As has so often been said, Day 3 of the NFL draft is when general managers earn their paychecks. This has also been when GM John Lynch has shined. In fact, one could argue he has found more stars in the later rounds than in the first.
In the first round, Lynch has found two, Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk, and not much else. Defensive end Mykel Williams, taken last year, has looked good, as has wide receiver Ricky Pearsall from the 2024 draft, when he has been healthy, but the jury is still out on them.
First-round picks defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, linebacker Reuben Foster, quarterback Trey Lance, and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw were busts. Offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey was serviceable, which is not good enough for the ninth pick in the draft.
On the other hand, in the fifth round, Lynch selected All-Pro tight end George Kittle, star linebacker Dre Greenlaw, Pro Bowl safety Talanoa Hufunga, and number one cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. In the seventh round, he got the Niners their face of the franchise, quarterback Brock Purdy, and excellent receiver Jauan Jennings.
So if history is any prediction, it was a good idea to trade out of the first round and accumulate picks in later rounds.
So far, that looks like a good move.
His first pick in the fourth round, defensive tackle Gracen Halton, is an interior lineman who pushes the pocket well. And before Lynch traded for Osa Odighizuwa, defensive tackle was one of the team's biggest needs. Halton should immediately be part of the rotation and might work his way into a starting role.
The next pick, offensive tackle Carver Willis, is apparently going to move to guard, which is among the Niners' biggest needs. If he can make the transition effectively, this choice makes sense. The one worrisome bit of history is that Lynch has not drafted offensive linemen well. (The Faithful must hope, though.)
Cornerback Ephesians Prysock received very good reviews from commentator Louis Riddick. Riddick was a defensive back in the NFL and a pro scout after his playing days were over. His positional knowledge bodes well for Prysock, and the Niners need a corner who can compete. Deommodore Lenoir was a fifth-rounder who developed and became a star in his third year.
Linebacker Jaden Dugger, taken in the fifth round, is new to the position and appears to be a project, someone who could be developed into a productive starter. After Lynch traded Dee Winters to the Dallas Cowboys, it was not surprising that he addressed that position. Winters was himself a sixth-round pick who eventually became a very good ballplayer. We can hope Dugger does the same.
Offensive tackle Enrique Cruz, San Francisco's last pick of the draft, is graded by NFL.com as someone who could develop into a starter. He receives criticism that often explains why a player is not drafted higher, but the fact is, he gave up only two sacks in over 600 snaps. That's excellent production. Could he be the swing tackle the Niners need?
Overall, the Niners look to have had a solid draft. They entered the weekend with six picks and ended up with eight. They addressed several needs, though not all. Here are my grades:
2nd round
WR De'Zhuan Stribling: B+
Given some of his measurables, he is an intriguing prospect.
3rd round
Edge Romello Height: A-
Highly productive at a position of need and at a good value.
RB Kaelon Black: F
An average (at best) player who might well have gone undrafted.
4th round
DT Gracen Halton: A
Defensive tackle was more of a need than some wanted to admit. One of the reasons the defense had so few sacks last season, besides the unit's top two defensive linemen being hurt, was that the Niners got little push up the middle. Halton should help address that.
OT (OG) Carver Willis: B-
This was a pick that looked average until details started emerging. Most importantly, Willis will move to guard. All of the evaluations and grades were handed out with the idea that he is a tackle. The other factor is that the scheme Washington ran is similar to the 49ers' scheme, so he fits there. If he can transition to guard, this could be a good pick.
CB Ephesians Prysock: B+
Prysock looks to be the kind of player who could develop the way former fifth-round pick Lenoir did.
5th round
LB Jaden Dugger: C
Dugger is supposedly a good athlete, but he has little experience playing linebacker. He is a project. In the seventh round, this would have received a higher grade, but the 49ers have found more experienced and just as talented linebackers at this point in the draft (such as Dre Greenlaw), and some players of that caliber were available.
OT Enrique Cruz: B+
Cruz was productive at Kansas and might develop into a swing tackle, as Jaylon Moore did. Moore was also a fifth-round pick.
Overall grade: B
No pick was truly exciting, the kind where you think you just got a difference-maker. But the Niners added some players who should contribute, and with a little luck, a few will make a difference.
With a good pick in the third round instead of the shocking selection of Kaelon Black, this would be higher, but the Faithful should feel that the overall roster is improved, and there is a lot to look forward to next season.
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