No. 2 | 1969 draft
Pick 7: TE Ted Kwalick
Pick 16: WR Gene Washington
It took a couple seasons for Kwalick to get his NFL legs under him, but he put together a very good run once he did. In 1971, his third season, Kwalick far outdid his first two years combined with 52 catches, 664 yards and five touchdown receptions. He followed that up with 40 catches, 751 yards and nine touchdown catches. Then the next year he went for 729 yards and five touchdowns on 47 receptions. Kwalick was a Pro Bowler all three years and a First-Team All-Pro in 1972 when he had his career-high nine touchdowns.
Washington hit the ground running as a pro. The Stanford product caught 51 balls for 711 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie on his way to Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. He repeated those postseason honors the next year when he led the NFL with 1,100 receiving yards. Washington was a Pro Bowler again in 1971, and again with an All-Pro nod in 1972 when he hauled in a league-best 12 touchdowns. Four Pro Bowls and three First-Team All-Pros is a nice career for the No. 16 pick, and Washington did it all in his first four seasons. He went on to catch 371 passes for 6,664 yards and 59 touchdowns in nine years for San Francisco.
This is pretty close to a dream scenario for a team with two first-round picks. If the 49ers replicate this in 2020, they’ll put themselves in a great position to be contenders for a long time.