The 49ers were one of the picks. But this list may not instill confidence.
The San Francisco 49ers own the No. 31 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. They could trade up if a prospect they covet falls in the draft — likely due to a run on a specific position, namely, quarterback. There’s also the possibility of the Niners trading out of the first round if a team makes an offer they cannot refuse.
Today, we’ll act as if the 49ers will stand pat at No. 31 and look back to see who was selected with the second to last pick in the first round to give us an idea of the caliber of players who fall in that range. We’ll go back to 2017.
2023 – Kansas City Chiefs – Felix Anudike-Uzomah – Kansas State – Edge rusher
When you’re a Super Bowl champion, you have the luxury of taking a swing at a pass rusher like Anudike-Uzomah. As a rookie, he rushed the passer 149 times and finished with a half sack, eight pressures, and seven quarterback knockdowns, per Sports Info Solutions.
The most notable name around this pick was Iowa’s tight end Sam LaPorta, who was selected at No. 34 overall and is well on his way to becoming the best in the NFL at his position.
2022 – Cincinnati Bengals – Daxton Hill – Michigan – Defensive Back
Hill played starter snaps with the Bengals this past season, as he was on the field for over 1,000 snaps. He finished with over 100 tackles, including eight for a loss. While he had a high number of missed tackles, Hill made up for it as a blitzer, where he had 11 pressures on 28 pass rushes. In coverage, Hill was targeted 28 times and had eight pass breakups and two interceptions.
Hill provided the ideal production from a player drafted at the end of the first round.
Other players drafted in this range were Breece Hall (No. 36 overall and George Karlaftis (No. 31).
2021 – Baltimore Ravens – Odafe Oweh – Penn State – Edge rusher
Oweh has been banged up during his career. He came in as a bit of a project and hadn’t fully put it together since his rookie season, where he had five sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He matched that sack total in 2023 but wasn’t as effective or hadn’t taken the next step in his progression.
This pick is an example of what happens when you take a swing on an athlete at the position — think another Penn State pass rusher in this year’s draft — and he doesn’t pan out as you had initially hoped.
The 2021 Draft has some serious star power in it at the top, but the talent fizzles out when you get beyond the top 12. Dolphins safety Jevon Holland was taken at No. 36 overall.
2020 – Minnesota Vikings – Jeff Gladney – TCU – Cornerback
Gladney was released after his rookie season after being indicted for domestic violence. He was found not guilty. The following May, Gladney and his girlfriend were killed in a car crash in Dallas, Texas. Gladney was 25.
2019 – Atlanta Falcons – Kaleb McGary – Washington – OT
Atlanta Falcons fans aren’t high on the right tackle with sub 33” arms. Not only were McGary’s arms short at the time, but he was 24, meaning there was little room for growth as a player. But McGary has started five years for Atlanta and played at least 800 snaps every season.
We are seeing a bit of everything at pick No. 31. Talent-wise, McGary was probably closer to No. 61 than No. 31. This should also be a cautionary tale of what happens when you draft for need instead of the best player available. Deebo Samuel was selected six picks later.
2018 – New England Patriots – Sony Michel – Georgia – RB
Michel was selected before Nick Chubb, his college teammate. He ran for over 900 yards in his first two seasons, but he has likely played his last down in the NFL after injuries took a toll on him. Michel did not play in the NFL in 2023 and didn’t make it through his rookie contract with the Patriots.
Other players drafted around No. 31 were Lamar Jackson, Nick Chubb, Courtland Sutton, and Calvin Ridley.
2018 – San Francisco 49ers – Reuben Foster – Alabama – LB
On the field, Foster remains one of the best linebackers to come into the NFL since 2017. He was an incredible player at Alabama who played with ferocity. But this is also what happens when the character doesn’t match the talent.
The 49ers took a risk on Foster by trading back into the first round to select him. As a rookie, he was a unanimous All-American and led the Niners in tackles for loss. But he was released during his second season after being arrested on a domestic violence charge in Florida at the Niners’ team hotel.
That wasn’t Foster’s first strike, as he was arrested twice in under a month in January and February 2018. Then, on April 12, Foster was charged with domestic violence.
T.J. Watt was selected one spot ahead of Foster. Ryan Ramczyk, who gave the Saints six tremendous years of right tackle play, was selected right after Foster.
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