No reason to worry about John Lynch’s inexperience
Lynch was an absolute master moving up and down the draft board in his first experience as an NFL GM during the event. It started with his 49ers trading down one spot, from No. 2 overall to the third pick. In the process, San Francisco picked up a third-round pick and fourth-round pick this year as well as a third-round pick next year. Talk about hitting gold.
Interestingly enough, San Francisco ended up selecting the player it was going to pick with that second selection. It came in the form of Stanford defensive lineman and former Lynch classmate Solomon Thomas, one of the top-rated overall players in the draft.
Then, as the NFL world watched former Alabama All-American linebacker Reuben Foster tumble on Day 1, San Francisco used the fourth it acquired from Chicago to move up into the bottom of Round 1 for Foster. Prior to an incident at the combine and a diluted urine sample, Foster was considered the second-best defensive player in the draft behind Myles Garrett.
These two players add to a defensive front seven that already boasts talented youngsters DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead as well as All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman. Talk about expediting the rebuild process.
Without a second-round pick after moving that in the trade up for Foster, San Francisco then dealt the third-round pick it acquired in the Bears trade to New Orleans for the Saints’ seventh-round pick in 2017 and second-round pick in 2018. It was one of six trades Lynch made in his first draft as the team’s GM.
Despite reaching for former Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard in the third round, the 49ers were able to add talent to their skill-position group. They picked up running back Joe Williams in the fourth round and tight end George Kittle in the fifth round. Both boast tremendous upside as core players on a talent-stricken 49ers offense. Oh, did we mention San Francisco also swung a deal for Denver Broncos running back Kapri Bibbs?
We can’t say for sure that the 49ers’ draft class will be among the best in the NFL. What we do know is that Lynch was definitely not in over his head in his first draft as a GM. That has to be music to the ears of 49ers fans the world over.