49ers received excellent production from 2019 NFL Draft class
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers’ 2019 NFL Draft classes was clearly better than the ones general manager John Lynch put together in 2017 and 2018 .
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch should be pretty pleased with his efforts from the 2019 NFL Draft.
In 2017, Lynch and the Niners thought they struck gold by grabbing defensive end Solomon Thomas and linebacker Reuben Foster in Round 1. As it turned out, tight end George Kittle and nose tackle D.J. Jones were the only standout players from that class. 2018’s class was slightly better, netting right tackle Mike McGlinchey and linebacker Fred Warner and a few better depth pieces and potential long-term impact players.
Whatever mistakes may have been those two years, Lynch made up for them and then some in 2019.
For your recollection, here was Lynch’s haul:
| Rnd | Player | Pick | Pos | College/Univ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Bosa | 2 | DE | Ohio St. |
| 2 | Deebo Samuel | 36 | WR | South Carolina |
| 3 | Jalen Hurd | 67 | WR | Baylor |
| 4 | Mitch Wishnowsky | 110 | P | Utah |
| 5 | Dre Greenlaw | 148 | LB | Arkansas |
| 6 | Kaden Smith | 176 | TE | Stanford |
| 6 | Justin Skule | 183 | T | Vanderbilt |
| 6 | Tim Harris | 198 | CB | Virginia |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/29/2020.
Out of that haul, only tight end Kaden Smith (waived, signed by New York Giants), wide receiver Jalen Hurd (placed on injured reserve) and cornerback Tim Harris (placed on injured reserve) failed to make the 53-man roster in year one.
Punter Mitch Wishnowsky was the highest-drafted specialist in the draft, yes. And while his inaugural pro season might have been pedestrian, he at least looks to be a long-term fixture within San Francisco’s special teams.
Swing tackle Justin Skule, meanwhile, ended up starting eight games during the regular season.
Yet Lynch’s draft haul made a serious impact, particularly with three players who helped propel the Niners to Super Bow LIV.
EDGE Nick Bosa
In fairness, the 49ers grabbing former Ohio State EDGE Nick Bosa at No. 2 overall was a no-brainer.
Bosa was easily the best player in last year’s draft class, and his impact was immediately felt, as he picked up nine sacks, earned a Pro Bowl nod in his rookie season and was named the Pro Football Writers Association’s 2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Not bad at all. And he’s still only 22 years old.
Bosa was a major reason why the Niners defense went from a near laughingstock in 2018 to one of the league’s most elite units just a year later.