San Francisco 49ers: Building the Roster with Late-Round Steals

April 1, 2011   ·   Ted Johnson   ·   Jump to comments

Looking back to some of the great San Francisco 49ers who played critical roles in their Super Bowl campaigns, it is surprising to find that so many were middle- to late-round selections in the NFL Draft.
No better example can be found than the 1986 draft, when then coach Bill Walsh and GM John McVay selected Tim McKyer, Don Griffin, John Taylor, Tom Rathman, Charles Haley and Kevin Fagan from the third round and later. Within two seasons, all were starters and key contributors.
Joe Montana, lest we forget, was a third-round selection in 1979.
All of these examples point to Walsh’s ability to spot talent. It’s in the draft that a team proves its organizational capability. It is the most vital element in building a team to compete at the highest levels for more successive seasons (Key examples: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, and Pittsburgh Steelers).
The fact of the matter is that injuries over the 16-game season drain a team of first-rate tale...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com