Ranking the 49ers' last 10 first-round draft picks from worst to best

No. 1: DL Nick Bosa

In a way, the nightmare that was the 2018 season for the 49ers was a blessing in disguise as it allowed the team to select edge Nick Bosa with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 draft. Bosa completely transformed the defensive line and was a huge reason why the 49ers made it to the Super Bowl in his rookie season.

He is now the highest-paid defensive player in the entire NFL, which he earned in 2021 and 2022 with his phenomenal seasons where he had 15.5 and 18.5 sacks, respectively. He had only 10.5 sacks last year, which is a down year by his standards but a great one for most players.

He has also become a leader on the team over the years, growing from the fairly mute type to becoming more vocal and even giving talks to the team prior to every game.

In many ways, the 49ers probably do not have the success they've had over the last five seasons without Bosa. He came in and added that missing link to make their defense truly great. We can only hope he keeps it up for many years to come.

Those were the last 10 first-round picks by the 49ers.

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