San Francisco 49ers: Regrading 2017 NFL Draft class
By Peter Panacy
![Solomon Thomas of Stanford with Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) Solomon Thomas of Stanford with Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/b926477d01ae2b3555db750090cb2cce36f84e2913bd652b91e87673c0497352.jpg)
PITA TAUMOEPENU. C-. . EDGE. Utah
Round 6: 49ers EDGE Pita Taumoepenu
Some could see the Niners’ Round 6 selection of Utah’s Pita Taumoepenu as a bust, given he spent the vast majority of his two-year stint in San Francisco on the practice squad. But it’s important to remember sixth-round picks don’t exactly carry a lot of expectations, and practice squad placement here is very common for developmental prospects.
That’s what Taumoepenu was, essentially. While boasting some solid upside, he was raw and had a bit of an undersized frame at 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds.
Taumoepenu managed to get into two games late his rookie season, primarily contributing on special teams before reverting back to the practice squad the following season.
A late call-up in 2018 gave Taumoepenu four more games played along with three tackles, and his NFL stat line currently ends there.
It wasn’t a wasted pick, given the expectation level. But it didn’t necessarily provide anything more than depth. And that’s OK.