San Francisco 49ers: 20 worst NFL Draft picks in franchise history
By Peter Panacy
No. 13: Defensive End Israel Ifeanyi
Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round (46th overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft
The 49ers in 1996were desperately trying to reinvigorate a pass rush that hadn’t been the same since the departure of the defensive force and eventual Hall of Famer, Charles Hayley.
Former defensive coordinator and then-head coach George Seifert bought into USC prospect Israel Ifeanyi to reinforce this unit as the 49ers defense struggled to maintain prowess against the Dallas Cowboys teams of the 1990s.
Marcas Grant of NFL.com described how it went:
"After trading away Charles Haley at the end of the 1991 season, San Francisco struggled to find a consistent edge pass rusher. Head coach George Seifert tried to convince the masses that the team had found a diamond in the rough with the virtually unknown Ifeanyi out of USC. The masses weren’t buying it. The masses were right. Ifeanyi played in just three games in 1996 and didn’t record a single tackle or sack. Sometimes groupthink actually does work."
Ifeanyi was a complete bust from the start and was out of football the subsequent season.