The San Francisco 49ers' season has reached a point few, not least anybody inside the building, thought it would heading into Week 14.

Yes, the Niners still hold slim playoff hopes but, following a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills that dropped San Francisco to 5-7, it's officially past time to talk about their draft position.

Per Tankathon, the 49ers would be slated to pick 14th overall if the season ended today.

While San Francisco will continue to fight to keep its playoff hopes intact, there will be many increasingly interested in how high of a pick the 49ers could land in 2025.

In a three-way tie for a 5-7 record with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins and only a game ahead of three teams with a 4-8 record, the 49ers' draft position could soon get much better.

San Francisco faces one of those 4-8 teams, the Chicago Bears, in Week 14, and will take on the Dolphins on the road in Week 16, games sandwiched by a primetime Thursday meeting with the Los Angeles Rams. As such, they could leapfrog both these teams in the draft order with defeats.

The Niners obviously hold no interest in losing for draft position but, as the reality of a hugely disappointing season sets in, one of the main reasons for solace is that they could leave the campaign with a top-15 pick. 

Should they do so, it would be the first time the 49ers have been in such a position since 2021, when they committed arguably their greatest ever draft mistake.

San Francisco held the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft, but traded it, along with first-rounders in 2022 and 2023, to the Dolphins to move up to the third overall pick and take quarterback Trey Lance.

Lance, mainly due to injury, started just four games in two seasons for the 49ers before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

Had the 49ers stayed at 12, they could have selected defensive end Micah Parsons, who went to the Cowboys with that pick after Dallas traded with the Dolphins, and had him form a devastating duo with Nick Bosa. Rashawn Slater would also have been a compelling option as a long-term starting tackle across from Trent Williams. Slater went 13th overall to the Los Angeles Chargers. 

On top of that, the 49ers would have had their firsts in 2022 and 2023 to build out a roster that has looked increasingly top heavy, especially this season as injuries have hit San Francisco hard.

Nothing can get those picks back for the 49ers, but a top-12 selection would give them the opportunity to make amends for the folly of the Lance trade. The 49ers will do their utmost to ensure they are in the playoffs and picking a lot later in the first round, but right now everything is trending towards San Francisco having the chance to take one of the best players in the draft.

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