The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone. 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 Tracker 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 Bradley Chubb.
MORE: History of San Francisco 49ers First-Round NFL Draft Picks
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.
MORE: San Francisco 49ers 2023 Schedule
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 as a result of trading linebacker Jonas Griffith to the Broncos in 2021.
Who Did the 49ers Draft in 2023?
The 49ers very much went to the beat of their own drum in the 2023 NFL Draft — a strategy that wasn’t entirely up to them. San Francisco’s first pick wasn’t until late Round 3, so the 49ers ultimately had to let the board play out before joining the action.
Even without any Round 1 or Round 2 picks, the 49ers were able to add a few quality players. Ji’Ayir Brown — the team’s first selection — is a well-sized playmaker at safety. Darrell Luter Jr. is a long, explosive, and competitive CB, and Cameron Latu is an EDGE-to-TE convert who’s trending up with his hands and route-running ability.
Elsewhere, the 49ers were able to bring in EDGE Robert Beal Jr., TE/FB Brayden Willis, LBs Dee Winters and Jalen Graham, and WR Ronnie Bell. They also selected the first kicker off the board in Michigan’s Jake Moody, snagging him just before the end of Round 3 with their first compensatory selection.
