Biggest draft steals by 49ers under GM John Lynch

49ers general manager John Lynch built a Super Bowl roster thanks in large part to some steals outside of the first round of the NFL draft.

TE George Kittle | 2017 | Round 5, Pick 146

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The 49ers didn’t have Kittle on their radar until his athleticism jumped off the screen while the team was evaluating Iowa quarterback CJ Beathard. Kittle’s slide in the draft likely had to do with his light production in college. In four years with the Hawkeyes, Kittle had 48 catches for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns. In three years with the 49ers, Kittle has 216 catches for 2,945 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s a top-10 pick if the league did a re-draft of the 2017 class. Scooping a player like that in Round 5 is how teams go from 2-14 to the Super Bowl in three seasons.