When discussing the biggest draft mistakes in San Francisco 49ers history, one recent move often comes to mind. In 2021, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan made a blockbuster trade, surrendering multiple first-round picks to move up to No. 3 overall.
The 49ers selected quarterback Trey Lance, who ultimately started just four games before being traded after the 2022 season.
However, CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo identified a different moment as the franchise's biggest draft do-over—and it goes back more than two decades.
DeArdo points to the 2000 NFL Draft, when the 49ers selected quarterback Giovanni Carmazzi with the No. 65 overall pick. Carmazzi never appeared in a regular-season NFL game.
San Francisco did take another quarterback in that draft—Tim Rattay in the seventh round—who went on to start 16 games for the team, winning four, according to Pro Football Reference.
So why does this decision outweigh the Lance trade, given the draft capital involved?
According to DeArdo, it's about who the 49ers passed on.
"The 49ers did not, however, select Tom Brady, the seventh quarterback and 199th player selected," DeArdo wrote. "A California native who grew up idolizing Joe Montana, Brady likely would have added to the 49ers' Super Bowl collection while following in Joe Cool's footsteps."
Of course, the 49ers weren't alone in overlooking Brady. Every team passed on the future Hall of Famer multiple times, including the New England Patriots, who passed on him six times before selecting him in the sixth round.
Still, missing on a franchise quarterback while passing on arguably the greatest player in NFL history makes the 2000 draft the most significant 49ers misstep in DeArdo's view.
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