Best draft picks in San Francisco 49ers history
Stacker compiled a list of the best draft picks in San Francisco 49ers history using career Weighted Approximate Value (wAV), a metric developed by Pro-Football-Reference.com to estimate career impact. The ranking also lists individual accolades such as Pro Bowl selections, First-Team All-Pro honors, and total years as a starter. Players were assigned to their originally drafted teams, excluding any draft-day trades. Data is as of April 2026.
#10. Roger Craig (1983, Round 2, Pick 49)
- Position: RB
- Career wAV: 95
- Pro Bowls: 4
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 165
- Seasons as Starter: 9
#8. Alex Smith (2005, Round 1, Pick 1) (tie)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 98
- Pro Bowls: 3
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 174
- Seasons as Starter: 14
#8. Lance Alworth (1962, Round 1, Pick 8) (tie)
- Position: FL
- Career wAV: 98
- Pro Bowls: 7
- First-Team All-Pro: 6
- Games Played: 136
- Seasons as Starter: 10
#7. John Brodie (1957, Round 1, Pick 3)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 99
- Pro Bowls: 2
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 201
- Seasons as Starter: 12
#6. Ricky Watters (1991, Round 2, Pick 45)
- Position: RB
- Career wAV: 100
- Pro Bowls: 5
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 144
- Seasons as Starter: 9
#5. Jimmy Johnson (1961, Round 1, Pick 6)
- Position: DB
- Career wAV: 103
- Pro Bowls: 5
- First-Team All-Pro: 3
- Games Played: 213
- Seasons as Starter: 16
#4. Terrell Owens (1996, Round 3, Pick 89)
- Position: WR
- Career wAV: 121
- Pro Bowls: 6
- First-Team All-Pro: 5
- Games Played: 219
- Seasons as Starter: 13
#3. Ronnie Lott (1981, Round 1, Pick 8)
- Position: DB
- Career wAV: 123
- Pro Bowls: 10
- First-Team All-Pro: 6
- Games Played: 192
- Seasons as Starter: 14
#2. Joe Montana (1979, Round 3, Pick 82)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 125
- Pro Bowls: 8
- First-Team All-Pro: 3
- Games Played: 192
- Seasons as Starter: 12
#1. Jerry Rice (1985, Round 1, Pick 16)
- Position: WR
- Career wAV: 160
- Pro Bowls: 13
- First-Team All-Pro: 10
- Games Played: 303
- Seasons as Starter: 18
Copyright 2026 Stacker Media, LLC
This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 9:29 AM.