2017 seems like an eternity ago for San Francisco 49ers fans, notably only because it was the first year in which head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over the franchise.
Lynch’s final pick in that year’s controversial class was a little-known edge defender, Pita Taumoepenu, who was selected in Round 7 out of Utah. Seen as raw and in need of a lot of refinement, the 6-foot-1 and 245-pound defender managed to appear in six games with the Niners over his first two seasons, regularly bouncing off the regular-season roster and the practice squad during that span before in-game stints with both the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos in the years that followed.
Ultimately, Taumoepenu’s NFL career didn’t amount to much.
But, that hasn’t been the case in football’s B-league, the UFL.
Pita Taumoepenu making a name for himself in UFL
Having spent the last two seasons with the St. Louis Battlehawks, Taumoepenu is notching up sack totals and recently received a nomination to the All-UFL Team for his efforts.
Taumoepenu joins former San Francisco defensive back Leon O’Neal Jr. on that list, too.
As for the pass-rusher, Taumoepenu led the UFL with 7.5 sacks over the course of nine games played in 2025, a big reason why the Battlehawks will square off against the D.C. Defenders in the XFL Conference Championship game this upcoming weekend.
It’s a great niche for Tamoepenu, who might opt to stay put in the UFL as a standout. Or, in a best-case scenario, use the experience as a means to attempt a return back into the NFL ranks at some point in his career.
At 31 years old, the latter seems unlikely. But, it’s true some players just need some further polish and development, and perhaps there’s an NFL squad out there that’s liking what it sees out of San Francisco’s former day-three draftee.
Hat tip to Kyle Madson of Niners Wire for the find.
