Niner Noise
FanSided

Ranking 49ers 10 best second-round NFL Draft picks of all time

By Robert Morrison

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 28: Roger Craig #33 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990 at the Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. The 49ers won the Super Bowl 55-10. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 28: Roger Craig #33 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990 at the Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. The 49ers won the Super Bowl 55-10. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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John Engelberger #95 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
John Engelberger #95 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /

No. 10: Defensive lineman John Engelberger and safety Jaquiski Tartt (tie)

The countdown begins with a tie (I found 11 draft picks who could have fit, so I figured let’s get everyone in there) between a former 49er and a current 49er.

The Niners drafted former Virginia Tech defensive lineman John Engelberger with the 35th overall selection in the 2000 NFL Draft. The team was coming off a 4-12 record in 1999 and boasted the NFL’s 30th ranked defense in points allowed.

Engelberger was a four-year contributor at VA Tech, where he amassed 26.5 sacks, 253 tackles and was named first-team All-Big East and second-team All American as a senior. The expectation was he would come to the 49ers and immediately make the team better on the defensive side of the ball.

The 2000 49ers won just two more games and bumped their defensive scoring up two slots to 28th in the league.

Engelberger was a solid player during his five seasons in San Francisco, finishing his tenure with the team that drafted him with 155 total tackles (including 22 for loss), 17.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and 15 passes defended.

He was traded after the 2004 campaign to the Broncos for defensive back Willie Middlebrook.

Jaquiski Tartt, 49ers
Strong safety Jaquiski Tartt #29 San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /

Tied with Engelberger is current Niners safety Jaquiski Tartt, whom the team selected with the 46th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Samford.

Tartt almost immediately became an impactful member of the 49ers defense, starting eight games as a rookie, where he intercepted one pass, wrapped up 65 total tackles and added two sacks.

Unfortunately, Tartt has yet to play a full 16 games in an NFL season, with the 2017 and 2018 seasons being the years where he missed the largest number of games, playing in just nine and eight, respectively. He may yet have an opportunity to move up a list like this, as he still has at least one season left with the 49ers in 2020.

He has played well when he’s been on the field, however, snagging three interceptions, amassing 271 tackles, forcing two fumbles, recovering two more along with four total sacks.

But both Engelberger and Tartt are lower here because of longevity and impact. Each has seen a dearth of competitive seasons and both lack either seasons or games played for the 49ers to climb higher on this list.