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Round 7, Pick No. 246: Center T.J. Johnson, South Carolina
Original Pick: Offensive Lineman Carter Bykowski
The 49ers were looking for a long-term replacement for veteran center Jonathan Goodwin, who eventually left the Niners after the 2013 season.
Fortunately, one was already on the roster — Daniel Kilgore.
But Kilgore’s injury history required someone to provide adequate backup services. And in 2014, that pick ended up being Marcus Martin in Round 3 of that year’s NFL Draft.
Yeah, that didn’t work out at all.
Had Trent Baalke known Martin would be a bust, he could have addressed this need by targeting former South Carolina offensive lineman T.J. Johnson, who posted a halfway-decent 69.4 overall grade last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Much better than Martin’s 39.1 grade, for sure.