49ers' brutal Week 1 statistic highlights how bad their recent draft classes have been

The San Francisco 49ers are facing a challenging Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams with a number of their key players sidelined due to injury. One of the most stark statistics highlighting the team's recent draft struggles was shared by Renardo Green of The Associated Press. From 2020 through 2025, the 49ers will only have one player drafted in the first two rounds active for the season opener, with Alfred Collins the sole exception.

This means they will be without all but one of their first- and second-round picks in this Week 1 game against the NFC West rivals. Rookie Mykel Williams, taken in the first round of the 2025 draft, will miss at least four games due to injury. Quarterback Collins, the team's second-round pick, is out for the entire 2026 season. Other notable absences include first-rounders Ricky Pearsall and Drake Jackson, with Pearsall missing the whole 2026 season and Jackson no longer with the team five years after being drafted.

Looking back at previous draft classes, the 49ers have been severely lacking in first- and second-round talent. As of now, Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel are the only players drafted in the first or second rounds in the last seven years, not including this year's draft class, that will be active in Week 1 outside of Green. This emphasizes the dire state of the 49ers' draft strategy and the impact of injuries on their roster.