49ers’ drafting for future has produced bleak present

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In April 2013, the 49ers were coming off a Super Bowl appearance and entering the NFL draft with flexibility.

Thanks to their loaded roster, general manager Trent Baalke could draft with an eye to the future instead of addressing a host of pressing needs.

“The teams that have been successful,” Baalke said at the time, “are drafting for needs a year or two ahead of time.”

That’s what Baalke did after using his first-round pick on LSU’s Eric Reid, who immediately replaced Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson.

With Baalke’s next three picks, two in the second round, he selected men at positions filled by older players: tight end Vance McDonald (Vernon Davis was 29), defensive tackle Tank Carradine (Justin Smith was 34) and third-round outside linebacker Corey Lemonier (Ahmad Brooks was 29).

Thirty months later, that trio had an opportunity to thrive Sunday in a 30-27 loss to the Giants, with Davis and Brooks inactive and Smith retired. Instead, the three continued underwhelming openings to their careers: McDonald (14 career catches) started and had two catches for 9 yards. Lemonier (one career sack) made his first start and didn’t produce a tackle or quarterback pressure in 29 snaps. Carradine (four career sacks) had one assist and played only 10 snaps.

However, those recent draft picks aren’t alone, and they illustrate an issue that has been evident during a 1-4 start: The 49ers haven’t received the impact they envisioned from many of their high-end selections, some of whom had opportunities to assume bigger roles after the offseason exits of several starters.

Consider: Just three of the 22 players they’ve selected in the first four rounds since 2012 are starters — Reid, running back Carlos Hyde, center Marcus Martin — and Martin is subbing for injured starter Daniel Kilgore.

Of those 22 players, 16 are on the 53-man roster and 12 have played fewer than 36 percent of the offensive or defensive snaps this season, although roles for rookies such as defensive tackle Arik Armstead, safety Jasquiski Tartt and outside linebacker Eli Harold could increase steadily.

Corey Lemonier (96) made his first start Sunday against Eli Manning and the Giants. Lemonier didn’t record a tackle. Corey Lemonier (96) made his first start Sunday against Eli Manning and the Giants. Lemonier didn’t record a tackle. Photo: Seth Wenig, Associated Press Photo: Seth Wenig, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 49ers’ drafting for future has produced bleak present 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The 49ers have allowed the fourth-most sacks in the NFL, rank 30th in passing defense and have just four sacks in their four-game losing streak. And the smaller-than-expected contributions from several recent draft picks help explain some of those numbers:

•Guard Brandon Thomas. The 2014 third-round pick had a chance to start when Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati signed with the Cardinals in March, but Thomas has been active for one game, hasn’t played a snap and is behind recently promoted practice-squad guard Andrew Tiller on the depth chart.

•Cornerback Jimmie Ward. The 2014 first-round pick didn’t re-assume the nickel role he had as a rookie until Week 4. Ward played just 41 of 133 snaps when the 49ers surrendered 676 passing yards and five touchdowns in blowout losses at Pittsburgh and Arizona.

•Lemonier and Carradine. Lemonier hasn’t helped offset the loss of Aldon Smith, whose release in August likely kept Lemonier on the roster. Lemonier, a healthy scratch in the first two games, has five tackles in 67 snaps. Similarly, the release of Ray McDonald in December and Smith’s retirement created starting spots that Carradine (12 tackles, one sack) hasn’t filled while averaging 19.6 snaps a game.

Why hasn’t Carradine, the 40th pick in 2013, emerged? It’s possible partly because of knee issues, a theme among Baalke’s recent draft picks. Carradine and Thomas didn’t play in their first NFL seasons because of torn ACLs they sustained before they drafted. Carradine required a second procedure after the 2013 season. In addition, a major knee injury forced running back Marcus Lattimore (fourth round, 2013) to retire last year without playing a snap.

The 49ers don’t have a player on the roster from their seven-man 2012 draft, but it should be mentioned that Baalke’s recent drafts include some success. Most notably, the 49ers have three late-round picks who are starters: defensive tackle Quinton Dial (fifth round, 2013) outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (fifth round, 2014) and cornerback Kenneth Acker (sixth round, 2014).

Baalke also found a third-round gem in 2014 when he selected inside linebacker Chris Borland, who retired in March after he had a team-high 108 tackles as a rookie.

Given the health issues that sidelined inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman in 2014 and forced Patrick Willis’ retirement in March, Baalke selected Borland with a future need in mind. Similarly, he also selected running back Carlos Hyde in the second round that year because he anticipated the exit of an older player.

After serving as Frank Gore’s understudy last year, Hyde was ready to take the job when Gore signed with the Colts in March. Hyde, 24, who ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing, counts $837,000 against the salary cap this season. Gore, 32, who ranks 12th in rushing, has a $4.5 million cap figure.

As Baalke knows, the selection of Hyde illustrates how successful teams do it in the draft.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, Baalke hasn’t done it enough.

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch

Drafting results

The 49ers have selected 22 players in the first four rounds since 2012, and six are not on the 53-man roster. WR A.J. Jenkins was traded, RB LaMike James and G Joe Looney were released; LB Chris Borland and RB Marcus Lattimore retired, and rookie WR DeAndre Smelter is sidelined this season with an injury he sustained in college. Here’s a look at this season’s snap counts for the other 16 players:

Defense (343 snaps)

S Eric Reid: 330*

CB Jimmie Ward: 194

DT Tank Carradine: 98

S Jaquiski Tartt: 81

DT Arik Armstead: 79

OLB Eli Harold: 69

CB Dontae Johnson: 57

* Starter (Martin is replacing injured starter Daniel Kilgore)

Offense (333 snaps)

C Marcus Martin: 333*

RB Carlos Hyde: 227*

WR Quinton Patton: 118

TE Vance McDonald: 108

RB Mike Davis: 61

TE Blake Bell: 60

WR Bruce Ellington: 8

G Brandon Thomas: 0