The 49ers cannot afford to keep drafting like this

This is horrendous.

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The San Francisco 49ers are officially a team that needs to build through the draft. Their roster is getting too old, and the depth is getting too thin. When you add in that they have some big names on the salary cap, they need an infusion of rookie salary talent. 

One thing that they cannot continue to do is throw picks away on depth and special teams assets. This has become too much of a trend and team does not have the resources. 

San Francisco 49ers must change this way of drafting 

In 2023, the 49ers drafted Jake Moody and Cameron Latu with their third-round picks. Third-round picks are not locks, but plenty of key starters can be found in that range. In the ten picks after Moody and Latu Tre Tucker, Mekhi Blackmon, Jakorian Bennett, Kelee Ringo, Jake Andrews, and Anthony Bradford were selected. All of them have made significant starts, and Bradford and Andrews are offensive line starters for playoff teams. 

The ceiling for Moody is a quality kicker, which is great, but the team signed Eddy Piñeiro early into the season as a cheap free agent, and he was just as good. You cannot find young, cheap, and talented offensive linemen in the same manner. 

In the case of Latu, his upside was always a backup or complement to Kittle. The 49ers can find that in Luke Farrell, who costs a low salary amount, or Jake Tonges, a UDFA who was let go by the team that signed him. They did not need to put assets into a backup tight end. 

In 2024, they drafted Isaac Guerendo and Jacob Cowing. Both of them were highlighted for being return options, and neither was viewed as a potential starter. Backup running back is easy to find, and Cowing was selected to be a return man. That is a lot to invest in these two low-value spots. 

D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, and Austin Booker were all taken within ten picks of Cowing. That is two cornerbacks and an edge rusher who make starts for playoff teams. Even TJ Tampa, Jaden Hicks, and Jordan Magee play for the teams that drafted them as depth. It is not like they had no other needs beyond a backup running back. 

In 2025, they took Jordan James in round five, another backup running back. Jordan Watkins is questionable, considering he was going to be a fourth wide receiver at best in year one and was immediately blocking Cowing, who they just drafted, but James really made no sense. He was yet another backup running back. 

Jalen Rivers, Marcus Mbow, Dante Trader, and Elijah Roberts were selected immediately after him. Two offensive linemen who made starts as rookies, a safety who was better than Marques Sigle, and an interior lineman who looks like a gem in Tampa Bay. 

This is less about missing on the players and more about the types of swings they are taking. At best, these players are contributors on special teams or backups who develop for years. The 49ers need to win now and need depth. This is not a perfect roster. They cannot waste third, fourth, and fifth round picks on low-ceiling players with low-value roles.