Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: 5 worst NFL Draft picks of the last 10 years

By Jeremy Wohlfart

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 30: A.J. Jenkins #17 of the San Francisco 49ers slips out of bounds on a reverse play against the San Diego Chargers in the first quarter of an NFL pre-season football game at Candlestick Park on August 30, 2012 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 30: A.J. Jenkins #17 of the San Francisco 49ers slips out of bounds on a reverse play against the San Diego Chargers in the first quarter of an NFL pre-season football game at Candlestick Park on August 30, 2012 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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5. Taylor Mays, Safety, USC

I will go on record right now. Unlike the other four that will appear on here, I believe Taylor Mays would have had a good chance to at least be a solid contributor for the 49ers if he had the right coach.

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No, I’m actually being serious.

Drafted with the 49th overall pick in 2010, Mays was seen as a hard hitter and insanely athletic, but with question marks over his football IQ.

Really that’s exactly what the 49ers got with Mays in his one season. Mays actually ended up being a starter for five games and showed some potential, but it also highlighted his struggles at the position.

Still he was only a rookie, and it could have been interesting to see how he developed. Unfortunately for Mays, Mike Singletary would be fired as head coach and Mays, as a selection that Singletary pushed for, would be promptly traded by Baalke to the Cincinnati Bengals for only a seventh rounder.

Mays would bounce around the league for a few years before being cut by the Bengals for violation of the NFL Wellness Policy twice in quick succession.