Lynch & Shanahan's 49ers Draft: Hits & Misses

0:00On April 2nd, 10 years ago, the San Francisco 49ers brought in John Lynch as general manager and Kyle Shanahan as head coach right before the 2017 season. Their mission was to turn around the franchise, and they've delivered big time to Super Bowl appearances, four NFC championship games, and nine playoff wins. They've built this squad smart, mixing sharp draft picks with key veteran signings to create contenders. Diving into their first round choices, they've landed stars like Nick Bosa at pick two in 2019 and Brandon Ayuk later on, giving them elite edge rush and receiving threats. But not every swing connected, trade lands at pick three in 2021 stands out as a massive whiff, especially after trading future picks, and then snagging Brock Purdy in the seventh round two years later. Fans and analysts rave about the mid-round steals that changed everything, like Fred Warner in the third round of 2018, now the NFL's top. Linebacker or George Kittle in the fifth that same year, the best tied in to round.

1:04These gems have fueled pro-bowls and all pro-nots, proving the duo's eye for value beyond the top spots. Deeper into rounds four through seven, they bunk covered more contributors like Elijah Mitchell, Drake Greenlaw, and Joanne Jennings, but misses pile up. Two guys like Jalen Hurd and Drake Jackson, who barely made a den due to injuries or underperformance, critics point to odd reaches on punters and kickers as head scratchers. Overall, Lynch and Shanahan's draft track record shows savvy talent hunting that's kept the 49ers in title hunts, blending home runs with. Lessons learned to stay ahead in a tough league. NFL news today, powered by AI bringing you what matters on game day.