Niners forced to defend draft strategy as reporter praised for asking tough question over ‘reaches’

Some of the San Francisco 49ers draft decisions raised eyebrows.

The 49ers selected a wide receiver and running back in the second and third round respectively, not exactly their biggest needs.

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They have Christian McCaffery, and spent a decent amount of money in free agency on Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike Evans and Christian Kirk.

It seems that the 49ers front office are prioritising the short term over the long term. 

Their pressing needs weren’t addressed with higher picks as expected, which came as a surprise.

This forced Grant Cohen, the 49ers reporter for Sports Illustrated, to ask a hard-hitting question to general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan at the conclusion of the draft.

“John, your draft board seems to deviate quite a bit from the consensus, why are you confident with that given your track record of the last few years, it seems like it leads you to make reaches,” Cohn asked.

“I appreciate that you think that way,” Lynch responded.

“It depends on whose consensus, there is a consensus in this building, and that is the consensus that I care about.”

“That was one of the coolest things about this draft,” Shanahan added.

“If there is somebody that you know you are going to take at that spot and you want to wait for 15 or 20 picks later, it’s a huge risk, you never find out when they are gonna go if you take them there.”

Niners fans were quick to praise the reporter for asking a tough question.

Not known, clear with picture desk

Not known, clear with picture desk

“Had them shook to the core with this question man,” One fan commented.

“I am so sick and tired of this draft strategy by these two dudes who think they are smarter than everyone else, good question,” A second vented his frustrations.

“Looks like they would beat you up with those questions, the look on their faces said everything,” A third added.

“I am normally a pretty big hater of your game Grant, but good on you for asking the question that nobody else wanted too, good f****** job,” A fourth said.

The Niners have put all of their eggs in one basket. They want to keep their championship window open with their core players. 

In free agency and the draft, they focused on reinforcing their existing core, instead of re-shaping it.

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These moves prioritised continuity and experience, ensuring the roster remained competitive immediately, rather than introducing younger, developmental talent who might take time to contribute at a high level.

However, this approach can be viewed as a gamble. By doubling down on proven players and delaying long-term planning, the margin for error becomes slimmer.

Based on their reaction to Cohen’s question, it appears that fans wouldn’t mind a change in strategy.

Only time will tell if the Niners draft strategy pays off and they can take home the Lombardi that has eluded them for the last three decades.

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