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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Corey Lemonier, 49ers
Linebacker Corey Lemonier #96 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /

No. 5: EDGE Corey Lemonier, Round 3, 2013 NFL Draft

Unlike Tank Carradine, EDGE Corey Lemonier doesn’t have the benefit of citing a collegiate injury to affect his level of adjustment to life at the NFL level.

Lemonier had a breakout 2011 campaign at Auburn, but he somewhat underachieved the following year. This might have led to San Francisco thinking it could get something of a sleeper, trading up to get him in Round 3 of the 2013 NFL Draft and hoping he could revert back to the promising pass-rushing ways Lemonier flashed in 2011.

Nope.

In his three seasons with the 49ers, Lemonier was relegated to a mere reserve player and situational pass-rusher. He struggled there, too, picking up just one sack during that span.

The Niners moved on from him in 2016.