The 49ers’ 2021 draft class was always going to be a massive turning point for the franchise. At first it was quarterback Trey Lance and three first-round picks it took to acquire him that would appear to define the next decade or so of football in San Francisco. Now as Lance watches from the sidelines with an ankle injury, it’s the rest of the draft class that will be front and center when the 49ers visit the Panthers on Sunday.
Almost every player from last year’s class will have some kind of role in Carolina, and that group’s success could widen the margin of error for Lance and the front office. If the non-Lance picks can churn out a couple of quality starters and a couple of depth pieces, the 49ers can still contend immediately and in the long term even if Lance doesn’t reach his ceiling.
Let’s take a look back at the 2021 class and what Week 5 means for them:
Round 1, Pick 3 | QB Trey Lance
Lance will not be playing for the rest of the year because of his ankle injury. He won’t travel for the team’s two-week East Coast stay because of how recently he had surgery on his ankle.
Round 2, Pick 48 | OL Aaron Banks
Banks got off to a rocky start to his career and played just five garbage time snaps on offense his first year. This season has been a different story, and after some preseason struggles he’s quietly plugged away as a starting-caliber left guard. He’ll be the starter there again Sunday and looking for a bounce-back showing after a tough Monday night game vs. the Rams.
Round 3, Pick 88 | RB Trey Sermon
Philadelphia Eagles legend.
Round 3, Pick 102 | CB Ambry Thomas
Thomas contributed a lot in Year 1 and played well enough down the stretch that it looked like he might carve out a starting role this season. He’s mostly been relegated to special teams though and Jason Verrett’s return could push him further down the depth chart. Expect to only see Thomas on special teams again Sunday.
Round 5, Pick 155 | OL Jaylon Moore
Two weeks ago Moore was the third-string left tackle. Sunday afternoon he’ll be the starter though thanks to a couple injuries ahead of him on the depth chart. Sunday will mark Moore’s first start and if he acquits himself well during this stint he could become a viable long-term option on the offensive line for the 49ers.
Round 5, Pick 172 | CB Deommodore Lenoir
Lenoir struggled in his first season while seeing time at outside cornerback, but in Week 3 of this year he was inserted as the starting nickel. He played well in Weeks 3 and 4 and now looks primed to be the 49ers’ starting nickel CB for the foreseeable future.
Round 5, Pick 180 | S Talanoa Hufanga
Hufanga was mostly a special teams player in Year 1, but he did see a little time on defense. Now he looks like a budding superstar as San Francisco’s strong safety. He has two interceptions, one of which he returned for a game-sealing touchdown against the Rams, and he tipped another throw that was intercepted by fellow safety Tashaun Gipson. Hufanga is electric and looks like another fifth-round steal.
Round 6, Pick 194 | RB Elijah Mitchell
A knee injury will have Mitchell sidelined for Week 5, but he’s the team’s starting running back and their best player at the position by a significant margin. He was a steal last season when he rushed for 963 yards in just 11 games. Mitchell could catalyze a playoff run if he’s back and healthy for San Francisco by the middle of the season.
