Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Biggest Winners & Losers from the 2017 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Solomon Thomas (Stanford) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 3 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Solomon Thomas (Stanford) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 3 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 11
Next
Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) is upended by Denver Broncos free safety Darian Stewart (26) in the first quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) is upended by Denver Broncos free safety Darian Stewart (26) in the first quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Tight End Vance McDonald

One thing has been made perfectly clear — San Francisco’s new front office won’t let previous efforts from the prior regime influence the team’s decisions moving forward.

And the 49ers have already made it clear they’re willing to move on from tight end Vance McDonald.

Just before the draft kicked off, rumors started to swirl about McDonald being on the trade block. No deal happened, as pointed out by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco:

But just because McDonald will stay in place doesn’t make him a winner in this situation.

John Lynch and Co. brought in free-agent tight end Logan Paulsen earlier this offseason. And the Niners added former Iowa tight end George Kittle in Round 5.

Kittle’s stats don’t say a lot about his potential. He could truly be a solid H-back within San Francisco’s offense if utilized correctly — a position the Niners haven’t really had since the free-agent departure of Delanie Walker some years ago.

McDonald was supposed to fill this void but has been mostly a disappointment since joining the 49ers in Round 2 back in 2013.

It’s possible McDonald sticks around with the 49ers this season as a decent pass-catching option. But it’s safe to say he’s not a part of the team’s long-term plans.