Ten years came and went in a blink. The San Francisco 49ers hired John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan ahead of the 2017 season and tasked the duo with revitalizing the franchise. In that time, the 49ers have appeared in two Super Bowls and four NFC Championship games with nine playoff victories. The duo rebuilt this team with a combination of draft picks and veteran additions.
How have the 49ers fared round by round under the two since 2017?
2017: Pick 3 – Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford & Pick 31 – Rueben Foster, LB, Alabama
2018: Pick 9 – Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
2019: Pick 2 – Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
2020: Pick 14 – Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina & Pick 25 – Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State
2021: Pick 3 – Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
2024: Pick 31 – Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
2025: Pick 11 – Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia
Best pick: This feels obvious as Nick Bosa fell into the 49ers’ lap with Arizona selecting Kyler Murray. Brandon Aiyuk could have been argued until…well, yeah. The Mike McGlinchey selection can be seen as a good value for the 49ers, as they got solid play from an offensive lineman without overpaying for the former gold domer in free agency.
Worst pick: Trey Lance. Good kid, but given the investment of all the future first-round picks and the 49ers finding their future franchise QB a year later with the final pick, this one is an all-timer. Solomon Thomas is a stable NFL player, but that isn’t what you look for from the third pick in the draft, especially given who was still on the board. If not for Lance, Reuben Foster would have been the easiest answer.
2018: Pick 44 – Dante Pettis, WR, Washington
2019: Pick 36 – Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
2021: Pick 48 – Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame
2022: Pick 61 – Drake Jackson, DE, USC
2024: Pick 64 – Renardo Green, CB, Florida State
2025: Pick 43 – Alfred Collins, DT, Texas
Best pick: Deebo Samuel. It didn’t end pretty, but 2021 will forever be remembered as Deebo’s season as he dragged the 49ers to the doorstep of the Super Bowl on offense. Aaron Banks provided starter-level production at left guard before getting overpaid by Green Bay. Again, good value. Renardo Green and Alfred Collins can be graded as incomplete for now.
Worst pick: Drake Jackson. Injuries took over his career, but the pick always felt like a reach with his frame and need to put on weight. At least Dante Pettis gave us glimpses in 2018.
2017: Pick 66 – Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, Colorado & Pick 104 – C.J. Beathard, QB, Iowa
2018: Pick 70 – Fred Warner, LB, BYU & Pick 95 – Tarvarius Moore, S, Southern Miss
2019: Pick 67 – Jalen Hurd, WR, Baylor
2021: Pick 88 – Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State & Pick 102 – Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan
2022: Pick 93 – Tyrion Davis-Price, RB, LSU & Pick 105 – Danny Gray, WR, SMU
2023: Pick 87 – Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State & Pick 99 – Jake Moody, K, Michigan & Pick 101 – Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama
2024: Pick 86 – Dominick Puni, OT, Kansas
2025: Pick 75 – Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State
Best pick: Fred Warner is a no-brainer. Finding the best linebacker in the NFL in the third round is an absolute steal. Dominick Puni is a close second with the 49ers finding their starting right guard of the future with pick 86.
Worst pick: Good lord. Take your pick. Jalen Hurd? Never played a down, and the 49ers selected Hurd over Terry McLaurin. The two running backs? Neither made a dent. The kicker? Gross. What a disgusting pick. Cam Latu? Has he played more than five snaps in the NFL? Danny Gray? Did he even play a down? This round is gross overall.
2017: Pick 121 – Joe Williams, RB, Utah
2018: Pick 128 – Kentavius Street, DE, North Carolina State
2019: Pick 110 – Mitch Wishnowsky, P, Utah
2022: Pick 134 – Spencer Burford, G, UTSA
2024: Pick 124 – Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest & Pick 129 – Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville & Pick 135 – Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona
2025: Pick 113 – C.J. West, DT, Indiana & Pick 138 – Jordan Watkins, WR, Ole Miss
Best pick: Yikes. I guess Mustapha? Spencer Burford helped when called upon, but is no longer here. I’ll leave this one up to you.
Worst pick: Yeah, Joe Williams never played a down in the NFL. How can it not be spending a draft pick on a specialist, though? What is this regime’s infatuation with burning draft picks on punters and kickers? Guerendo, Cowing, Watkins, and even Mustapha are entering “make or break” seasons.
2017: Pick 146 – George Kittle, TE, Iowa & Pick 177 – Trent Taylor, WR, Louisiana Tech
2018: Pick 142 – D.J. Reed, CB, Kansas State
2019: Pick 148 – Dre Greenlaw, LB, Arkansas
2020: Pick 153 – Colton McKivitz, OT, West Virginia
2021: Pick 155 – Jaylon Moore, OT, Western Michigan & Pick 172 – Deommodore Lenoir, CB, Oregon & Pick 180 – Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC
2022: Pick 172 – Samuel Womack, CB, Toledo
2023: Pick 155 – Darrell Luter, Jr, CB, South Alabama & Pick 173 – Robert Beal, Jr, OLB, Georgia
2025: Pick 147 – Jordan James, RB, Oregon & Pick 160 – Marques Sigle, S, Kansas State
Best pick: George Kittle. The best tight end in football returned a huge profit on investment. This round is littered with hits. Dre Greenlaw, Colton McKivitz, Deommodore Lenoir, and Talanoa Hufanga are all successful NFL players with Pro Bowls and an all-pro nod for Hufanga.
Worst pick: Samuel Womack wasn’t a bad pick, but he never played a down for the 49ers and found success in Indianapolis. We have to wait and see about Jordan James and Marques Sigle.
2017: Pick 198 – D.J. Jones, DT, Ole Miss & Pick 202 – Pita Taumoepenu, LB, Utah
2018: Pick 184 – Marcell Harris, S, Florida
2019: Pick 173 – Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford & Pick 183 – Justin Skule, OT, Vanderbilt & Pick 198 – Tim Harris, CB, Virginia
2020: Pick 190 – Charlie Woerner, TE, Georgia
2021: Pick 194 – Elijah Mitchell, RB, Louisiana
2022: Pick 187 – Nick Zakelj, OT, Fordham & Pick 220 – Kalia Davis, DT, UCF & Pick 221 – Tariq Castro-Fields, CB, Penn State
2023: Pick 216 – Dee Winters, LB, TCU
2024: Pick 215 – Jarrett Kingston, G, USC
Best pick: Elijah Mitchell was excellent in 2021 for the 49ers, and Dee Winters stepped into a starting role this past season. D.J. Jones is the correct answer, as he served as a solid defensive tackle for years before getting paid in Denver. Charlie Woerner?
Worst pick: Kaden Smith, Tariq Castro-Fields, Pita Taumoepenu, and Jarrett Kingston never even put on a uniform.
2017: Pick 229 – Adrian Colbert, DB, Miami
2018: Pick 223 – Jullian Taylor, DT, Temple & Pick 240 – Richie James, WR, Middle Tennessee State
2020: Pick 217 – Jauan Jennings, WR, Tennessee
2022: Pick 262 – Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State
2023: Pick 247 – Brayden Willis, TE, Oklahoma & Pick 253 – Ronnie Bell, WR, Michigan & Pick 255 – Jalen Graham, LB, Purdue
2024: Pick 251 – Tatum Bethune, LB, Florida State
2025: Pick 227 – Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana & Pick 249 – Connor Colby, G, Iowa & Pick 252 – Junior Bergen, WR, Montana
Best pick: Easily Brock Purdy, but the 49ers found Jauan Jennings after a redshirt season in 2020 and got a ton of production from the receiver.
Worst pick: Ronnie Bell. The receiver will be remembered for his drops more than anything. The book is out on Connor Colby and Junior Bergen (who is still on the roster).