Which 49ers rookie draftee offered the most value in 2017?

The San Francisco 49ers turned a lot of responsibilities over to rookies in 2017, prompting the question, which first-year pro offered up the most value after being taken in last year’s NFL Draft?

The 2017 San Francisco 49ers led the entire NFL in rookie snap counts, easily blowing away the competition with first-year players seeing the field.

This data, compiled by Pro Football Focus back in November, shows just how much head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch relied on rookies over the course of the season.

And it’s not even close:

It’s pretty safe to say Lynch aced his first NFL Draft. Out of 10 total players selected, six were starters by season’s end. And quarterback C.J. Beathard, who was taken in Round 3, started five games and should wind up being a quality backup.

But which of those draftees ended up providing the most value?

It’s a subjective question. NFL Draft “value” is a relatively loose term. Can you get a player at a point lower than what either his projected or, more importantly, actual impact winds up being?

Let’s look back at some of the best-value players from Lynch’s 2017 draft class and see who wound up offering the most last season. And then we’ll ask you, the reader, to pick which player had the best overall value, in terms of where he was drafted.

San Francisco 49ers

Linebacker Reuben Foster

First-round linebacker Reuben Foster might have been viewed as a top-10 player in last year’s draft, only to see his stock fall all the way to No. 31, due to injury concerns and off-the-field red flags.

Regardless, Foster put in an amazing rookie effort, finishing the year as PFF’s fourth-highest graded linebacker (90.7). That’s elite status.

Foster’s injuries plagued him, though, limiting the rookie to 10 games.

Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon

He might have had a rough training camp and wasn’t even active the first four games of 2017, but cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon ended up securing the No. 1 role in San Francisco’s defense, making former top cornerback Rashard Robinson expendable.

Witherspoon finished with a respectable 81.1 overall PFF grade — highest among all Niners corners last year. And it might be safe to consider him the team’s most improved rookie.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had a second- or third-round grade on Witherspoon, so there’s a little value there. But is it enough to classify as the best value?

Tight End George Kittle

If you are looking for true value, tight end George Kittle might be the guy.

As Niner Noise’s Chris Wilson broke down towards season’s end, Kittle’s rookie year was historic:

"Tight end George Kittle — whom Lynch selected with the 146th overall selection — had the best rookie season of any tight end selected in the fifth round or later, in the history of the modern NFL. … Kittle finished the 2017 season with 43 receptions and 515 receiving yards — more than any tight end, drafted in the fifth round or later, in the history of the league."

Wide Receiver Trent Taylor

Lynch had two Round 5 gems in the 2017 NFL Draft, Kittle and wide receiver Trent Taylor.

Taylor had 43 receptions and 430 receiving yards on the season, which was nice. But his work on third downs was particularly impressive. All he did was lead the Niners in third-down receptions for a first down, tying for ninth overall in the NFL with a total of 18.

Rare are the fifth-round finds providing those kinds of numbers in year one.

Safety Adrian Colbert

He wouldn’t have had the opportunity, had it not been for the slew of injuries the 49ers suffered at safety last year. But defensive back Adrian Colbert ended up being one of the many feel-good stories for San Francisco over the latter half of 2017.

Colbert’s 77.6 overall PFF grade is solid enough, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. What’s more impressive is the ranginess and hard-hitting abilities necessary for a single-high safety:

All from a seventh-round pick! Those are the players typically making up the practice squad or not even on the roster altogether.

And it doesn’t look as if Colbert will relinquish his starting duties anytime soon.

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So let’s ask you, 49ers Faithful. Which rookie do you think provided the most return for investment value in 2017?

Take our polls below:

Next: 49ers' Post-Super Bowl LII 7-round mock for the 2018 NFL Draft

As always, be sure to continue following Niner Noise for all your 49ers 2018 offseason content. And let’s hope these no-longer rookies continue to ascend the NFL ranks this upcoming season.