Whoa, Nellie!

You’re telling me that a team sitting near the top of the National Football Conference at 5-2, with quite possibly the most well constructed defensive unit in the league, is going to add a top-five draft talent to the lineup? As unjust as that sounds to the rest of the NFL, it seems to be the scenario.

Former FSU pass-rusher Cornellius “Tank” Carradine, whom San Francisco selected early in Round 2, appears to be nearing a return after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in a game last November, via ESPN.

Once upon a time, draft guru Matt Miller of Bleacher Report had Carradine as the No. 5 overall prospect in the entire 2013 draft class, proclaiming him the top end on the board and the second-best defensive player available.

Though all drafted high in the first round, such defensive linemen as Dion Jordan, Ezekiel Ansah, Sheldon Richardson, Star Lotulelei and even his Florida State teammate, Bjoern Werner, were not as highly regarded from a talent perspective. In today’s league with players like Justin Smith and J.J. Watt, a hybrid like Carradine has a higher ceiling than all of them.

Though, obviously it was the ACL tear that caused him to drop in the draft.

In the first round, not only are teams looking for top-tier talent, but they are also actively seeking players to contribute right away—most likely as a starter. Carradine was not able to suit up on Day 1 or even partake in training camp, but he should be healthy enough to play this season.

Now, midway through 2013, coach Jim Harbaugh said, “The doctors have no restrictions on [Carradine],” per the team’s official website.

Bleacher Report’s injury expert, Will Carroll, recently provided his expertise on the rookie, saying, “I've been a bit surprised they've ‘redshirted’ him. Unlike with [Marcus] Lattimore, Carradine was expected to be ready to go.”

Intrigued by this, Carroll dug a little deeper, projecting an up-to-date status of where he might be at and how his adjustment period may go:

At the 10/11 month mark, he should be very near maximum medical improvement. What's tougher to tell is where his confidence in the knee is. That comes later and often takes an "aha moment" to really click over. I remember seeing Deuce McAllister a couple years back. He'd had his ACL done and was running north-south for the first couple weeks. Effective, but not his normal style. Some LB— always think it was Urlacher but not sure—was about to crush him and instinctively he cut. As he was running down the sidelines, you could see in his eyes he just realized what he could do.

So, as Carroll reports, Carradine should physically be ready to rock and roll, and if there are any challenges ahead, it will be from a mental perspective. But as he points out here in the example with ex-NFL running back Deuce McAllister, one big play can change all of that.

Moreover, Carradine has emoted a strong sense of self-confidence, particularly in his ability to both acclimate to the NFL game and cut and pivot on that knee again. “Speed-wise, I feel like myself again,” Carradine told 49ers.com senior writer Taylor Price in early October.

“It won’t take long [to adjust],” he said. “Usually after the first couple of plays, once you get the first series, you get the feel for everything—how fast the tempo is—how fast everything is going to be.” It also helps that during his time off the field, he has been able to learn the nuances of the system.

That being said, it is encouraging to see how other defensive rookies like free safety Eric Reid and linebacker Corey Lemonier have been able to step in. They’ve had to learn on the fly, and they’ve still found ways to contribute. And still, neither has had near the mental reps as Carradine, who was also built up to be a better defensive player than both of them.

If he’s fully healthy, he is knowledgeable and talented enough to hit the ground running and impact this unit.

Now, despite being shorthanded, the 49ers still have the No. 8 overall defense in the league right now. They’ve had a top-rated unit for the duration of the year, even after not having Chris Culliver and losing Aldon Smith and Ian Williams. They’re very good, but Carradine can make them better.

A shoddy sack total of only 17 on the season currently has San Francisco in the middle of the pack, so there is room to improve. Thankfully, that is Carradine’s specialty. Ideally, he’ll be eased into the lineup, elevate this pass rush late in the season and provide a boost going into the playoffs.

So, even though the 49ers squad has been burning offenses, the addition of Cornellius Carradine could help them set teams ablaze.

My ranking of Tank Carradine (DE-FSU) may surprise people, but once healthy I see a dominant pass rusher. He's top 5 for me. — Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 5, 2013

To Be Waived: Demarcus Dobbs, DT

Potential Return: Week 10 vs. Carolina Panthers