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It was the greatest crop of 1B prospects at one time in draft history, basically.  College hitters were REALLY strong that year.
2009?
The only college hitters taken in the top 30 were all glove positions: #2 Dustin Ackley (who was moved to 2B), #4 Tony Sanchez (catcher), #13 Grant Green (SS), #17 AJ Pollock (CF), and #23 Jared Mitchell (CF).
So that year nobody wanted to take a college hitter purely for his bat, because there were none to be had.  It's always gonna be a strength-of-the-draft thing.
Historically College 1B are the safest picks to make.  They make the big leagues and contribute more steadily than any other picks...but not if they suck.  The player available still has to be an awesome talent - can't just draft college hitters if no good ones are there to take.
Which is another reason why adding Smoak, the best pure college 1B in that draft IMO, is great.  Hosmer might be better, but Hosmer was coming from high school.  But that draft was loaded with good-to-great bats at the position. 
Alvarez I think will stay at 3B a few more years (unless they draft Rendon) and doesn't walk, Wallace doesn't have the pop, Davis will be good but not as good as Smoak can be, Dykstra was laid out by a hidden chronic injury, and Cooper just wasn't good IMO.  I think Smoak tops em all if he can reach his potential.
If we can add the best college hitter in a draft 3 years running (Smoak, Ackley and Rendon) that'd be quite something.  Adding the best SS in a draft in Franklin would be an excellent bonus.  One way to make over a lineup, anyway.
~G