49ers cut bait on 3 failed third-round draft picks in 53-man roster prediction

Niner Noise's latest 53-man roster prediction has the 49ers (unsurprisingly) letting go of three former Round 3 draft picks.

The San Francisco 49ers haven't had much luck with selecting quality players in Round 3 of the NFL Draft in recent years.

Probably the lone standout from this round to date is All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, but subsequent years have given less-than-desirable results.

Two former third-round picks, running backs Trey Sermon and Tyrion Davis-Price, were essentially "one and done" with the team, while other Round 3 players have fallen well short of desired expectations.

So, looking at Niner Noise's latest 53-man roster prediction with the 2024 season just over the horizon, it should be a shock to no one how these three underperforming third-rounders just don't quite survive pre-Week 1 roster cuts.

Cornerback Ambry Thomas

Of the three who are predicted to be let go, cornerback Ambry Thomas has managed to stick around the longest, arguably thanks to a somewhat promising finish to his rookie season back in 2021.

That said, Thomas has been the epitome of inconsistency since that point, and the Niners have made numerous strides to upgrade the position during the offseason, namely by adding Rock Ya-Sin and Isaac Yiadom in free agency before using a Round 2 draft pick on Florida State's Renardo Green.

Seeing as those three are likely safe on the roster, coupling with incumbents like Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir, there's no reason (or room) to hold onto Thomas for another year.

Wide receiver Danny Gray

In 2022, San Francisco was aiming to get a speedy deep threat who could open up the field for quarterback Trey Lance and his big arm. But, once Lance was jettisoned to the Dallas Cowboys a year later, Gray's impact on the offense was effectively doomed.

Gray, who missed all of 2023 because of injury, has a less-than-impressive career stat line: one reception on seven targets for 10 yards.

Not unlike cornerback, the 49ers already have a crowded crop positioned well above Gray on the depth chart: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing.

Cowing, another speedster, is predicted to push Gray off the regular-season roster.

Tight end Cameron Latu

Then-rookie Cameron Latu was awful in training camp a year ago, struggling to hold onto easy passes and running ugly routes. After suffering what turned into a season-ending knee injury that preseason, the Niners seemed poised to give up on him after just one year.

After all, they didn't sign two veteran tight ends, Eric Saubert and Logan Thomas, to simply provide Latu with more competition. Plus, the undrafted Mason Pline could factor into the depth chart, too.

Recent reports from camp suggest Latu is off to a much better start this season than in 2023, but the former third-rounder out of Alabama might simply be a victim of the numbers game behind the All-Pro starter, George Kittle.

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