While San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch relished in Sunday's victory – the first of the season – with his team, he knows any hopes of a successful year have long been over. The 49ers have six games remaining on its schedule, and Lynch has already shifted his focus to scouting potential future Niners.
Lynch was interviewed on "The Haberman and Middlekauff Podcast" and shared what his job has been like right now as the 49ers look to close out the season on a high note.
"Even when we don't have injuries, we're bringing guys in to look, this time of year, to look for guys' futures, that we want to have with us moving forward," Lynch said. "You're constantly looking. I'm watching college players now. Our college scouts are out. The reports are starting to come in. I'm focusing on a few positions right now that I'm watching."
How does Lynch balance his scouting? Is he focusing on potential early-round players? At this point, the 49ers are very likely to end up with a high first-round pick when the NFL Draft kicks off just over five months from now.
"We start with the top of the round guys to kind of see what's out there," Lynch said. "Sometimes I do like flipping that, though. I learned that last year. When you watch the top guys then watch the back-end guys, they don't look so good. So I've said, 'I've got to flip this.' So, at times, I will ... There's a lot of good players, but I did start flipping that where I'll watch the back-end guys first. But right now, just kind of getting a taste of this college class. I've been watching the top-end guys."
What does Lynch think about that top of the draft class?
"It looks good," Lynch answered. "You're always looking to match up with your needs, and that doesn't always happen. But it looks promising, thus far. There's a lot of good football players out there. It's cool that we have a real good plan on where we're going and it's fun. That's what makes this job so fun."
Lynch also discusses 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, tackle Joe Staley playing so soon after injury, and quarterback Baker Mayfield of the Oklahoma Sooners.