The San Francisco 49ers have put together one of the better rosters in the NFL thanks to savvy trades, free agency decisions and, of course, great drafting.
Interestingly enough, though, the 49ers have thrived with some of their late-round picks more than their early ones. That idea is reflected in Pro Football Focus’ recent ranking of the most valuable non-first-round NFL draft picks since 2016. Three players currently on the 49ers roster made the top seven, including Brock Purdy at No. 1, George Kittle at No. 6 and Fred Warner at No. 7.
Purdy was, famously, the final pick of the 2022 draft out of Iowa State. And while he didn’t begin the year as the 49ers starter, he ended up with that mantle after injuries and never let it go.
Since his debut in 2022, the former Mr. Irrelevant has gone from sleeper to outright star. Over the last four years, Purdy ranks ninth in PFF passing grade, and his 60 turnover-worthy plays are tied for the ninth-fewest. The Iowa State has been exceptional at avoiding negatives altogether, as his career pressure-to-sack ratio sits at an excellent 13.4%.
Awarded a five-year, $265 million extension last offseason, Purdy is already one of the greatest Day 3 picks in league history, presenting the 49ers with nearly unprecedented surplus value at the sport’s most paramount position.
On top of his impressive PFF numbers, Purdy has completed 67.9% of his passing attempts for 11,685 yards, 84 passing touchdowns and 37 interceptions in four years at the helm.
Kittle has been a big part of Purdy’s success and the centerpiece of the 49ers offense since he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. He had four 1,000-yard seasons as a tight end with 595 receptions, 8,008 total receiving yards and 52 receiving touchdowns in his career. Not bad for the No. 146 selection.
The hit rate on mid-round players isn’t particularly encouraging overall. But that mantra definitely doesn’t apply to Kittle, who’s rounded into one of the league’s foremost weapons.
Kittle has been an insanely consistent player, notching at least an 84.7-plus overall PFF grade in eight straight seasons. Unsurprisingly, his 94.1 overall mark since 2017 is the best among all tight ends, and he trails only Travis Kelce in WAR during that duration.
Then there’s Warner, who is perhaps the quarterback of the 49ers’ defense. While Warner was drafted a little bit earlier than Purdy and Kittle at No. 70 in 2018, he’s nevertheless transformed into arguably the best middle linebacker in the league. He’s tallied 948 combined tackles, 38 tackles for a loss, 17 forced fumbles, 10 sacks, 10 interceptions and 30 quarterback hits in his career.
Over the last six seasons, the former BYU Cougar leads the position in overall PFF grade (93.0) and ties for second in WAR among his counterparts. It’s difficult to pinpoint any holes in his game given that Warner boasts a 92.3 grade or better in both coverage and run defense in that span.
Warner’s position on this list is affected by him being a third-round pick, where more talent tends to linger. Nonetheless, developing a potential Hall-of-Famer with the 70th overall selection is still remarkable.
All of these picks were made in the John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan era, which is a testament to the duo’s ability to identify talented players outside of the first round. While the 49ers haven’t had the most success with their early-round picks or with some positions, these three epitomize why the 49ers have been a perennial contender over the past decade.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Purdy, Kittle, Warner headline PFF’s best late-round picks list