Ranking SF 49ers 10 worst NFL Draft picks by John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan
By Peter Panacy
No. 8: SF 49ers Punter Mitch Wishnowsky
Selected No. 110 Overall in the 2019 NFL Draft
Generally speaking, only teams who have the minimal amount of roster holes to fill during an offseason should spend a draft pick on a specialist.
That wasn’t the case for the SF 49ers entering 2019, at least not based on the previous year’s finish, yet John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan earned the negative association of being the first squad to select a specialist in that year’s NFL Draft, Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky.
True, there was a good chance Wishnowsky wasn’t going to last beyond Round 4, and the Niners had all intention of replacing their former punter, Bradley Pinion, who departed via free agency earlier that offseason.
Still, San Francisco wasn’t exactly in a position where it could spend a much-needed early day-three pick on a specialist.
Since that point, Wishnowsky has been merely an OK punter by most standards. While his tackling skills are exemplary, that’s not the reason why the SF 49ers grabbed him.
From now on, the Niners should target specialists only after the draft has completed and from the ranks of the undrafted.