Back in January 2017, when the San Francisco 49ers hired John Lynch as general manager, the move felt like a head-scratcher. Lynch came straight from FOX Sports’ broadcast booth with no front-office experience. Still, as a former NFL player, he shared a vision with 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan to rebuild the franchise. But ever since Lynch arrived in San Francisco, he has stuck to a peculiar pattern that’s put the 49ers in a tough spot.

Over the last decade, the 49ers have stayed competitive, yet their draft record is sketchy. I am not saying that John Lynch should take complete responsibility for this, because he might not have final say in everything. But you see, Lynch’s opinion carries some weight in how the team goes about their way in the draft.

Heading into the 2026 draft, the 49ers’ many expected the team to pick talented offensive linemen. Last season, O-line played a major role in their postseason exit with a 41-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. In that Divisional Round game, quarterback Brock Purdy was pressured 19 times on 33 of his dropbacks, which exposed a big problem. Behind star OL Trent Williams, who is turning 38 this year, there is no one as good in the depth. But while we thought the 49ers’ top priority should be adding top offensive linemen in the draft, Lynch might not have been listening. At all.  

The 49ers entered the draft with six picks, traded down four times, and came away with eight players. They didn’t address this position until late in the fourth round. What’s worse is that NFL analysts and fans widely believed that the 49ers reached on multiple selections. During a post-draft press conference, a reporter even grilled Lynch on this exact issue. But Lynch just frowned and declared that he only cares about the 49ers’ internal consensus with each draft pick. 

“Well, I appreciate that you think that; it depends on whose consensus,” Lynch told the reporter. “We’ve got consensus in this building. That’s the consensus I care about.”

NFL.com’s Chris Reuter is probably the only analyst who gave an ‘A’ grade for their 2026 draft class, albeit in the negative. The popular verdict is that this group of rookies is only average. Yet, head coach Kyle Shanahan stood firmly behind the 49ers’ draft process.

“I think that was one of the coolest things with this draft, just so you don’t reach on somebody,” Shanahan said to the reporters. “If there’s somebody you know you are going to take at that spot, and your consensus and all of your homework from around the league, not necessarily Twitter, media stuff.”

Before the 2025 NFL Draft, Lynch had already explained the 49ers’ collaborative draft process. Like every NFL team, the 49ers grade each player available in the draft. Then Lynch talks to Shanahan and the 49ers’ CEO, Jed York, to figure out what they want out of the draft. After that, Lynch takes it to the 49ers’ front office, and they lean heavily on scouts to finalize the draft selections. The process sounds thorough, but why are we not seeing the results of it?

Ignoring outside consensus can work, but only if the results back it up. Right now, they don’t for the 49ers. In the Draft Capital Over Expectations’ latest rankings, the 49ers rank 32nd in the NFL. This is just one of those metrics that labelled the 49ers as ‘the worst drafting NFL team.’ I think the biggest reason behind that is reaching. 

More picks felt like reaches than steals

In the NFL Draft, a ‘reach’ happens when a team selects a player significantly earlier than expected. NFL teams often reach when they prioritize need over best available talent. Sometimes reaching pays off, but more often, it backfires. And this year, John Lynch rolled the dice more than once.

First, the 49ers drafted wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling with the No. 33 overall pick, even though the Consensus Big Board ranked him at No. 91. For the next 20-30 picks after Stribling, other NFL teams selected players ranked ahead of him. San Francisco could have traded down and still landed Stribling to address their need at wideout. Instead, Stribling became the sixth receiver off the board when higher-ranked WR options were still available.

“He [Stribling] was No. 73 on my board, and the No. 12 wideout,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. wrote. “Denzel Boston? Germie Bernard? Antonio Williams? I had a half-dozen receivers who made more sense in that spot.”

After playing five years of college football, Stribling has the experience to contribute to the 49ers’ offense. Last season at Ole Miss, he recorded 811 yards and 6 touchdowns on 55 catches. At the NFL Combine, he also ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash. But even at his best, Stribling might not become Brock Purdy’s go-to target like Ricky Pearsall, Mike Evans, or Christian Kirk.

More importantly, was WR even the biggest need for the 49ers at this point in the draft? The edge rusher position arguably carried more urgency. And at No. 33 pick, edge rushers like T.J. Parker and Cashius Howell remained available. Still, the 49ers waited and drafted edge rusher Romello Height at No. 70 overall in the third round. 

Then came another surprising move when the 49ers drafted running back Kaelon Black with the No. 90 overall pick, despite the Consensus Big Board ranking him at 197th overall. Black was the third RB picked in the draft after Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, but he was the No.2 back on the 49ers’ draft board.

“That’s just our evaluation of him,” Shanahan said after the draft on The Rich Eisen Show. “Right or wrong, that’s our evaluation.”

Last season at Indiana, Black rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns. But he didn’t start a game and offered little as a pass catcher – just 36 yards on four receptions. If the goal was to reduce RB Christian McCaffrey’s workload, shouldn’t the 49ers have targeted a more versatile back? He is a good talent, sure, but this can turn out to be a hit-and-miss for the 49ers.

Even at the No. 90 pick, better RB options like Mike Washington and Nicholas Singleton were available. With the same pick, the 49ers could’ve also taken a good cornerback or defensive tackle, and it would’ve made more sense fit-wise. But they didn’t, which further highlighted a long-term issue in the 49ers’ draft process. 

This has been a pattern for years 

In the John Lynch era, the 49ers have consistently drafted players 50-100 spots earlier than projected on the Consensus Big Board. But that approach has failed to deliver the best results in many cases. The biggest example is quarterback Trey Lance.

Lynch traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to select Lance third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But Lance had played just 19 college games and wasn’t even a consensus top-five lock. But Lynch was sold on Lance’s growth trajectory. And the result was an NFL QB who made just four starts for the 49ers before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys.

A year before the Lance, there was Javon Kinlaw. The 49ers drafted him with the No. 14 overall pick to replace defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. But Kinlaw tallied just 5 sacks in four seasons before leaving the 49ers in free agency.

Go back a bit further, and you’ll find a similar case with defensive end Solomon Thomas. The 49ers selected him third overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. At that time, Solomon was widely projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick, but he was selected when players like Patrick Mahomes and T.J. Watt were still on the board. Thomas then recorded just 6 sacks over four seasons before leaving San Francisco. Moreover, imagine fumbling an opportunity to draft Mahomes of all players.

Oh, and let’s not forget the 49ers’ multiple mid-round picks that also failed to give meaningful returns. Jake Moody, Joe Williams, Tyrion Davis-Price, Nick Martin, and Cameron Latu are only some of those names at the top of that list in recent years. 

It’s clear that the 49ers’ latest draft reaches are part of an unresolved strategy that has developed over time. But here’s the catch: despite years of questionable draft returns, the franchise hasn’t paid the full price one might expect. And that, more than anything, has quietly swept the real problem under the rug.

Winning some games has hidden the draft issue

When John Lynch joined the 49ers, he inherited a 2-14 team. But since then, the 49ers have won two NFC West titles, reached four NFC Championship Games, and made two Super Bowl appearances. The Faithful argue: ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’ But dig a little deeper, and you will see that the team’s wins have come despite Lynch’s draft plans.

In the last few years, the Niners’ biggest contributors to wins didn’t come from top draft decisions. Brock Purdy, in particular, was labeled ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ when the 49ers selected him with their last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. But he turned out to be a miracle find. In over four seasons with the Niners, Purdy has 11,685 yards, 84 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions. 

As for Christian McCaffrey, he arrived in San Francisco via trade in 2022. Since then, he has started 47 games for the 49ers, recording 3,609 rushing yards and 30 TDs, along with 2,098 receiving yards and 18 TDs. He has developed into Purdy’s top offensive weapon. 

Meanwhile, All-Pro tackle Trent Williams has also become the 49ers’ best OL piece since they acquired him via trade from the Washington Commanders back in 2020. But John Lynch cannot exactly take the credit for the success with all these players. 

“He [Lynch] got Trent because Dan Snyder (Commanders’ owner) pissed him off,” NFL analyst Warren Sharp wrote last week. “CMC was a trade, and Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant, but after the draft, Lynch gave the credit to the Purdy pick to Brian Griese and scout Steve Slowik.”

Another big factor that’s kept the 49ers competitive is Kyle Shanahan’s system. Despite injuries and constant roster turnover, Shanahan has been successful in utilizing the 49ers’ roster talent. Shanahan has done well with his adaptable schemes over the past nine years, leading the 49ers to an 82-67 overall regular-season record. But to take it to the next level, the Niners cannot just depend on him. 

Better drafting could make true contenders

Ever wondered why, over the last few years, the 49ers’ roster has been aging and dealing with multiple injuries? Last season, the 49ers dealt with injuries to their key starters such as Purdy, George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall, and Fred Warner. The backups helped hold the fort down and take the Niners to a 12-5 record. But when they reached the playoffs, the injuries finally caught up. Their Super Bowl hopes were crushed once again. 

Twice in the John Lynch era, the 49ers have come very close to lifting the Lombardi Trophy, but something has held them back each time. In Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs, the 49ers’ fourth-quarter collapse led to their 31-20 defeat. In 2024, the 49ers lost another Super Bowl against the Chiefs when they failed to stop QB Patrick Mahomes from scoring in the final seconds of overtime. Managing situations in clutch moments is not everyone’s strength on the roster.

The Niners’ last Super Bowl win came in 1995. This championship drought now feels like a weight on the franchise. And if we’re being honest, the 49ers’ draft process has played a big part in it. John Lynch’s tendency to ignore outside consensus has limited the Niners’ ability to inject young, dynamic talent into their roster. 

The Consensus Big Board isn’t perfect, but it usually points NFL teams in the right direction. But it looks like San Francisco wants to keep swimming against the tide?

If John Lynch and the 49ers’ front office are willing to listen to outside consensus, even a tiny bit, you can bet that it would make a huge difference. It’s simply about finding that balance, and the Niners could finally reach championship level.