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49ers NFL Draft: 10 high-profile picks who never panned out

By Peter Panacy

Aldon Smith, #7 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers, (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Aldon Smith, #7 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers, (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /
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Defensive tackle Reggie McGrew #92 and linebacker Jevon Kearse #42 of the Florida Gators against quarterback Marcus Outzen #14 of the Florida State Seminoles Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport
Defensive tackle Reggie McGrew #92 and linebacker Jevon Kearse #42 of the Florida Gators against quarterback Marcus Outzen #14 of the Florida State Seminoles Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport /

840. . Defensive Tackle. Gators . Reggie McGrew. 9. player

49ers Defensive Tackle Reggie McGrew, Florida

Selected No. 24 Overall in the 1999 NFL Draft

Injuries can play a big role in any player simply not panning out at the NFL level, and that could easily be the case for the Niners’ top pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, former Florida defensive tackle Reggie McGrew, who shot up draft boards after an impressive finish to his junior season that saw him receive All-SEC honors.

San Francisco traded up three spots in that year’s draft to grab McGrew, who was going to be the perfect complementary piece to defensive tackle Bryant Young.

Yet a number of injuries derailed McGrew’s NFL career right out of the gate, and he failed to see the field for his rookie year at all. And while he managed to finally get out and into games the following year in 2000, appearing in 10 total, McGrew was featured solely as a backup anyway and would hold that lowly role for just two seasons before being waived after 2001 and joining the Atlanta Falcons for one year.

McGrew’s stat line for the 49ers? A mere 11 tackles, zero quarterback hits, one sack and three passes broken up.

Yeah, McGrew never panned out.