The 49ers did the unthinkable. They beat the Seattle Seahawks. Snapping a nine-game regular-season losing streak against the team’s biggest rival was supposed to be an unmitigated success and a cause for celebration. Instead it was met with resistance from a portion of the fan base that prefers to keep an eye toward the 2019 NFL draft.
San Francisco’s 26-23 overtime victory over the Seahawks in Week 15 came with a cost – three spots in next year’s draft. The 49ers went from the frontrunners for the No. 1 overall pick to the favorites to land the fourth spot. The descent in draft position is a relatively high price to pay for win No. 4 in mid-December. However, it was impossible to watch the 49ers celebrating after the game and not think that something bigger is going on.
A video posted to the 49ers Twitter account shows a jubilant locker room celebrating the victory with former Seahawk Richard Sherman. That wasn’t just an average December win. The prevailing thought coming from the locker room was that the Seahawks 43-16 demolition of the 49ers in Week 13 was a shot to the team’s collective pride.
They responded with a strong effort against a Seahawks team that was a win away from clinching a playoff spot. San Francisco was very good on both sides of the ball for all 60 minutes, and showed a resiliency that makes it hard to not be excited about the team’s future.
Yes, the first overall pick would’ve been exciting as well. A player like Ohio State’s Nick Bosa would check all the boxes to fill the 49ers’ top need in the draft.
Consider the key contributors for the 49ers on Sunday though. Their first touchdown was scored by seventh-round pick Richie James. Their second touchdown was a pass from undrafted quarterback Nick Mullens to undrafted tight end Garrett Celek. Their two leading rushers were undrafted running backs Matt Breida and Jeff Wilson Jr.
On defense, the No. 7 overall pick DeForest Buckner led the team and tackles and came up with two sacks. Third-round picks Fred Warner and Tarvarius Moore made key plays down the stretch. So did fifth-round pick DJ Reed and sixth-round pick Marcell Harris.
Contributors can be found in places other than the No. 1 overall pick.
What we saw from the 49ers on Sunday offered a different level of electricity than the kind that comes with picking first in the draft. They had a group made up of young players that played hard and with pride in a season that’s been effectively over since Week 3 when Jimmy Garoppolo got hurt.
There aren’t many teams that can say that. It speaks to the job head coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff have done keeping players engaged and improving despite the fact they’re not playing for anything.
What the 49ers lost in draft position they gained in knowledge about what they have on the roster moving forward. Falling from No. 1 to No. 4 in the draft is worth it if it means they have foundational pieces on defense in the rookies Reed, Harris and Warner. The 49ers can certainly live with James’ 97-yard kick return touchdown if it means they’ve located a game-changing special teams player. They’re fine with Mullens tossing a touchdown and posting a 110.6 passer rating if it means they have a long-term answer behind Garoppolo.
The No. 1 overall pick would’ve been a nice chess piece for the 49ers to have as they rebuild their roster. On the other hand, they still hold the fourth pick and own a ton of cap space to help bolster the depth of their still-developing roster.
Yes, the 49ers win over the Seahawks came with a cost, but what they learned throughout the victory could wind up being worth more a few spots in the draft.
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