SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Even now, one day five years after the San Francisco 49ers selected its players in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, linebacker Fred Warner can still ask teams questions and advice about him.
Some believed that Warner did not have a position, stating that he was too small for a linebacker but not fast enough for a safety. Warner soon learned that his draft position—his 70th overall—was of little significance. Shortly after arriving at the Niners, defensive coordinator Robert Salih gave him advice he hasn’t forgotten.
“I think the important thing to always remember is that it doesn’t matter where you get drafted or even not drafted once you get to a team, it’s all about what you do going forward,” said Warner. “Coach Salih told me early on that you hold a pen to your story. Whatever you want your legacy to be, you are in complete control of that every day you step on the grounds of the facility and especially on the field. But. You don’t let anyone else hold the pen for you.”
In Niners-land, Warner’s rise from mid-tour curiosity to starter to All-Pro is far from a foreign concept.
In fact, the Niners’ star-studded roster is filled with players who were drafted in the 3-7 rounds — or even undrafted — and who have evolved into everything from major contributors to Pro Bowlers. Among those found in the final five rounds after Warner are fourth-round guard Spencer Burford and punter Mitch Wichnowski, fifth-round picks such as tight end George Kittle, safety Talanoa Hovanga, cornerback Diodoro Lenoir and linebacker Dre Greenlaw, sixth-round running back Elijah Mitchell and quarterback Brock Purdy in the seventh round and receiver Joanne Jennings.
With such a proven track record of late round success, the 49ers entered this year’s NFL Draft with great confidence that they would be able to solidify a roster that could use depth and competition all around despite not having any first or second round picks. Barring the deal, the Niners would not make a selection until the end of the third round, 99th overall.
The trade could happen, because San Francisco has 11 draft picks and likely won’t have a place for all of them on the 53-man roster in September. But they also don’t mind the idea of throwing as many darts as possible in hopes that they can find more gems mid to late round.
“I’m always optimistic the way I look at things, but I think that’s not just optimism, I think it’s reality,” said general manager John Lynch. “If you ask what the themes of this draft are, I think one of them is depth quality. I think that setup well for our first pick at 99, and then we have 11 of them.”
Lynch is not alone in this assessment. ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reed agrees.
“This recruiting class is not as star-powered nor filled with players with immediate impact as we saw last year,” Reed said. “For teams looking to build depth, this class is tailored for them because of the depth in the middle rounds. The potential is very high to find contributors even if it doesn’t happen right away during their first season.”
Therein lies the problem. While the Niners have lost 12 players to other teams in free agency and Robbie Gould is still available, they don’t have any clear openings in the starting lineup. Right tackles, right guard, strong linebacker, strong linebacker, and quarterback can be up for grabs if Purdy isn’t healthy, but the Niners might be better served picking the best players available with an eye on the future.
In recent seasons, San Francisco has drafted the likes of Hovanga and guard Aaron Banks knowing that if they don’t start right away they can step in when rookies inevitably leave in free agency. Defensive end Drake Jackson, a second-round pick last year, and right tackle Colton McEvitz, who was a fifth-round pick in 2020, will get a chance to do so this season.
“We’re excited to know that there are times, especially with this list, that a lot of places are full,” said Lynch. “We’ll always add to that and add competition. And sometimes, yeah, we can see this guy starting in year two, but we like drafting guys that we think can play now. And is that more difficult when your first pick is at 99? Absolutely. Is that More difficult with a roster as established as ours where fairly a lot of points are talked about? Sure, but we want to keep adding players that add to the competition.”
Given these facts, drafting the truly best player available is the best approach.
That doesn’t mean the 49ers don’t have positional priorities, though. Among the points the Niners can use in competition, he needs to plan for the receiver or both: offensive tackle, defensive end, tight end, wide receiver, running back, free safety, and kicker.
While Jackson is well on his way to filling in the defensive end left by Samson Ipokam, the opportunity to add more could be attractive. Reed referred to TCU’s Dylan HortonMissouri’s Isaiah McGuireLouisville Yes, Diaby and USC Contact Tuiplutu As mid-round options he can make sense in the array of positions he considers one of the deepest picks in the draft.
Along with the defensive end, Reed also sees the wide receiver as a location where the value can be. Wideout is something of a bad need for the Niners with Brandon Aiyuk coming in due to a new contract soon and the difficulty they’ll have in being able to afford both he and Deebo Samuel in big money deals. Likewise, Jennings is set to be a restricted free agent and Ray-Ray McCloud an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Ole Miss’ Jonathan MingoMichigan State Jayden Reed and Stanford Michael Wilson Among the people Reid could see with San Francisco.
At offensive tackle, the Niners McKivitz and Jaylon Moore had the inside tackle candidates for departing right tackle Mike McClinchey, but another contender and/or long-term replacement for left tackle Trent Williams may be on the shopping list. Old Dominion Nick SaldevAlabama Tyler Stein and Oklahoma Wanya Morris Reid’s roster made the 49ers fit, though he also referenced BYU’s Blake VreelandMaryland Jaylen Duncan and Syracuse Matthew Bergeron As interesting trade-off options if they fall within striking distance of San Francisco.
The tight end might be the position the 49ers aspire to given the need for someone to spell Kittle, and eventually replace him. The Niners have hosted a handful of tight ends in pre-draft visits, with South Dakota State Tucker CraftMichigan cleaner lookOld Dominion Zach KoontzCentral Michigan Joel WilsonBaylor Ben SimsAlabama Cameron SideOklahoma Bryden Willis and Pennsylvania Brenton Strange All of them are expected to be available on the second and third days.
According to Reid, some other players who can be matched with 49ers: Darius Rush (South Carolina), Rejzohn Wright (Oregon) and Cameron Mitchell (NW), reservoirs Gartavius Martin (Illinois), Jair Brown (Pennsylvania) and Christopher Smith (Georgia) and Kickers Jake Moody (Michigan), Chad Ryland (Maryland) and Christopher Dunn (North Carolina State). And yes, another potential pilot late in the quarterback as UCLA is worth paying attention to Dorian Thompson Robinson or TCU’s Max Dugan.
No matter which direction they go, the Niners believe they’ll strike gold again with at least some of their choices. Lynch cites the collaboration and attention to detail in spotting players who specifically fit their locker room and scheme as reasons for past success in finding talent in the later rounds.
“We’re not perfect,” Lynch said. “We’ve had our share of mistakes but I’m proud of our track record and hope that continues because we’ve had a lot this year.”