The San Francisco 49ers just used a fourth-round pick to select Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky in the 2019 NFL Draft, which might force some Niners fans to remember when former general manager Trent Baalke did something similar back in 2015.
There's a good chance few San Francisco 49ers and pundits will feel pretty good about general manager John Lynch and his staff using a Round 4 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on a punter, Utah's Mitch Wishnowsky.
What was @MitchWish's reaction to the news? An inside look at the emotional call with the 110th overall pick.
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— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) April 27, 2019
But that's what happened, and at least Lynch can feel somewhat happy about moving down in a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, going from pick Nos. 104 to 110 and netting two additional sixth rounders in the process. So, at least the deal is maximized to a point.
Still, it's hard to avoid memories of the 2015 NFL Draft, when then-general manager Trent Baalke used a fifth-round pick on former Clemson punter Bradley Pinion, who was selected at No. 165 overall. Pinion was the first specialist selected and ended up going to San Francisco at a time where the Niners were undergoing a massive roster transformation after a slew of player departures following 2014.
Needless to say, Baalke didn't exactly get a lot of praise from using a fifth rounder on Pinion, especially in the wake of perennial Pro Bowler Andy Lee.
Pinion's departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency this offseason is one of the primary reasons the 49ers selected Wishnowsky, of course, both because they have a punter void and also need someone to handle kickoff duties.
Wishnowsky can do both. Yet that doesn't mean the thought of using yet another day-three NFL Draft pick will frustrate some Niners fans. OK, maybe quite a few of them.
Perhaps San Francisco's newest punter will enjoy a bit more success than his predecessor. That might make the pick a little better over time.
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Written by:Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
