Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: 20 worst NFL Draft picks in franchise history

By Peter Panacy

Quarterback Alex Smith (Utah) drafted first overall by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Quarterback Alex Smith (Utah) drafted first overall by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Falcons running back Tony Smith against San Francisco 49ers safety Dana Hall (Mandatory Credit: Allsport)
Atlanta Falcons running back Tony Smith against San Francisco 49ers safety Dana Hall (Mandatory Credit: Allsport) /

No. 5: Safety Dana Hall

Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round (18th overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft

The 49ers were trying to make a transition from Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott in 1992 and elected to draft Washington safety Dana Hall with the 18th overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft.

At 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, Hall looked every part the hard-hitting, physical defensive back the Niners knew they would be losing in Lott. And Hall’s rookie season pointed in the direction of him being a solid player in Lott’s stead. During 1992, Hall posted 48 tackles, two interceptions and one sack.

And he never had that kind of season again.

Hall began to fall out of favor in 1993 and started just seven games for the 49ers. That number dropped to four the next year.

San Francisco eventually parted ways with Hall before the 1995 season. And the defensive back went on to play three more years with the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars before his career ended in 1998.

For such a high pick, Hall never came close to living up to expectations.