The San Francisco 49ers' season has finally concluded. Some might describe that as a merciless conclusion to a pathetic, unending season of poor football.
Here are three takeaways from the 47-24 loss to conclude the season:
The first two picks looked great
If nothing else, this was a day that highlighted the 49ers' first two picks in Ricky Pearsall and Renardo Green. Pearsall had an unfortunate play at the end of the game with an interception from a Josh Dobbs overthrow in which he probably should have gotten a hand on the ball.
But outside of that, Pearsall had another excellent game. He made up for a terrible underthrow from Dobbs earlier that set up a score, and had a touchdown on a low crosser later in the game. He went for six catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Renardo Green was stellar, as he has been all year. He had at least three clear pass breakups and had a nice run stop on a Kyler Murray keeper. He looks like an upper echelon starting NFL corner. He left with a groin injury, but it's clear his spot on the 49ers and in the league is secure.
Jauan Jennings, the maniac
To play in the NFL, and to be great in the NFL, you need to be more than talented or smart. You have to be a little crazy. Jauan Jennings has that, and in combination with a relentless commitment to blocking, it leads to getting under the skin of defensive backs.
Last week, he pancaked a man through the back of the end zone. This week, he missed out on his first career 1,000-yard season because he blocked relentlessly. On back-to-back plays, Jennings' physicality resulted in two scuffles, both of which got him personal foul penalties that confounded Kyle Shanahan. Jennings finished with 975 yards on the season, with a seven-catch, 52-yard day.
Isaac Guerendo leads injuries to worry about
This is a game the 49ers, with nothing to play for, just wanted to get out of healthy. But on the first drive of the game, rookie running back Isaac Guerendo suffered a knee and ankle injury that forced a scream of agony that the broadcast could hear.
Guerendo was almost immediately ruled out with knee and ankle injuries. It looked like a significant injury, but Kyle Shanahan will provide updates later.
It's also worth keeping an eye on Malik Mustapha, who had a knee injury, Green, and Colton McKivitz who limped off. Talanoa Hufanga left the game with a concussion.
Draft seeding and a brighter future
The 49ers' five-game losing streak to end the season has secured them cause for optimism, in two forms. They will have a fourth-place schedule next year, and they'll pair that with stellar draft position in the 11th overall pick.
You can name an abundance of need for San Francisco, and that spot, in a draft stacked at defensive tackle, and viewed as good at edge and offensive tackle, there will be a premium opportunity to get an impact player.
The 49ers are projected, per OverTheCap's Nick Korte, to have roughly 10 picks in the upcoming draft, which would look a little like this:
1st round: 11th overall (own)
2nd round: 43rd overall (own)
3rd round: 75th overall (own), 99/100th overall (compensatory - DeMeco Ryans/Ran Carthon)
4th round: 111/112 overall (own), 137ish overall (compensatory - Chase Young)
5th round: NONE - Forfeited own pick (punishment for accounting error)
6th round: 185/186 overall (own)
7th round: 227ish (own), 249ish (compensatory - Clelin Ferrell), 254ish (compensatory - Ray-Ray McCloud)