It’s time to reflect on theSan Francisco 49ers’ previous drafts again. Thanks to YouTube poster and49ers fanMarvin49, we have videos of each draft. We’ll look at every year during the Kyle Shanahan era up to 2024.Today, it’s 2019.
The leadup to the 2019 NFL Draft was drama—pure poetry. See, the San Francisco 49ers were so bad after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a knee injury in 2018, that they were gunning for the first pick overall. Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa was seen as the best player overall.
Just one thing stood in the 49ers’ way: The Arizona Cardinals. Remember how many of you disliked Steve Wilks’ coaching in the 2023 season? Well, that wasn’t the first time he could “jam” the 49ers, because he was the head coach of the Cardinals. The Cardinals ended up winning three games. Two of which were against the 49ers. The other one was a hobbled Packers team the 49ers managed to lose to. The 49ers managed four wins, and that got them pick number two.
This also got the 49ers the slot in coaching at the Senior Bowl, where Kyle Shanahan met a wide receiver from South Carolina named Deebo Samuel. More on that below.
In case you’re wondering, Wilks was also fired after one season in Arizona. Guy can’t get a break.
So once picks one and two were established, it turned into what the 49ers might do with that pick. Stay put? Trade it for Odell Beckham Jr.? Try to get up to the first pick? Could Nick Bosa be available at pick 2?
Regarding Bosa, the answer is: yes, he had a chance of slipping past one. However, what may have been the consensus reasoning to pass on Bosa was not why the Cardinals DID pass on Bosa; they had just drafted a quarterback in Josh Rosen and Rosen was put behind an atrocious offensive line. Protection seemed like a play the Cardinals would make. Or just trade out.
With Wilks fired, Kliff Kingsbury came in and all but spoiled the surprise of the Cardinals taking quarterback Kyler Murray. And that’s just what the Cardinals did. The 49ers got Nick Bosa and their first pick was a massive success.
But wait! What if I told you they had more than one successful pick? Because they did. Oh man did they ever. Shanahan picked up his wide receiver with their second pick: Deebo Samuel. While Samuel has been traded to the Washington Commanders, his contributions as the wide back cannot be overstated. Samuel quickly made a name for himself putting together speed and a bruising running ability. The only issue was his ball security, which put the 49ers in some predicaments, but improved by year too.
The 49ers couldn’t keep that streak up because their third pick was Jalen Hurd, a bust—but their first bust after two home runs. A great pick, unfortunately, it just didn’t work out. Hurd just couldn’t stay healthy. Hurd got blasted in the back in his rookie season and placed on injured reserve. A torn ACL the following year sent him to the same designation. In 2021, another injury sidelined him and the 49ers cut their losses. Hurd would never play a regular season snap with the team. Had he stayed healthy, Hurd could have been the Deebo backup. Alas, it was never meant to be.
The 49ers did things differently this year, and following up a disappointment came a legend—Punterville hero Mitch Wishnowsky. Wishnowsky was known for punts but had a highlight reel of flattening ball carriers. In 2024, Wishnowsky battled some injuries and lost a step in 2024. Could Punterville be in trouble? We’ll see.
After Wishnowsky, the 49ers’ fifth round star for 2019 was Dre Greenlaw. Greenlaw, an Arkansas linebacker, would pair with Fred Warner to create a linebacker tandem that rivals the likes of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. Greenlaw immediately inserted himself into 49ers lore by stopping Seattle from scoring at the end of the final regular season game, snapping a long losing streak of the 49ers in Seattle and securing the first seed in the NFL playoffs. He also could have won the first game against Seattle way back in Week 10 (in San Francisco) by picking off Russell Wilson in the redzone. Unfortunately, half the 49ers were injured that day, including their kicker, so they couldn’t take advantage in overtime, because, 49ers.
And...well that’s it. That’s your heavy hitters for the draft. There was Stanford tight end Kaden Smith who couldn’t make it through the 2019 season before getting waived. Vanderbilt offensive tackle Justin Skule couldn’t take advantage of his few opportunities and was released a few years later.
Then there was the final pick, Virginia Cornerback Tim Harris. He never saw the field and was waived in 2020 during roster cuts.
Every draft has whiffs, but this one had four excellent picks knocked out of the park, even Wishnowsky.
Once upon a time, we could post the YouTube video here. Nowadays, the DMCA biscuits are watching this thing in full force, so go here to watch the entire draft reaction.
Pick Breakdown
Round 1 - Pick 2 - Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
Round 2 - Pick 36 - Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
Round 3 - Pick 67 - Jalen Hurd, WR, Baylor
Round 4 - Pick 110- Mitch Wishnowsky, P, Utah
Round 5- Pick 148 - Dre Greenlaw- LB, Arkansas
Round 6 - Pick 176 - Kaden Smith, TE Stanford
Round 6 - Pick 183 - Justin Skule, OT, Vanderbilt
Round 6- Pick 198 - Tim Harris, CB, Virginia