San Francisco 49ers: 10 best rookie seasons in franchise history

Best rookie seasons in San Francisco 49ers history: No. 9: CB, Don Griffin (1986)

Not much was expected out of Don Griffin as a rookie. He was a sixth-round pick out of Middle Tennessee State, drafted more for depth than for anything he was expected to do as a starter off the bat. Griffin wasn’t even a cornerback, playing only one game at the position before he was drafted.

However, the 49ers ended up losing two secondary starters early in the 1986 season, as Dwight Hicks moved on to Indianapolis and All-Pro corner Eric Wright missed all but two games with injuries.

That pushed Griffin into the starting lineup earlier than expected.

Griffin handled his starting roles with aplomb. He had three interceptions, a sack and a punt-return touchdown. He was second on the team with 72 tackles and generally was able to be plugged into a team in the middle of their dynasty without missing a beat.

The 1986 draft was stellar for the 49ers. In addition to Griffin, the 49ers picked up Charles Haley, Steve Wallace, John Taylor and the next man on this list.