Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers decade in review: Ranking the 15 most infamous moments

By Peter Panacy

SEATTLE, WA - JANUARY 19: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks tips the ball up in the air as outside linebacker Malcolm Smith #53 catches it to clinch the victory for the Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers during the 2014 NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on January 19, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - JANUARY 19: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks tips the ball up in the air as outside linebacker Malcolm Smith #53 catches it to clinch the victory for the Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers during the 2014 NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on January 19, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /
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A.J. Jenkins, 49ers
A.J. Jenkins #17 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

No. 7: The 2012 NFL Draft

At the time, Trent Baalke’s 2012 NFL Draft class failures didn’t exactly seem like a big deal. After all, the 49ers were already a loaded squad and had room for two, perhaps three additional players on a completely stacked roster.

Baalke had a strategy of drafting injured players, but that trend didn’t exactly start until the following year. Instead, Baalke’s selections in 2012 kicked off with one of the most questionable draft picks in franchise history, Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins:

49ers 2012 Drafted Players Table
Rnd Player Pick Pos College/Univ
1 A.J. Jenkins 30 WR Illinois
2 LaMichael James 61 RB Oregon
4 Joe Looney 117 G Wake Forest
5 Darius Fleming 165 LB Notre Dame
6 Trent Robinson 180 DB Michigan St.
6 Jason Slowey 199 OL Western Oregon
7 Cam Johnson 237 DE Virginia

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/17/2019.

Ironically, Looney and Johnson had the longest careers at the NFL level, and Looney is still serving a key role with the Dallas Cowboys on their offensive line.

James saw scant use on special teams, quickly became disgruntled with his role and was eventually jettisoned to the Miami Dolphins. Fleming, Robinson and Slowey also flamed out in quick succession.

But Jenkins and his one-target, zero-catch (he dropped his only target) rookie campaign in San Francisco highlighted what was easily the 49ers’ worst NFL Draft class of the decade.

The lack of both talent and depth, which Baalke failed to acquire in 2012, would go on to massively hinder San Francisco just a few years down the road.