With the 2025 NFL season now over, the San Francisco 49ers must turn to trying to improve their roster ahead of next season. A big component of that will be the NFL Draft, and the Niners should probably try to improve their performance in one round in particular.
In looking at past San Francisco drafts under the current regime of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, the third round has been a bit of a trouble spot with one notable exception.Â
Here are the players the Niners have taken in the third round since 2017:Â
2025: Nick Martin
2025: Upton Stout
2024: Dominick Puni
2023: Ji'Ayir Brown
2023: Jake Moody
2023: Cameron Latu
2022: Ty Davis-Price
2022: Danny Gray
2021: Trey Sermon
2021: Ambry Thomas
2019: Jalen Hurd
2018: Fred Warner
2018: Tarvarius Moore
2017: Ahkello Witherspoon
2017: CJ Beathard
That is quite a list with plenty of busts on it. Obviously, the one exception is linebacker Fred Warner who is currently on a trajectory for the Hall of Fame. Outside of him, though, it’s a pretty grisly assortment of players.
Kicker Jake Moody is probably the most notable bust on that list. The Niners reached to get him in the third round, and he was released after Week 1 last season after it became clear he just was not going to cut it as San Francisco's kicker.
The only players still on the roster from that list are Warner, safety Ji’Ayir Brown, cornerback Upton Stout, linebacker Nick Martin, and right guard Dominick Puni. Everyone else eventually flamed out even though there were high hopes for the likes of Jalen Hurd and Danny Gray, two wide receivers.Â
Stout had a solid rookie campaign last season, and Puni has been a starting guard each of the last two years, but it remains to be seen whether they will last
Why have the Niners missed so often in the third round when they have been quite successful later in the draft? Their prowess in the fifth round is well-documented as they have found hidden gems like George Kittle, Dre Greenlaw, and Talanoa Hufanga.
Maybe it’s just luck, or maybe Lynch likes to be a bit risky with picks in the third round. Martin is a perfect example of that. Many thought he would go later in the draft coming off an injury, but the Niners took a reach on him. And his first season was like a quasi-redshirt year. Martin was forced into action, thanks to the number of injuries at linebacker, but there are still big question marks headed into year two.Â
The Niners have one third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as of right now. We’ll see whom they go with this time around, but based on history, they probably won’t get a high-impact player unless lightning strikes twice and they are able to find another Warner.