While picking in the first round gives a team the best chance at securing a top player from that year’s draft, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to nab a surefire talent.
The 49ers own a pick in the first round this season, but there’s a strong possibility they wind up trading back from the No. 31 pick to secure more assets later in the draft.
Before the 2020 draft, we went back through the 49ers’ last 20 years of first-round picks and ranked them in order from worst to best. The spread is pretty interesting, ranging from full-blown busts to eventual Hall of Famers.
26-21
26. WR AJ Jenkins | 2012 | Pick 30
The 49ers badly needed some wide receiver help going into the 2012 season. Jenkins didn’t provide it. He played in three games with one target and no catches before getting traded in his first offseason.
25. DL Kentwan Balmer | 2008 | Pick 29
Jenkins’ short three-game stint only thing saving Balmer from landing at the bottom of the list. He played in 27 games across two seasons with no sacks, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. He went on to play for Seattle and Washington but was never a productive player.
24. WR Rashaun Woods | 2004 | Pick 31
Woods is on just about every list of all-time first-round busts, but he sneaks in ahead of Jenkins and Balmer despite playing just one season in the NFL. The Oklahoma State product’s physical style didn’t translate at the pro level. He caught seven balls for 160 yards, one touchdown and five first downs in his lone season.
23. OL Joshua Garnett | 2016 | Pick 28
The 49ers traded back into the first round in general manager Trent Baalke’s final draft to select Garnett. The oft-injured Stanford product never got his feet under him in San Francisco, starting 11 of the 22 games he played in across three seasons.
22. OL Kwame Harris | 2003 | Pick 26
Harris played five seasons with the 49ers and started 44 of his 72 games at various spots on the offensive line. A first-round tackle should typically be a solid, long-term starter. Harris never quite developed into that and struggled when he did play.
21. CB Mike Rumph | 2002 | Pick 27
While Rumph did play four seasons in a 49ers uniform, he played just 36 games with 19 starts, and was never particularly productive. He had three interceptions and 14 pass breakups with 2.0 sacks in his career with San Francisco.