Some of these aren’t even up for debate
Yesterday, we highlighted the best picks of the past five drafts for the 49ers. Today, we turn to the picks that didn’t work out from the past five drafts.
2023: Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama
Yes, this may seem harsh, considering Latu didn’t play a single down following a season-ending injury. But Latu’s drop issues preceded the injury as the pick was initially viewed as a “reach.”
Fast forward to the current offseason, and the 49ers continue to look for a TE2, which isn’t a ringing endorsement for Latu — or Brayden Willis, for that matter. The smart money is on the 49ers drafting another tight end with one of their 11 draft picks a year after they used a third-rounder on a tight end. That says it all.
2022: Tyrion Davis-Price, RB, LSU
I struggled to choose one pick from this draft class, which includes Danny Gray, Nick Zakelj, and Tariq Castro-Fields. Forty attempts are all TDP would accomplish as a 49er, and now, sits on the Eagles roster.
The tale of the third-round running back is not only a running joke amongst 49ers fans and draft analysts but is almost to be expected. Back-to-back drafts saw the 49ers select a running back who would end up with the Eagles.
2021: Trey Lance, QB, NDSU
This pains me to type. I think we all remember the excitement of the 49ers holding the third pick and then using it on Lance, but unfortunately, after factoring in the three first-round picks sent, the third overall pick, and the position selected, the pick has to Lance.
The 49ers traded Lance for a fourth-round pick to the hated Dallas Cowboys, and they need to thank their lucky stars for allowing Brock Purdy to become what he is. Sustaining success with such a big whiff of a quarterback prospect is no small feat.
2020: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
Injuries can derail a player’s development. Following the 49ers trading DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts for the number 14 overall pick, the team selected Kinlaw to fill in for Buckner immediately. That’s part of the troubled evaluation of Kinlaw. He was never going to be Buckner, but with that high of a pick and the trade, they would be compared regardless.
Staying on the field was Kinlaw’s biggest challenge, but this past season, he stayed healthy and contributed solidly as a rotational defensive tackle. The Jets pulled Kinlaw away this offseason, but Kinlaw’s time will be remembered as a “what could have been” situation.
2019: Jalen Hurd, WR, Baylor
Let me begin by saying I understand what Kyle Shanahan was envisioning by selecting Hurd. A versatile weapon that could be a matchup nightmare. Unfortunately, all we have from Hurd’s time was a two-touchdown preseason performance against the Dallas Cowboys, as injuries ruined Hurd’s career.
What makes the pick sting a bit more is the Washington Commanders would select Terry McLaurin from Ohio State just a few picks later. Don’t worry, I am not bitter about passing on McLaurin, nope, not one bit. I literally never think about what McLaurin would look like in this offense. It’s fine, no big deal.
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