As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, the San Francisco 49ers hold the eleventh pick in the first round. If the team stays put and makes a selection, history suggests they will land a great player. The team has previously used the 11th pick to select two players that went on to have Hall of Fame careers.
In the last 50 years, the 49ers have only made two selections at the eleventh overall spot. In 2010, the team selected tackle Anthony Davis (Rutgers), who would go on to play in 72 games. In 2007, the team selected linebacker Patrick Willis (Mississippi), who would go on to play in 112 games and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. Both players spent their entire NFL careers with the 49ers, and while Davis doesn't compare to Willis in terms of statistics or acclaim, he was solid starter, playing in every game his first four seasons in the league.
The most famous eleventh pick by the 49ers came way back in 1950, when the team selected defensive tackle Leo Nomellini (Minnesota). He would go on to play in 174 games over 14 seasons, all with the 49ers. Nomellini was a versatile athlete; he was a champion wrestler and in his first three seasons in the NFL, he played offensive and defensive tackle. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.
Interestingly, the 49ers selected players eleventh overall in back-to-back drafts on two occasions.
Defensive end Stan Hindman (Mississippi) was chosen in 1966, and tackle Cas Banaszek (Northwestern) was selected in 1967. Both enjoyed long NFL careers: Banaszek played ten seasons with the 49ers, while Hindman played seven seasons with the team; they combined for nearly 200 starts between them.
In 1960, the team drafted tight end Monty Stickles (Notre Dame) eleventh overall. He played in 115 games, nearly all as a member of the 49ers. The following year, the 49ers did select quarterback Billy Kilmer (UCLA) eleventh overall, but he was with the team for just a few years and is better known as a solid player for Washington, where he played for eight seasons.
The only other eleventh overall selection by the 49ers was Bernie Faloney (Maryland) in 1954. San Francisco wanted Faloney to play defensive back and back-up quarterback, but he instead pursued an opportunity with the Canadian Football League and never played a down in the NFL.
Aside from Kilmer and Faloney, every player that the 49ers took at eleventh overall enjoyed a long and successful career with the team. Assuming the pick isn't traded, the team and its fans are surely hoping this amazing trend continues on Thursday night in Green Bay.