The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and we’re close to the regular season. Where did the San Francisco 49ers make their picks, what draft capital did they possess, and how did they acquire their selections?
Want to see how the 49ers graded out during the 2023 NFL Draft? Then come check out our full San Francisco 49ers draft grades. You can also see the entire 2023 NFL Draft results.
San Francisco 49ers Draft Picks by Round in 2023
- Round 3 | Pick 87 (from MIN)
Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State - Round 3 | Pick 99*
Jake Moody, K, Michigan - Round 3 | Pick 101*
Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama - Round 5, Pick 155 (from MIA)
Darrell Luter Jr., CB, South Alabama
- Round 5, Pick 173*
Robert Beal Jr., EDGE, Georgia - Round 6, Pick 216*
Dee Winters, LB, TCU - Round 7, Pick 247
Brayden Willis, TE, Oklahoma - Round 7, Pick 253*
Ronnie Bell, WR, Michigan - Round 7, Pick 255*
Jalen Graham, LB, Purdue
*Denotes compensatory selection
How Many Draft Picks Did the 49ers Have Entering the 2023 NFL Draft?
The 49ers made a flurry of trades in recent years, and the club had been so active in moving its draft picks that it didn’t make a selection until Round 3. On top of that, San Francisco didn’t use one of its original seven picks until the seventh round of the draft.
General manager John Lynch is still paying for his trade-up to acquire Trey Lance in the 2021 draft. The 49ers gave their 2023 first-rounder to the Miami Dolphins in that deal, but Miami traded the pick (No. 29) to the Denver Broncos in exchange for EDGE Bradley Chubb.
San Francisco’s original second-round, third-round, and fourth-round selections were also gone, thanks to its acquisition of Christian McCaffrey in 2022. The 49ers sent pick Nos. 61, 93, and 132 — plus a 2024 fifth-round choice — to the Carolina Panthers for CMC.
While San Fran shipped out plenty of picks, they also acquired several additional selections via the NFL’s compensatory pick system.
The Niners picked up three JC-2A compensatory draft picks at the end of the third round. These selections are given to teams when their minority candidates are hired for head coach or general manager positions with other clubs.
San Francisco acquired selections for Martin Mayhew (now the Washington Commanders GM), Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins head coach), and Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans GM).
The 49ers also added extra picks as compensation for losing players during the 2022 free agency period. The team was awarded a fifth-round pick for D.J. Jones, a sixth for Arden Key, and sevenths for Raheem Mostert and K’Waun Williams.
Thus, after some movement, San Francisco made two selections in the fifth round: their comp pick for Jones and a choice they received from the Dolphins for running back Jeff Wilson Jr.
The 49ers lacked their original selection in Round 6, having traded that pick to the Houston Texans for defensive lineman Charles Omenihu. However, they did have an extra seventh-round pick due to trading linebacker Jonas Griffith to the Broncos in 2021.
Who Did the 49ers Draft in 2023?
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the 49ers had to follow their own unique strategy due to circumstances beyond their control. They didn’t have their first pick until late in Round 3, so they had to wait for the board to play out before making any moves.
Despite their limitations, the 49ers successfully added talented players to their team. Their first pick, Ji’Ayir Brown, is a safety with great size and playmaking abilities. Darrell Luter Jr. is a competitive cornerback with impressive length and explosiveness.
Additionally, Cameron Latu has converted from EDGE to TE and is showing promise with his improved hands and route-running skills. In other news, there were no major developments elsewhere.
The 49ers also added more talent to their roster on Day 3, selecting EDGE Robert Beal Jr., TE/FB Brayden Willis, LBs Dee Winters and Jalen Graham, and WR Ronnie Bell. They picked the first kicker in the draft, Jake Moody from Michigan, with their first compensatory pick in the third round.
Overall, this class doesn’t have the most pressure on it because of when the picks came and the strength of the roster. But Moody and Brown should at least have a role on Day 1.
