49ers Draft Preview: How the Past Might Predict the Future
Since John Lynch and Kyle Shanhan took over the 49ers in 2017, they have made 27 draft picks. Of those 27 draft picks, only ten met with the 49ers before the draft.
At first glance, meeting pre-draft with ten out of 27 draft picks does not seem significant at all. After all, that means Lynch and Shanhan have only invested 37% of their draft picks towards players they met with pre-draft. However the more you look into it, the more significance you find.
In 2017, the 49ers met with 30% of their draft picks pre-draft.
- Draft picks met with (3): Rueben Foster, Ahkello Witherspoon, and George Kittle
- Draft picks not met with (7): Soloman Thomas, CJ Beathard, Joe Williams, Trent Taylor, DJ Jones, Pita Taumoepenu, and Adrian Colbert.
In 2018, the 49ers met with 22% of their draft picks pre-draft.
- Draft picks met with (2): Dante Pettis and Fred Warner
- Draft picks not met with (7): Mike McGlinchey, Tavarious Moore, Kentavious Street, DJ Reed, Marcell Harris, Jullian Taylor, and Richie James Jr.
In 2019, the 49ers met with 62.5% of their draft picks pre-draft.
- Draft picks met with (5): Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd, Dre Greenlaw, and Tim Harris.
- Draftees not met with (3): Mitch Wishnowsky, Kaden Smith, and Justin Skule.
As I wrote previously, the 49ers have only invested 37% of their draft picks towards players they met with pre-draft. However, that number was significantly higher in the early rounds.
Percentage of draft picks Lynch and Shanahan met with pre-draft since 2017 by round:
- 1st Round: 2/4 (met with Foster and Bosa)
- 2nd Round: 2/2 (met with Pettis and Samuel)
- 3rd Round: 3/5 (met with Witherspoon, Warner, and Hurd)
- Rounds 1-3 total: : 7/11 (63.5%)
- 4th Round: 0/3 (did not met with Williams, Street, or Wishnowsky)
- 5th Round: 2/4 (met with Kittle and Greenlaw)
- 6th Round: 1/6 (met with Harris)
- 7th Round: 0/3 (did not meet with Colbert, Taylor, or James Jr.)
- Rounds 4-7 total: 3/16 (18.75%)
Takeaways: The 49ers' best draft picks have been players they met with pre-draft, and their best draft came when they drafted the highest percentage of players they met with.
George Kittle was found in the 5th round, and is now the best tight end in football. Fred Warner was drafted 70th overall, and is quickly becoming one of the best linebackers in football. Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, and Dre Greenlaw were all major contributors as rookies.
Lynch and Shanahan had a career-low eight draft picks last year. With less draft capital than ever before, the team took fewer chances drafting players they had not met with
The theme here is that the 49ers have hit on a lot higher percentage of the draft picks they meet with, opposed to the ones they don’t.
In the upcoming draft, expect the 49ers to continue the trend of drafting a high percentage of players they met with pre-draft (physically and virtually), especially in the early rounds.
According to Matt Barrows of the Athletic, the 49ers have met with the following prospects:
Quarterbacks (2)
- James Morgan, Florida International
- Mason Fine, North Texas
Running back (6)
- Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
- Raymond Calais, Louisiana
- Salvon Ahmed, Washington
- Reggie Corbin, Illinois
- Artavis Pierce
- Tra Minter, South Alabama
Wide receiver (6)
- CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
- Denzel Mims, Baylor
- Lynn Bowden, Kentucky
- Quez Watkins, Southern Miss
- Aaron Fuller, Washington
- Easop Winston Jr. *Per Grant Cohn*
Tight end (2)
- Devin Asiasi, UCLA
- Hunter Bryant, Washington
Offensive line (4)
- Ezra Cleveland (tackle), Boise State
- Josh Jones (tackle), Houston
- Cordel Iwuagwu (guard), TCU
- Luke Juriga (center), Western Michigan
Defensive tackle (4)
- Ross Blacklock, TCU
- Raekwon Davis, Alabama
- Jordan Elliot, Missouri
- Malcolm Roach, Texas
Edge (2)
- Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State
- Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
Linebacker (3)
- Akeem Davis-Gaither: Appalachian State
- Shaun Bradley, Temple
- Cassh Maulia, Wyoming
Cornerback (3)
- CJ Henderson, Florida
- Luqman Barcoo, San Diego State
- Tyler Hall, Wyoming
Safety (4)
- Ashtyn Davis, California
- Daniel Thomas, Auburn
- Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame
- Kam Curl, Arkansas
