No. 1 | 2007 draft
Pick 11: LB Patrick Willis
Pick 28: OL Joe Staley
It’s tough to have a better first round than this. Willis played just eight years, but he made the most of those seasons. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2007 with Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors thanks to his league-high 174 tackles. He’d go on to make seven Pro Bowls and earn five First-Team All-Pro selections. Willis should wind up in Canton even without a ton of longevity. He was simply the most dominant linebacker in the league for most of his career, and is a home run No. 11 pick.
Staley doesn’t have the All-Pro accolades Willis does, but he’s been with the 49ers for 13 seasons with six Pro Bowls, including five consecutive trips from 2011-15. Finding a stalwart left tackle is exceptionally difficult to do, and Staley has consistently been one of the NFL’s best since San Francisco made him the 28th pick out of Central Michigan.
Two perennial Pro Bowlers and potential Hall of Famers is what every GM with multiple first-round picks is looking for, and the 49ers got that with their 2007 draft.