Lynch's Masterful NFL Draft Moves

0:00On April 24th, John Lynch just schooled everyone in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft trading back twice with the 49ers and landing in a sweet spot without picking a soul. They shipped out their 27th overall pick and a later one to the Dolphins for the 30th and 90th picks then flipped to that 30th to the Jets for 33rd overall plus a 5th rounder. Straight value grab, no must have players at those spots. Now heading into Round 2 on Friday, the 9ers sit with 7 picks total up from 6 before the night started. That includes 33rd from the Jets trade, their own 58th in Round 2, 90th in Round 3 from Miami and a bunch in Round 4 and 5. All those rookie deals come cheap, saving them 6 million bucks on the top contract alone compared to sticking at 27. Fans are buzzing because Lynch flipped the script on cap space. The whole rookie class hits just 9.5 million against the cap next year, excluding bonuses.

1:00That's peanuts next to what the Cardinals are shelling for one running back. No surprise has got everybody hyped on the team's flexibility. Fresh mod drafts point to cornerbacks like Germain McCoy from Tennessee or Avion Terrell from Clemson at 33 plus safety's defensive. Tackles, linebackers, wide outs like Denzel Boston or Edge rushers such as TJ Parker. Stacked options if they stand pad. With Lynch wheeling and dealing like this, expect more moves on Night 2 to stack even deeper, keeping the 9ers primed for the long haul. NFL news today, powered by AI bringing you what matters on Game Day. I'm Cory with the story.