49ers: Ranking the 10 best NFL Draft picks of the decade

Ranking 49ers 10 best NFL Draft picks of the decade

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell annonces DeForest Buckner of Oregon as the #7 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /

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Jimmie Ward #20 (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

No. 8: Safety Jimmie Ward

2014 NFL Draft

Round 1, Pick No. 30

49ers safety Jimmie Ward has helped turn around the secondary this season in a big way. Besides Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman, he is the top-rated player by Pro Football Focus in San Francisco’s defensive backfield, with a rating of 82.

PFF uses a rating system that rates players from zero to 100 by tracking them on every play they are on the field. It is far from perfect, but it is a great analytical tool to use when comparing players.

Ward has solidified the safety position for San Francisco this season. He has done a great job limiting big plays and coming up with stops as the last line of defense.

Ward has dealt with a multitude of injuries throughout his career, which may have caused him to be considered a bust early on, but he has more than made up for it this season. But by turning all that around in what has been the franchise’s best season since way earlier in the decade, it’s impossible to leave Ward off this list.

The Niners defense has been one of the toughest to throw against all year, thanks in large part to players like Ward.