The San Francisco 49ers have been on the brink of being Super Bowl champions twice now in the era of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Although they fell short both times, the fact they've gotten there is no fluke. Lynch and Shanahan have been exceptional at identifying and drafting talented players.
Sure, they've had their fair share of draft busts. Casual fans on social media will cherry-pick those draft selections and downplay exactly how great the duo has been in the draft room.
Any team can trade the farm for top-notch players or offer them the big dollars in free agency, a la the Los Angeles Rams. Not every team, however, can draft the level of talent that has the potential to be future Hall of Famers.
Let's take a look at three players drafted by the 49ers under the Lynch and Shanahan regime, and on their current roster, who will undoubtedly be Hall of Famers when it's all said and done.
DE Nick Bosa
Defensive end Nick Bosa was a no-brainer at No. 2 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The versatile pass-rusher dominated right out of the gates. In his rookie season, he earned Pro Bowl honors and won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, all while helping lead the Niners to the Super Bowl.
His sophomore season was sadly cut short two games into the campaign, due to injury. However, he came back stronger than ever in 2021 to record 15.5 sacks.
Bosa would top that in 2022, finishing with 18.5 sacks and leading the league in that category. He also earned a Pro Bowl selection, a first-team All-Pro selection, and Defensive Player of the Year honors that year.
Unfortunately, his 2025 season was also prematurely ended due to injury. So he'll look to return in 2026 for a bounce-back year.
Bosa has earned a Pro Bowl selection in every season in which he's played 14 or more games, totaling five selections. Beyond the accolades, he's one of the most feared pass-rushers in the league.
He'll likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever he decides to hang it up.
TE George Kittle
Lynch and Shanahan's first draft in 2017 with the 49ers was unique.
It was unique in the fact they missed on both their first-round draft picks, but they found first-round talent in the fifth round.
Tight end George Kittle was selected in Round 5 (146 overall) of that draft.
After a modest rookie season, he went on to break the single-season receiving yards record (at the time) for a tight end, with 1,377 receiving yards in 2018.
Kittle has firmly established himself as not only a team leader but also consistently as one of the top tight ends in the league, an ambassador of the position, if you will.
He has earned Pro Bowl selections in seven of his nine seasons, only missing the accolade in his rookie year and an injury-plagued 2020 in which he only played half the season.
On top of that, he also has two first-team All-Pro selections.
Whenever Kittle is ready to call it quits, a yellow Hall of Fame jacket will be waiting for him.
LB Fred Warner
The 49ers again struck gold in the 2018 NFL Draft, not in the first or second round, but in the third.
Linebacker Fred Warner was selected in the third round (70th overall) in 2018. Since then, he's established himself as the premier off-ball linebacker in the league.
He's an excellent run stopper, great in pass coverage, and plays sideline to sideline.
In his eight NFL seasons, he has earned four Pro Bowl and four first-team All-Pro selections.
Although his 2025 campaign ended six games into the season due to injury, he appears to be fully healthy now and ready for a bounce-back season in 2026.
Warner is another guy who is consistently applauded by fellow players and sports pundits alike as being the top at his position in the league.
When "All-Pro Fred" as he's fondly called, is ready to ride off into the sunset, he will not have to wait too long to be enshrined in Canton.
Add us as a preferred source on Google