The 49ers officially will select No. 11 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, a good omen given the history of blue-chip difference makers who historically have been taken at that spot.

San Francisco already has struck gold at No. 11, drafting Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis with that selection in 2007.

The 49ers also landed a key contributor from the No. 11 spot in the 2011 draft, selecting offensive lineman Anthony Davis. The Rutgers product served as San Francisco’s starting right tackle during a renaissance period that saw the franchise reach at least the NFC Championship Game for three consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2013. 

However, the 49ers aren’t the only team who has found good fortunes with the No. 11 overall pick, as three players selected in that spot since 2002 have gone on to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

That doesn’t include two more likely first-ballot inductees in former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and perennial All-Pro defensive lineman J.J. Watt, who are sure to be immortalized in Canton when they’re eligible.

Nearly half of the players selected No. 11 overall since 2001 have gone on to become Pro Bowl players, with five of them earning multiple First-Team All-Pro selections during their NFL careers.

Here are some notable players taken with the No. 11 overall pick since 2000:

Freeney spent 16 years in the NFL, earning seven Pro Bowl selections and three First-Team All-Pro selections while serving as a key cog of the Indianapolis Colts’ Super Bowl XLI win.

Roethlisberger spent his entire 18-year NFL career with the Steelers, winning two Super Bowls and earning six Pro Bowl selections while throwing for 64,088 yards — the fifth-most in NFL history.

Ware widely is regarded as one of the best pass rushers in NFL history, earning four First-Team All-Pro selections and nine Pro Bowl nods during his 12-year career. Ware helped lead the Denver Broncos to a win in Super Bowl 50 and was inducted in the Hall of Fame in the class of 2023.

A polarizing figure, Cutler was a gunslinging quarterback who carved out a nice 12-year career, starting over 153 games combnined for the Broncos, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. He also earned Pro Bowl honors in 2008.

A player that needs no introduction, Willis spent his entire eight-year career with the 49ers, where he was one of the NFL’s best defensive players year in and year out. Willis earned five First-Team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl nods, rightfully taking his place among the game’s immortals after being enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2024.

In a draft loaded with superstars, Watt arguably shone the brightest. Bursting on the scene early in his career, Watt earned three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards to go along with five First-Team All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl nods. Simply put, one of the most dominant players the NFL has ever seen at his peak.

Lattimore made an immediate impact upon entering the league, earning Pro Bowl and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors while starring for the New Orleans Saints’ secondary. Lattimore has earned four Pro Bowl selections in his eight-year career and spent a considerable amount of time being viewed as one of the NFL’s top defensive backs.

Originally drafted by the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick truly hit his stride after being traded to the Steelers in his second season. Since then, the talented defensive back has gone on to earn three First-Team All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl nods and still is viewed among the league’s best safeties in his seventh season.

While every draft class is different, the historical success of the No. 11 spot offers some optimism for the 49ers as they attempt to restock their roster for a bounce-back season in 2025.

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SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco police are investigating a shooting near a homeless shelter that left a person with life-threatening injuries Saturday evening.

Police said the shooting occurred in the 500 block of Fifth Street. They responded to the area around 6:30 p.m. There, they found the victim with gunshot wounds. 

They took the victim to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

While at the scene, 29-year-old Taylor Reed approached officers, police said. Officials said the officers had probable cause to arrest Reed for the incident.

Charges are still pending, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Reed remains in the San Francisco County Jail. 

Eli Gelardin, the longtime head of the Marin Center for Independent Living, has accepted an offer to lead the Mayor’s Office on Disability in San Francisco.

Gelardin, a longtime Marin disability rights advocate who led the center for 17 years, is set to start the new job on Jan. 6.

“It’s been an honor to work with a community that celebrates disabled joy and values lived experience,” Gelardin said. “Our collective efforts have always been about more than services — they’re about building a world where disabled lives are truly valued.”

Susan Malardino, the organization’s deputy director, will run it during the search for Gelardin’s replacement. The San Rafael organization offers social services and other resources to people with disabilities in Marin.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed and City Administrator Carmen Chu announced Gelardin’s appointment on Dec. 18.

“We must continue to advocate for and protect our most vulnerable populations, and under Eli’s leadership the office will continue to work to ensure people with disabilities of all ages can live healthy, empowered lives in San Francisco,” Breed said.

Gelardin will oversee Americans with Disabilities Act implementation in city departments and programs. The position also provides guidance to the mayor’s office, the Board of Supervisors and other city departments on issues related to disabled people.

The Office on Disability staffs the Disability Council, which provides a public forum for policy.

“I look forward to working with him on our city’s efforts to make every service, program and space accessible to people with disabilities,” Chu said.

Gelardin has achondropolasia, a form of dwarfism. He was born in Boston and moved to Ross with his family when he was 7.

Gelardin graduated from Redwood High School in 1997 and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley in 2002.

He joined the Marin Center for Independent Living in 2003 and became executive director in 2008.

In August, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Gelardin to serve on the California State Rehabilitation Council. It advises the California Department of Rehabilitation on employment and independent living programs for people with disabilities.

Gelardin’s work as head of the Marin Center for Independent Living has been lauded.

Lee Uniacke, a member of the board, said, “Eli’s made sure that our community has a seat at the table in every state and regional coalition of consequence. He’s a natural leader who people enjoy working with.”

The center was founded by a group of volunteers in 1979 and established as a nonprofit organization in 1980. It is the leading disability rights organization in Marin and has an annual budget of about $2.1 million.