And just like that, the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books. Per usual, it was a wild and unexpected ride, starting with all the Round 1 action. Day 2 and Day 3 delivered surprises of their own. Some teams capitalized on the opportunity, while others came up short. Let’s take a look at the 2023 NFL Draft recap, analysis, and grades for the San Francisco 49ers. NFL Draft analysts Andrew Erickson and Thor Nystrom combine to provide their thoughts below.
- NFL Draft Grades for Every Team
- Thor’s Draft Grades (AFC | NFC)
- NFL Draft Day 1 Winners & Losers (Day 2 | Day 3)
- Fitz’s Round 1 NFL Draft Picks: Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook (Day 2 | Day 3)
- Latest Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft
2023 NFL Draft Recap, Analysis & Grades: San Francisco 49ers
NFL Draft analysts Andrew Erickson and Thor Nystrom combine to provide their thoughts below.
Thor Nystrom’s Overview & Grades
San Francisco 49ers | Draft Grade: F
| Pick | Team | Position | Rank | Name | School | Comp |
| 87 | 49ers | S7 | 103 | Ji’Ayir Brown | Penn State | Calvin Pryor |
| 99* | 49ers | K1 | 165 | Jake Moody | Michigan | Ka’imi Fairbairn |
| 101* | 49ers | TE13 | 237 | Cameron Latu | Alabama | Kaden Smith |
| 155 | 49ers | CB26 | 178 | Darrell Luter Jr. | South Alabama | KeiVarae Russell |
| 173 | 49ers | ED32 | 285 | Robert Beal Jr. | Georgia | Jordan Willis |
| 216* | 49ers | LB16 | 196 | Dee Winters | Texas Christian | Monty Rice |
| 247 | 49ers | TE14 | 265 | Brayden Willis | Oklahoma | Josiah Deguara |
| 253* | 49ers | WR23 | 158 | Ronnie Bell | Michigan | Freddie Mitchell |
| 255* | 49ers | LB24 | 249 | Jalen Graham | Purdue | Xavier Adibi |
One of my draft-grading philosophies is to not artificially penalize teams who have less draft equity. I see that as a cop-out. I try to judge the ball where it lies.
I say this to impress the point that San Francisco didn’t fail this draft because they previously traded their premium picks and had less to work with. The 49ers failed this draft because they did poorly in the nine non-premium slots they were selecting in. We saw a procession of reaches.
With two exceptions, LB Dee Winters and WR Ronnie Bell. One of Bell’s former coaches told me this spring that he will play in the NFL for a long time. I don’t disagree with that.
But outside of those two picks, San Francisco could have done a better job identifying values in the slots they were picking in. This felt like a myopic process, where every pick is a luxury pick and nothing is at stake. Perhaps the 49ers have entered the pre-Rams-Super-Bowl “f*** them picks” phase of their evolution.
Andrew Erickson’s Overview & Grades
Ji’Ayir Brown ran a slow 40-time (4.65) which likely caused his fall into the late 3rd round. However, the slow time did not seem to bother the 49ers, who traded up to acquire Brown. They had a need for safety after losing Jimmie Ward in free agency. Brown operated very close to the line of scrimmage at times in Penn State’s defense boasting the No. 1 blitz rate, lowest aDOT and most pressures per game in the safety class. He’s not overly athletic but makes up for it with leadership and football IQ.
The 49ers also needed a replacement for Robbie Gould and got the best kicker in the draft, Jake Moody, with the 99th overall selection. Considering the team doesn’t have a ton of needs as a Super Bowl contender, I am okay with the selection. However, I am not okay that SF did not add any OL or primary CBs with their top picks, opting to draft a backup tight end with Cameron Latu late in the third round.
FINAL DRAFT GRADE: C-
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