Ranking SF 49ers 10 worst NFL Draft picks by John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan
By Peter Panacy
No. 6: SF 49ers Running Back Joe Williams
Selected No. 121 Overall in the 2017 NFL Draft
It’s going to be a while before John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan shake off the NFL Draft mistake that was running back Joe Williams.
Fans may recall how Lynch wasn’t a fan of Williams, who was carrying a reputation of quitting on his team at the collegiate level. But Shanahan managed to change Lynch’s mind about the selection. And with San Francisco undergoing a teamwide rebuild anyway, using a fourth-round pick on Williams didn’t seem like much of a bad idea.
The only problem, though, was Williams suffered from some serious fumblitis during his brief time with the team, and that dogged him throughout training camp and into the preseason. The SF 49ers elected to redshirt Williams his rookie year with an ankle injury, hoping he’d be able to turn things around in 2018.
He didn’t.
Williams failed to make the 53-man roster again and was subsequently waived. He hasn’t played a down of regular-season football since.
Fortunately for Williams’ reputation, other Niners picks overshadow this Round 4 gaffe.