There are no guarantees in the NFL draft, but a brief look at the San Francisco 49ers history of picking No. 11 overall gives some reason for optimism about their 2025 first-round selection.
Assuming the 49ers don’t make a trade out of the 11th spot it will mark the ninth time the 49ers have selected a player there. The first time came back in 1950, and they did it most recently in the 2010 draft. In their previous eight tries picking 11th the 49ers have taken a pair of Hall of Famers and a handful of quality, long-time starters.
Here’s a look at the previous eight No. 11 picks by the 49ers:
1950: DL Leo Nomellini, Minnesota
The 49ers first crack at picking 11th couldn’t have gone much better. Nomellini was a six-time First-Team All-Pro and a 10-time Pro Bowler on his way to an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Nis No. 73 is retired by the 49ers.
1954: QB Bernie Faloney, Maryland
On paper this looks like a failed draft pick by the 49ers because Faloney never played a down for them. However, he wound up taking a contract with a Canadian team and went on to a Hall of Fame career in Canada. Faloney never played in the NFL.
1960: TE Monty Stickles, Notre Dame
Stickles didn’t make a Pro Bowl in his nine-year career, but he spent eight seasons in San Francisco and started 94 of the 102 games he played. The Notre Dame product caught 207 balls for 2,993 yards and 14 touchdowns during his tenure with the 49ers. He finished his career with one year with the New Orleans Saints.
1961: QB Billy Kilmer, UCLA
Kilmer carved out a nice 16-year career in the NFL. He spent his first five seasons with San Francisco and missed the entire 1963 campaign because of an injury. In five years with the 49ers he played in 39 games with 11 starts (one at quarterback) and split time between halfback and QB. Kilmer completed 40-of-77 throws for 653 yards with two touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also racked up 1,123 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 228 carries, and another 288 yards and one touchdown on 27 receptions. Kilmer left San Francisco to join the Saints for four seasons before landing with Washington where he spent his final eight seasons. He was top-five in MVP voting in 1971 as Washington’s starting QB, and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 1972 when he finished sixth in MVP voting.
1966: DE Stan Hindman, Mississppi
There may not be a more fascinating player on this list than Hindman. He died in 2020 and an obituary for him in Mississippi Today reads like a superhero comic. He played for seven years with San Francisco, missing the 1972 and 1973 seasons before playing one final season in 1974. Across his time with the 49ers, Hindman played in 76 games with 45 starts. He joined the 49ers as an offensive lineman, but switched to defensive end because of the team’s immediate needs. A knee injury derailed a stellar start to his career where he racked up 24.5 sacks in his first four years. He went on to receive a Masters degree in architecture from UCLA.
1967: OL Cas Banaszek, Northwestern
Banaszek never made a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro team, but he did play in 120 games with 112 starts across a decade with the 49ers. His career started with 114 starts in 112 games, including five seasons where he started all 14 games for San Francisco.
2007: LB Patrick Willis, Mississippi
It’s hard to hit a bigger home run than this in the first round. Willis played for eight years, earned seven Pro Bowl trips and five First-Team All-Pro nods and another Second-Team All-Pro. The 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. If the 49ers find a player as impactful as Willis in the first round this year, they’ll be in great shape.
2010: OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers
On paper the Davis pick wasn’t great. He played five seasons before stepping away from the NFL. Davis made a return in 2016 that lasted only one game. His career included 71 starts in 72 games, and he never made a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro team. However, Davis was a terrific player who started all 71 games he played as a pro before injuries cost him nine games in the 2015 season. He stepped away after that year and never got his career back on track. Davis had four-plus very good years for the 49ers, and for the time he played, was a quality pick at No. 11 overall.