The 49ers are in a good place from a roster perspective and they don’t necessarily need young players to contribute right away. However, if they’re going to extend their Super Bowl window beyond the current core of stars they’ll need contributions from their draft classes.
Through 1.5 seasons the 2022 draft class doesn’t appear to be on track to contribute much down the road.
Quarterback Brock Purdy, the final pick last year, is the obvious headliner, but beyond that the 49ers’ contributions from second-year players have been minimal with not many signs that any of them are trending upward.
Let’s run through San Francisco’s nine-player class for a quick update:
Round 2, Pick 61: DE Drake Jackson
Jackson looked primed for a breakout campaign in 2023 after he was a healthy inactive for five of the final six games his rookie year, including the playoffs. In Week 1 of this season he racked up 3.0 sacks against the Steelers and looked like a perfect complement to a defensive front that also includes Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead. Jackson has yet to record a sack since Week 1 though. He’s played only 60 snaps in the team’s last four games, and San Francisco has traded for two defensive ends in that stretch. Jackson is likely headed for healthy inactive status again, which is a definitive step backward for the former 61st overall pick.
Round 3, Pick 93: RB Tyrion Davis-Price
Speaking of healthy inactives, Davis-Price’s only action this season has come when fellow RB Elijah Mitchell was out with a knee injury. He’s been active for just two of the team’s eight games, and the only time he’s seen snaps was in garbage time of a Week 5 blowout win over the Cowboys. In that game he had six carries for 21 yards. Davis-Price had a 15-yard carry in that one, with his other four attempts going for six yards. In his career he’s played in seven games and posted 120 rushing yards on 40 carries. That he’s been unable to crack the RB rotation as a third-round pick doesn’t bode well for his future with San Francisco.
Round 3, Pick 105: WR Danny Gray
Gray was one of the first players to go on IR for San Francisco this season. He was placed there right after final cuts were made which opens the door for him returning this season. The problem is the 49ers don’t seem particularly interested in bringing him back any time soon. Gray is on IR with a shoulder injury and general manager John Lynch ahead of Week 9 indicated Gray (and a handful of others on injured lists) are ready to return, but the team would have to decide whether it behooves them to open each player’s practice window. Gray’s return would mean the club has to release another player on the roster. That they’re not eager to get his speed back into the receiving corps isn’t a great sign for a player who posted only one catch for 10 yards on seven targets as a rookie.
Round 4, Pick 134: OL Spencer Burford
The good news is Burford snagged a starting job as a rookie and held onto it in his second year. The bad news is the 49ers may not be particularly thrilled with the play of their right guard. Pro Football Focus has graded Burford out with an abysmal 21.7 pass blocking grade and a subpar 59.8 run blocking grade. He’s been penalized a team-high seven times, and he’s allowed a team-high 20 pressures. PFF ranks him 60th out of 61 qualified guards in pass block grade, 33rd in run block grade and he’s allowed the seventh-most pressures. Perhaps he’s still growing into the RG position, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if San Francisco aims to replace him or at least add competition after handing him a starting spot in 2023.
Round 5, Pick 172: CB Samuel Womack
Womack is dealing with a knee injury and has been on IR since getting hurt in practice leading up to Week 2. There’s a chance he’s the team’s long-term answer in the slot. He won the starting job out of camp as a rookie, but relinquished it to Deommodore Lenoir in Week 3. Womack has still contributed on special teams and has the ability to play in the slot or on the outside. He’s another player ready to return from IR per Lynch. For the most part Womack has been a good contributor for a fifth-round choice, but his impact hasn’t been particularly extensive.
Roound 6, Pick 187: OL Nick Zakelj
Zakelj is in the midst of a transition to guard after spending his entire college career at offensive tackle. There’s a clear learning curve in that move, not to mention the jump from college to the NFL. He’s only active when Trent Williams is out and the team likely isn’t super confident in him just yet. There’s not a ton of depth on the interior so Zakelj being a viable option sooner than later would be helpful. He’s not there yet, but San Francisco will need him to be much closer to contributing next season.
Round 6, Pick 220: DL Kalia Davis
Davis spent his rookie year on IR after suffering a knee injury during his final college season. The converted linebacker has been a healthy inactive for all eight games this year though. San Francisco has struggled to stop the run and they don’t have a deep defensive tackle rotation. Davis’ absence from the lineup is a good indicator he’s still catching up in the pros.
Round 6, Pick 221: CB Tariq Castro-Fields
Yikes!
Round 7, Pick 262: QB Brock Purdy
It’s hard to get better value in the draft than a viable starting quarterback with the final pick. If Purdy winds up being a franchise QB who elevates the 49ers’ offense to a Super Bowl level every year he’s under center, then what the rest of this draft looks like doesn’t matter as much. For now the jury is still out on Purdy as a long-term answer, but it’s hard to argue that he’s not already one of the most valuable draft picks in team history.
