San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to the media Monday afternoon in his annual press conference ahead of the NFL Draft. As you might expect, he was ambushed with questions about Brandon Aiyuk.
But we’ll focus on the prospects in the NFL Draft. Lynch mentioned the team has around 170 draftable players. Lynch said 83 players had a 50 percent chance of entering the draft all returned to school. Of those 83 draftable players, 35 were “starter-level” grades.
Of the 170 draftable players who did enter the NFL Draft, Lynch said 22 of those players have first-round grades. He admitted that the later rounds are going to be weaker, which could be him telling us the 49ers will use those picks to move up in the draft.
Here’s a look at the current draft picks the 49ers own:
Round 1: No. 31
Round 2: No. 63
Round 3: No. 94
Round 4: No. 124 (from DAL)
Round 4: No. 132 (Compensatory)
Round 4: No. 135
Round 5: No. 176 (Compensatory)
Round 6: No. 211 (Compensatory)
Round 6: No. 215 (Compensatory)
Round 7: No. 251
No. 176 and on could be used for trades, although those would be considered “throw-in” picks as opposed to picks that move the needle.
The first-round scenario is fascinating, as the players the 49ers have graded in the first round do not necessarily mean that other teams feel the same way. A player taken at No. 19 overall could be No. 37 on the Niners board.
Then again, by the time No. 31 comes around, all of their first-round grades may be long gone. So, the door is open for the Niners to move into the teens to ensure they get their guy or trade out of the first round, get an extra pick or two, and address multiple needs, knowing the value is in the middle rounds of this draft.