Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: 10 worst NFL Draft picks of the decade

By Titus Briseno

Solomon Thomas of Stanford with Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell after being picked #3 overall by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Solomon Thomas of Stanford with Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell after being picked #3 overall by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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Chris Borland, 49ers
Chris Borland #50 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

No. 8: Linebacker Chris Borland, Round 3, 2014 NFL Draft

This is one of those “hindsight is 20/20” evaluations. Initially, many thought the 49ers found the next great linebacker in Chris Borland. Borland played just one season with the Niners, but he made a huge impact in a position which lost both Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman in the same season.

Borland led the 49ers in tackles in his lone year with 84 solo tackles, and he made the NFL All-Rookie team. But what looked like a third-round steal felt more like a bust when Borland decided to retire after his first season.

Borland hung up his cleats faster than he put them on and he never looked back. The fact he had such a great rookie impact, though, keeps him from being placed much higher on this list of disappointments.