With so many great draft classes in San Francisco 49ers history, it's easy to overlook one from just 11 years ago. The team's 2007 rookie class ranked as the eighth-best draft haul for a team in the past 25 years by NFL.com. Of course, the only remaining player from that class still on the 49ers roster is tackle Joe Staley, who just received a pay raise on a reworked contract.
Below are the players selected in that draft, which was led by then-general manager Scot McCloughan.
| Rnd | Pck | Player | Pos | School | Years w/ 49ers |
| 1 | 11 | Patrick Willis | ILB | Mississippi | 2007-14 |
| 1 | 28 | Joe Staley | OT | Central Michigan | 2007-current |
| 3 | 12 | Jason Hill | WR | Washington St. | 2007-10 |
| 3 | 34 | Ray McDonald | DT | Florida | 2007-14 |
| 4 | 5 | Jay Moore | DE/OLB | Nebraska | 2007-09 |
| 4 | 27 | Dashon Goldson | FS | Washington | 2007-12 |
| 4 | 36 | Joe Cohen | DT | Florida | 2007-08 |
| 5 | 10 | Tarell Brown | CB | Texas | 2007-13 |
| 6 | 12 | Thomas Clayton | RB | Kansas St. | 2007-09 |
Also on the list, ranked fourth and fifth, were the 2010 and 2012 draft classes of the Seattle Seahawks. McCloughan was a senior personnel executive in Seattle during those drafts, which brought in players like quarterback Russell Wilson and safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.
"Scot McCloughan. His name belongs all over this list," wrote Marc Sessler regarding the 49ers' 2007 draft. "The talented scout was lodged in Seattle as a senior personnel executive during those celebrated drafts of 2010 and '12. He also served as San Francisco's VP of player personnel during a 2007 selection process that helped set the table for future Niners glory. Willis operated as a seven-time Pro Bowler before retiring in 2015. Staley remains locked in at left tackle for the Niners, while McDonald, Goldson, and Brown combined to play 296 games for the franchise."
You can view Sessler's complete list below.
NFL draft: Ranking the top 10 team hauls of the past 25 years
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