San Francisco 49ers NFL Draft history: Best player taken in each round
By Peter Panacy
Undrafted Free Agents and Late-Round 49ers Stars
The NFL used to have many more draft rounds than the traditional seven known today. That switch didn’t take place until 1994, and previous NFL Drafts would feature as many as 12 rounds.
So it’s only fitting we include a slide mentioning some post-Round 7 49ers draftees and undrafted free agents, right?
Fullback Joe Perry, UDFA
Hall of Famer Joe Perry might not have been a traditional fullback, especially by today’s standards. He was elusive and used moves to create space, where he managed 8,689 rushing yards over a 14-year career with the 49ers.
Perry was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969 and deservedly so.
Wide Receiver Dwight Clark, Round 10
While quarterback Joe Montana might get all the credit for being part of San Francisco’s notable 1979 NFL Draft, the late wide receiver, Dwight Clark, is its poster child.
Literally.
He was on the receiving end of Montana’s famous touchdown pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the 1982 NFC Championship game.
You know, “The Catch.”
Quarterback Jeff Garcia, UDFA
Former Niners QB Jeff Garcia wasn’t seen as big enough to play at the NFL level, so he took his talents north of the border to play in the CFL before the 49ers brought him in as a backup to Steve Young in 1999. When Young suffered that infamous concussion against the Arizona Cardinals, Garcia took the helm.
His tenure in San Francisco might have been brief. But he made more than just a notable impact.