Every position and roster spot on an NFL roster is important. While a case could be made that quarterback is still by far the most valuable position in football, it takes all 53 members on the roster to build a winning team. The San Francisco 49ers know this as well as anyone else.
Still, to some, it came as a bit of a surprise when general manager John Lynch drafted a kicker with the 49ers’ second pick, which came in the third round at No. 99 overall. It’s not like the 49ers didn’t have a need, with Robbie Gould now 40 years old and dipping in accuracy over the past four seasons. We also can’t act like the player they selected, Michigan’s Jake Moody, isn’t a top-ranked kicker prospect who should have no trouble finding success at the next level, kicking in the Bay Area.
Yet, the pick was still a surprise due to when it occurred. Consider that the last time a kicker was selected earlier than the 99th pick came back in 2016 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers plucked Roberto Aguayo with the 59th pick, and it’s not hard to see why the 49ers’ decision was a mild shock.
Moody instantly became the sixth-highest drafted kicker since 2000, when the Las Vegas Raiders boldly made Sebastian Janikowski the 17th overall pick in the first round.
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But, there was a reason for the 49ers striking when they did, with GM John Lynch seemingly having a strong feel for how the draft board would go. According to the 49ers’ top decision-maker, several other teams had their eye on selecting Moody in that same draft range and even reached out to say the 49ers foiled their plans.
“I can tell you, since then, that a lot of teams have called and said, you know, shortly thereafter they were going there. And in fact, teams tried to trade up to get in front of us. So, something we feel really good about. Time will tell, as it will with all these guys. But we think he has the makings of a really cornerstone, foundational-type player for years to come for us, and we’re proud to have him a part of us.”
San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch on Jake Moody draft selection
There you have it. Perhaps if the 49ers hadn’t acted when they did, Moody wouldn’t have been available when San Francisco was on the clock again. Especially considering the New England Patriots made Maryland’s Chad Ryland the 112th overall pick just 13 selections later. Who knows, maybe Bill Belichick was one of the roster-builders who became miffed by missing out on the top kicker on many draft boards.
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