How Much of the 49ers Team That Played in Super Bowl LIV Was Constructed by Trent Baalke?

The Jacksonville Jaguars added an experienced personnel executive to their front office earlier this week, tapping former San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke as the team's new director of player personnel.

Baalke, who will be replacing Chris Polian, oversaw several successful teams during his run as general manager from 2011-2016 — more successful teams than any Jacksonville has had during in recent years. From 2011-2013, the 49ers appeared in three NFC Championship games, one Super Bowl, and compiled a 36-11-1 record.

Of course, things fell apart in Baalke's final three years in charge. Tensions reached a boiling point between him and coach Jim Harbaugh, leading to an 8-8 record in 2014 and the hiring of Jim Tomsula in 2015, but that culminated in a 5-11 record and Tomsula was replaced after one season. In 2016, Baalke hired Chip Kelly to lead the franchise on the field, but the experiment lasted only a year after each was fired following a 2-14 season.

Three years after Baalke was giving his walking papers from San Francisco, the team rebounded from two more losing seasons under new general manager John Lynch and new coach Kyle Shanahan. In 2019, the 49ers went 13-3 in the regular season, earning the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

The 49ers, three years removed from Baalke's influence, once again found themselves in the Super Bowl, but ultimately lost 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs. But even with the loss, San Francisco demonstrated just how far it had come since Baalke's firing.

But did Baalke still have a hand in the 49ers' path to Super Bowl LIV? After leading the team's front office for six seasons, it is fair to ask how much of the 49ers' 2019 roster Baalke helped construct.

NFL rosters change dramatically each season, and San Francisco is three years removed from Baalke's last draft with the team. There are always some players who stick around through the reshaping of a roster, however.

Whether top draft picks or depth players who have found expanded roles under the new regime, there are a few key players from the 49ers' 2019 roster who were acquired by Baalke during his tenure.

So, which players from San Francisco's elite 2019 team were on the squad as a result of Baalke's moves?

FS Jimmie Ward (2014 first-round draft pick)

Jimmie Ward was a huge part of the 49ers' top-ranked pass defense in 2019, flourishing as a rangy free safety after a transition from cornerback earlier in his career. Ward struggled while he was on Baalke-led teams, but Baalke is the one who drafted him 30th overall out of the University of Northern Illinois in 2014.

LS Kyle Nelson (2014 free agent)

San Francisco long snapper Kyle Nelson, who signed a four-year extension in the 2019 offseason, was originally acquired by Baalke -- a few times, actually. Baalke signed him to a futures contract in 2012, was signed for training camp in 2013, and then eventually signed a one-year deal with the team in 2014. He signed a four-year contract extension in 2015 under Baalke as well.

DL Arik Armstead (2015 first-round draft pick)

Another one of Baalke's former first-round selections, Arik Armstead played a massive role in San Francisco's elite defensive performance in 2019. Baalke selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, opting to develop the massive former Oregon Duck. Armstead was up and down for the 49ers while Baalke was in office, but he had a career year in 2019 with 10 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. He was one of the most important players on a defense full of them.

SS Jaquiski Tartt (2015 second-round draft pick)

With the 46th overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, Baalke took Samford safety Jaquiski Tartt, a hard-hitting tone-setter for the back end of the defense. Tartt played in 30 games, starting 14, while Baalke was with the 49ers, but had the most impactful year of his career in 2019. He started 12 games and was an important secondary communicator and enforcer for a good pass defense, making him another crucial piece to the 49ers' run to the Super Bowl.

Jaquiski Tartt's on-field presence has been critical to the @49ers success against downfield passes (10+ air yards).

Tartt ON: 68.6 passer rating allowed
Tartt OFF: 136.8 passer rating allowed#SBLIV | #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/pQVMiBT7TO
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 31, 2020

DL DeForest Buckner (2016 first-round draft pick)

The best player on this list, Baalke selected stud defensive lineman DeForest Buckner with the seventh overall pick in 2016, his final draft with the team. Buckner, like Ward, Tartt, and Armstead, started in Super Bowl LIV after one of the best seasons of his career. He recorded 7.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles in 2019, and recorded a sack against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Buckner will be given a massive contract sooner than later, a reflection of how much of a home run Baalke's final first-round pick was.

RB Raheem Mostert (2016 free agent)

Baalke shouldn't get credit for Raheem Mostert's ascension into a legitimate starting running back, considering Mostert had a whopping six rushing yards with the 49ers while Baalke was with the team. But Baalke is the one who ultimately signed the talented rusher, adding him to the practice squad in late November and eventually the active roster on Dec. 31.