49ers showing rookie progress in the 2019 season

The San Francisco 49ers have seen their 2019 rookie class shine this season and it’s looking like it could be one of their best classes in years.

The San Francisco 49ers made eight selections in the 2019 NFL Draft and may have missed on only a couple late-round picks. They did have the number two pick in the entire draft and that certainly helped, but they hit a home run on that pick by taking Nick Bosa.

Nick Bosa, DE, Round 1

Nick Bosa made the Pro Bowl in his first year. He leads the team in sacks with nine and has made or assisted on 41 tackles and is likely the favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Deebo Samuel, WR, Round 2

Deebo Samuel trails only George Kittle in catches for the 49ers this season with 48 for 669 yards. Samuel has been a number two wide receiver since the 49ers traded for Emmanuel Sanders.

Samuel has three touchdowns and two games over 100 yards. First-year wide receivers generally have trouble adjusting to the NFL (see New England Patriots’ first-round pick N’Keal Harry), but Samuel looks like a keeper.

Jalen Hurd, WR, Round 3

Jalen Hurd is 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds and he appears to be a great red-zone target, but it will have to wait until at least 2020. He came out of college behind other rookies with a knee injury and then went on the injured reserve when he got a back injury.

The 49ers are still high on him for the future, but that future won’t be this season.

Mitch Wishnowsky, P, Round 4

Mitch Wishnowsky has been doing well as the 49ers’ punter. He is averaging 44.9 yards per punt and has been especially good at pinning opponents inside their own 20-yard line.

He has only two touchbacks this season compared to 19 punts inside the 20.

Dre Greenlaw, LB, Round 5

Dre Greenlaw, as a fifth-round pick, is number two in tackles this year for the 49ers. He’s been a regular at the weak-side (or WiLL) linebacker position.

For a fifth-rounder, being second in tackles is a great accomplishment. He has one interception on the year but made the most of it, with a 47-yard return.

Justin Skule, OT, Round 6

Justin Skule has been quite useful filling in at tackle filling in at both left and right tackle. The massive 6-foot-7, 320-pounder was called, “The freakin’ man!” by guard Laken Tomlinson for his performance this season.

Others

The jury is still out on the 49ers other two second-round picks, although one has already been cut. Tight end Kaden Smith was waived not too long into the season and cornerback Tim Harris has been injured since the start of the season.

Overall

All uninjured 49ers draft choices from this year’s draft have started games. With four of the players in the spot of permanent starters, this has been a truly fine draft class picked up by general manager John Lynch and his staff.

These four will add to Lynch’s picks of George Kittle (2017) and Fred Warner and Mike McGlinchey (2018). Some fans hoped the 49ers would cut short the general manager’s deal after year one.

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But as he did in the NFL as a player, by year three, he is doing quite excellent. And this year’s draft is perhaps his finest yet.