2023’s improvement over 2022 is that everyone on this list made the team in some shape or form be it injured, backups, whatever. But not only was this boring, the botched picks are devastating.
We’re two years removed from the San Francisco 49ers’ 2023 draft class, and honestly, it still feels like we’re waiting for something to happen.
First things first, this was quiet; No first-round pick, no second-round pick—those were lost in the trades for Trey Lance and Christian McCaffrey, respectively. So, expectations were already muted when the 49ers finally stepped up to the podium in Round 3.
And while a few players saw the field over the last two seasons, calling this class impactful would be a stretch. Some are still developing. Some are likely depth guys. And some… well, they’re just here.
We start with the aforementioned Round 3, Penn State safety Ji’Ayir Brown. Brown saw real action much earlier than expected after Talanoa Hufanga tore his ACL late in the season. He flashed in key moments—notably with interceptions against Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith—and looked about as ok as you could hope a rookie could in the playoffs. In 2024, Brown’s stock fell a bit with fans. Entering 2025, he’s probably the player from this class with the best chance to become a long-term starter—but when you look at the rest of this class, that’s not saying much.
The third round also brought us Michigan kicker Jake Moody. This is the one everyone associates with this draft and angers fans the most. To put it mildly, it’s complicated. When you thought Moody was figuring it out, a kick would sail wide right; he’d shank a chipshot or just not get the ball to the end zone on a kickoff. It made you realize you didn’t have the trust in him you had with Robbie Gould.
Moody started “ok” in the preseason, got better in the first couple of games of the regular season, then started a downward trend a couple of games, costing the 49ers against the Cleveland Browns. Once the rough patch was over, Moody began getting some consistency before imploding in the postseason. He missed kicks in the Divisional Round, NFC Championship, and Super Bowl—including an extra point that may have won the 49ers the game. So whenever they tell you the extra point is an afterthought, always point to this guy. 2024 was less hot or cold and colder, with Moody missing chip shots for most kickers. The 49ers are bringing in competition for Moody in the 2025 training camp. At this point, the only thing keeping Moody on the roster might be his contract—barely north of $1 million and not hard to swallow it, along with the dead money if he’s outkicked in training camp.
And we’re still not done with the third round. Next up is Alabama tight end Cameron Latu. Latu missed his entire rookie season due to injury and didn’t show much in 2024 either, so he was waived in late August during roster cuts. Latu probably would have been waived sooner if the 49ers other plan worked out; they were trying to bring in Brock Wright from the Detroit Lions via an offer sheet, which the Lions matched. That move said more about Latu than it did about Wright.
After that three-punch third round, we move to the fifth round, where the 49ers draft Alabama cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. This guy might be more infuriating than Jake Moody. Luter’s career might be known for when a Super Bowl punt glanced off his leg, gifting the Kansas City Chiefs a short field and a turning point. Outside of that, it’s mostly been special teams’ work and inactive lists—Luter was placed on injured reserve in November, which summed up his 2024. It’s unclear where he fits moving forward, especially with depth added in the secondary.
Next up in the fifth round is Georgia edge rusher Robert Beal Jr., a fifth-round compensatory pick who was a bit of a forgotten man in this class. Beal spent the first half of his rookie season on injured reserve but came off IR late in 2023 and even recorded a sack in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams. Don’t get too hopeful; the Rams and 49ers had their playoff seeding solidified before their final regular season game in 2023. This means the second-stringers were on the field. In 2024, he saw action in 14 games, finishing with 17 tackles but no sacks. He was part of the edge rotation but had a more “warm body” feel than a real disruptor. If he’s going to make noise in 2025, it’ll have to be as a surprise riser—because, so far, he’s mostly just blended into the background.
To the sixth round, we go with TCU Linebacker Dee Winters. Winters played in 15 games as a rookie and contributed on special teams. He was rotated in at linebacker occasionally but didn’t make a significant impact—logging just 10 tackles across two seasons. Solid depth but hasn’t shown signs of growing into a core contributor. If Winters is the guy, he has a helluva opportunity in 2025 with the departure of Dre Greenlaw. If he can’t solidify a starting role here, that could be a disappointing pick sorely needed right now.
And now is a long list of seventh-round picks. First up is Oklahoma tight end Brayden Willis. Willis has the distinction of doing juuuuust a bit more than Latu. He followed up his single tackle (his entire stat sheet of 2023) with three tackles in 2024. Unlike Moody, Willis at least shows improvement.
Next up is the other scapegoat from this class (Luter notwithstanding), Michigan wide receiver Ronnie Bell. Much like Moody, Bell had quite a few opportunities, and saying that he dropped the ball in those opportunities is probably not only the best idiom but also the most accurate way to sum it up. In 2023, Bell filled in as a punt returner after Ray-Ray McCloud’s injury and it wasn’t promising. Ball security became an issue, highlighted by two fumbles in the Philadelphia Eagles game and a near-disaster against Arizona the following week. He saw limited snaps in 2024, though when he was called upon, like a catchable dart against the Los Angeles Rams, he made you wonder how he got a roster spot in the first place. It didn’t last; he was waived in November and signed to the practice squad. Bell later signed with the Detroit Lions.
Finally, to close out this draft is Purdue linebacker Jalen Graham. Graham saw time on special teams in just four games in 2023. In 2024, he got waived by the 49ers and went to the Washington Commanders on a rental of sorts to their practice squad. The 49ers signed him back to the active roster later in 2024. This lasted about a week before he got sent to the 49ers practice squad, only to return to the active roster after injuries claimed the team. Unlike Ronnie Bell, Graham got to return to the team after being cut.
So, a pro here is the class saw the field? I guess that’s positive? Outside of Ji’Ayir Brown—who might not be the long-term answer at safety—and Jake Moody, who the coaches’ patience has to wear thin, there’s not much here to write about.
Not every draft needs to produce a franchise player. And while the second-round pick you burned got you the best running back in the league, you’d hope since you burned a first for a bust quarterback, you could make up for it with the later rounds. But you’d like to get more than a kicker and a rotational safety with eight picks. And if you do, you’d want both to be “maybe” by their third year. If there’s a breakout coming, it needs to happen in 2025.
At least they all made the roster in 2023. Not every class has that distinction—looking at you, 2022.
Pick Breakdown
Round 3 – No. 87 – Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State
Round 3 – No. 99 – Jake Moody, K, Michigan
Round 3 – No. 101 – Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama
Round 5 – No. 155 – Darrell Luter Jr., CB, South Alabama
Round 5 – No. 173 – Robert Beal Jr., LB Georgia
Round 6 – No. 216 – Dee Winters, LB, TCU
Round 7 – No. 247 – Brayden Willis, TE, Oklahoma
Round 7 – No. 253 – Ronnie Bell, WR, Michigan
Round 7 – No. 255 – Jalen Graham, LB, Purdue