Lots of people are firing Mike Nolan in the media these days — I haven’t, not yet. But no one is mentioning Scot McCloughan, Nolan’s partner in crime, until this year Nolan’s sidekick when things turned around and Nolan became McCloughan’s sidekick.

I don’t think people should let McCloughan off the hook. He participated in every draft with Nolan beginning in 2005 and while the drafts don’t make you retch they aren’t so hot either. My colleague Matt Maiocco wrote a terrific article last week showing that, with the exception of Patrick Willis, the Niners’ first two picks each of the past four years have been so-so in the success department. Admittedly this leaves out Frank Gore, a third-round selection.

I mean, Vernon Davis has not made anyone gasp with appreciation, and Nolan/McCloughan took him No. 6 in 2006. You wonder about the wisdom of drafting a tight end with your first pick.

Manny Lawson hasn’t panned out so far and neither has David Baas. And then there’s the most recent draft. This was McCloughan’s baby — no ambiguity, he was running the show. His first pick was defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer, a guy no one ever sees. The second pick was guard Chilo Rachal, even more invisible than Balmer. True, you can’t evaluate a pick for several years, but you’d think on a team as crummy as the 49ers rookies could actually work their way onto the field.

I haven’t even mentioned the biggest blunder of the Nolan/McCloughan combine. That would be Alex Smith, their signature signing. They took him with their very first pick in 2005 — first pick in the draft — and paid him a fortune. Many would say he’s been a bust. I don’t go that far, but he sure has not worked out well. In other words, Nolan/McCloughan started out with a flop and never have recovered. What do I mean by that? After all this time, they still do not have a starting quarterback — JTO is strictly a backup.

So when you hurl down epithets on Nolan save a few choice ones for McCloughan who has not distinguished himself, either.

— Lowell