San Francisco 49ers: Grading the 2017 NFL Draft class after one full year
By Peter Panacy
49ers’ 2017 Undrafted Free Agents
John Lynch brought in a total of 18 undrafted free agents following the final round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
San Francisco 49ers
They were as follows:
- QB Nick Mullens, Southern Mississippi
- TE Cole Hikutini, Louisville
- DB Lorenzo Jerome, St, Francis
- RB Matt Breida, Georgia Southern
- OL Erik Magnuson, Michigan
- WR Kendrick Bourne, Eastern Washington
- OL Darrell Williams Jr., Western Michigan
- WR K.D. Cannon, Baylor
- WR Victor Bolden, Oregon State
- LB Jimmie Gilbert, Colorado
- OL John Flynn, Montana State
- DE Noble Nwachukwu, West Virginia
- LB Donavin Newsom, Missouri
- OL Bret Treadway, Lamar
- FB Tyler McCloskey, Houston
- S Malik Golden, Penn State
- OG Evan Goodman, Arizona State
- CB Zach Franklin, Washburn
Since these players weren’t technically drafted, we’ll look at them as a cumulative grade.
UDFAs rarely crack starting lineups. Most are, at best, relegated to backup roles and special teams on 53-man rosters. Some wind up on practice squads as developmental pieces.
Out of this crop, though, the Niners received notable contributions from running back Matt Breida, offensive lineman Erik Magnuson and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. Fellow wideout Victor Bolden even saw snaps before landing on season-ending injured reserve.
Breida surprised during training camp and ended up earning the No. 2 tailback spot behind Carlos Hyde this season, eventually finishing with 465 yards and two touchdowns on 105 carries — averaging 4.4 yards per attempt in the process.
And Bourne’s 257 receiving yards can’t be overlooked either.
Considering Lynch found two ready-impact players out of this bunch, we have to give the cumulative UDFA class a solid grade.