For every George Kittle or Nick Bosa there’s a Reuben Foster or Joe Williams There were bad picks and then there were some very bad picks. We’ll look at five of them today
The comments will already fill up with vitriol and ad hominem attacks. You guys don’t understand: A post talking about the good draft picks the 49ers made is relatively easy. The bad picks? That’s even easier. Somehow, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch can get a George Kittle after a Solomon Thomas or CJ Beathard. As I said, that’s far too easy, and I like to be challenged…
But I don’t have much time this weekend. And as I have been told, work smarter, not harder. Today, I’m going to subjectively dig up the top five worst picks the 49ers made in the John Lynch/Kyle Shanahan era, because I know the rest of you repressed the memories.
And yes, we’re going in reverse order, but I’ll save you the trouble: Number 1 is Trey Lance. I won’t insult your intelligence with a dramatic countdown to the worst pick and make you think it’s anyone else. You know it’s Trey Lance without reading a word of this. Three first-rounders and a third for a quarterback who started 17 games in college, couldn’t beat out Jimmy Garoppolo, and is on his third team. That’s the biggest miss of the Lynch/Shanahan era, and maybe team history.
Ok, now let’s go down the list:
5. Jake Moody – 2023, Round 3, Pick 99
Some (maybe just me) will die on this hill: Moody made sense. He had a bazooka of a leg, hitting multiple kicks from beyond 50 yards at Michigan, and played a key role in several late-game wins for the Wolverines.
The 49ers, on the other hand, were stacked—well, for first stringers. Sure, they had depth issues beyond that, but why not take a kicker with Moody’s pedigree in the third round? Robbie Gould will cost more money, and Moody can get that sweet rookie contract. Why not?
Well, your answer is when he misses an XP in the Super Bowl—that’s why. A single point that probably could have changed the dynamic of that game. We can also define his career by shanks in Minnesota, two missed field goals in the NFC Championship game, and a few other stinkers sprinkled in with XP duty. For a while, Moody looked good because the 49ers just didn’t need him; they were scoring touchdowns like they never scored touchdowns before. He just couldn’t finish games when they needed him to—ask anyone who watched the Cleveland Browns‘ loss. 2024 wasn’t much better, with him showing little improvement beyond his first season.
That said, the pick made sense. Even the position made sense. But since this is the 49ers, it has to go up in a massive ball of flames. Only the 49ers can do this.
Who they could’ve had:
- Byron Young, edge – Los Angeles Rams (Tennessee), Pick 77
- Jayden Reed, wide receiver – Green Bay Packers (Michigan State), Pick 50
- Tyler Steen, offensive lineman – Philadelphia Eagles (Alabama), Pick 65
- Jake Moody, kicker – San Francisco 49ers (Michigan), Pick 99 — and yes, he probably would’ve still been there in the fourth
4. Dante Pettis – 2018, Round 2, Pick 44
Pettis’ selection began the Kyle Shanahan player crush we’ve known and loved every year. For the selection, the 49ers traded a third-round pick along with their current second rounder to the Washington Commanders in order to move up 15 spots (from 59 to 44) to select Pettis.
Meanwhile, Washington used those picks to select running back Derrius Guice and offensive tackle Geron Christian. Nothing to write home about either, but Washington had numerous issues back then, like their stinginess in letting Kirk Cousins walk in free agency so the 49ers could have him.
Back to Pettis. Regardless of his pass-catching “ability”, if the 49ers could secure a punt returner (something sorely needed), they’d have it made. Instead of giving us a debate on whether a specific touchdown celebration was a Kame Hame Ha or a Hadoken, Pettis didn’t give much. Sure, he closed out his rookie season with some solid production, but he became a ghost after that, eventually finding his way off the team. This guy was supposed to be the next DeSean Jackson in Shanahan’s offense. Instead, he became a cautionary tale about falling in love with “craft” over competitiveness.
Who they could have had:
- D.J. Chark, WR – Jacksonville Jaguars (LSU), Pick 61
- Courtland Sutton, WR – Denver Broncos (SMU), Pick 40
- Michael Gallup, WR – Dallas Cowboys (Colorado State), Pick 81
- Fred Warner, LB – San Francisco 49ers (BYU), Pick 70 — Yes, they somehow got Warner 26 picks later. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
3. Joe Williams – 2017, Round 4, Pick 121
Here’s a good learning lesson from Kyle Shanahan’s first season, one he’s still working on, apparently. When your GM (Lynch) takes a guy off the board, perhaps it’s a good idea to move on and see if you can get him as a UDFA.
Williams is infamous in a draft with Solomon Thomas and Reuben Foster. Thomas made sense even though people want to say “THEY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MAHOMES” because he didn’t work out (I’m not going into this). Before hindsight crept in, Foster was a good pick despite his issues, but you know how that story ended.
None of this can be said for Joe Williams. Shanahan beat the table with his fist, insisting the 49ers take him despite his removal from the board. The result: A guy who never played a regular-season snap. Never suited up. An undrafted free agent (Matt Breida) got playing time over him.
So what was the deal with Williams? This might get a bit sensitive, so apologies for glossing over it: It began with getting kicked off of UConn’s football team for illegally using a credit card. He played one season at ASA College and then transferred to Utah in 2015, playing the entire season. In 2016, he retired after two games…for five weeks. Initially, it was mental and physical burnout, but later, he said he needed time to get his way after having some PTSD from his sister’s death at 13. As far as I know, the trauma from this tragedy from (then) five years ago was never brought up until his return to Utah, unless there was a story done on him. So it seemed odd in that respect, but no judging how someone grieves.
Regardless, removing the family death leaves a laundry list of issues that could make any NFL team suspicious.
Williams, along with Foster, was a cultural test the 49ers failed. They have gotten much better at finding players with few off-field issues after the 2017 disaster, but Williams was a red flag.
Who they could have had:
- Aaron Jones, RB– Green Bay Packers (UTEP), Pick 182
- Marlon Mack, RB– Indianapolis Colts (South Florida), Pick 143
- George Kittle, TE– San Francisco 49ers (Iowa), Pick 146
2. Reuben Foster – 2017, Round 1, Pick 31
I know, “Where’s Solomon Thomas? You just said Foster was a good pick!” Sorry, it might have been a slight reach, but it wasn’t a reach like Jake Moody. Like Thomas, Foster was not a reach. And like Thomas, it didn’t work out. Unlike Thomas, Foster had character concerns, and Foster didn’t get to play much of his rookie deal before getting cut due to his second domestic violence arrest (among other things).
I can best describe Foster as a missile on the field and a disaster off it. He dropped in the draft for obvious reasons, most notably some issues during the Combine, where he was sent home. The Niners swooped in with a trade and were applauded for that night’s pick. One year later, well, you know how fans are going to fan.
Foster flashed elite sideline-to-sideline speed, but couldn’t stay healthy—or out of trouble. Off-field issues caught up, and the team had to cut bait by Year 2. On paper, the pick made sense, but off paper, it was an absolute disaster.
Who they could’ve had:
- T.J. Watt, linebacker – Pittsburgh Steelers (Wisconsin), Pick 30 (could you think of him and Warner running that field?)
- Tre’Davious White, cornerback – Buffalo Bills (LSU), Pick 27
- Budda Baker, safety – Arizona Cardinals (Washington), Pick 36
1. Still Trey Lance. Forever Trey Lance – 2021, Round 1, Pick 3 overall
I’ll go to the moon and back, saying the logic behind this made sense: the 49ers knew they had a contender. They knew they had the roster. They also knew they were picking 12th and might not be picking that high for a while. Given the issues with Jimmy Garoppolo and a looming contract extension (and the arguments of whether he was worth it), the 49ers took a big swing on a quarterback.
Lance was the third quarterback taken that year behind Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. Whether it’s Mac Jones, Trey Lance, or even Justin Fields doesn’t matter; beyond Lawrence, those names didn’t pan out the way we wanted to in a quarterback draft class that once was considered one of the better ones.
I’ll also die on the hill saying Lance was the right guy. It was just the wrong time. The COVID pandemic threw a wrench in things. Lance was a great kid and a perfect CEO-like personality for the team, but it didn’t work out. That alone may be enough for him to make this list. But what solidifies him as No. 1? Three first-rounders and a third.
Who they could have had:
- Micah Parsons, LB – Dallas Cowboys (Penn State), Pick 12
- Rashawn Slater, OT – Los Angeles Chargers (Northwestern), Pick 13
- Patrick Surtain II, CB– Denver Broncos (Alabama), Pick 9
- Jaylen Waddle, WR – Miami Dolphins (Alabama), Pick 6
- Justin Fields, QB– Chicago Bears (Ohio State), Pick 11
But that’s a list I put together. There are some notable misses like Trey Sermon, Ambry Thomas, and Jalen Hurd. I’d like to revisit this next year to take a look at 2024 and 2025’s whiffs (Both of which I hope do not make the list). Who do you think is one of the greatest whiffs? Let me know in the comments.