Ranking SF 49ers 10 worst NFL Draft picks by John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan
By Peter Panacy
No. 9: SF 49ers Tight End Kaden Smith
Selected No. 176 Overall in the 2019 NFL Draft
San Francisco has seemingly been on a never-ending quest to find a complementary tight end to pair with George Kittle, and those efforts essentially began in 2019 when the team used a sixth-round selection on Stanford’s Kaden Smith.
Granted, there was a lot to like about Smith coming out of college. He was a versatile pass-catching weapon, and his blocking skills were generally seen as adequate enough to fill the depth needs in a variety of roles.
But Smith became something of a forgotten commodity during his rookie training camp sessions and failed to make the 53-man roster.
Shortly thereafter, the NY Giants claimed him from the SF 49ers and made him part of their offensive plans, although Smith hasn’t exactly cemented himself as a worthy NFL-caliber starter.
It’s not a terrible waste of a pick from the Niners’ vantage point, given Round 6 selections are often little more than fillers on the depth chart. Yet considering Smith quickly flamed out after joining San Francisco warrants placement at No. 9.