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The San Francisco 49ers streamed their annual State of the Franchise event on Wednesday, where owner Jed York, general manager John Lynch, head coach Kyle Shanahan, and receivers
Brandon Aiyuk and
Jauan Jennings were amongst the featured guests.
Greg Papa, the longtime Bay Area radio announcer, hosted the event, and began the Shanahan-Lynch segment by asking about the draft, given the differences from prior years due to the lack of a first-round selection in 2022.
Lynch believed that the strategy didn't significantly alter, as the 49ers continued with their holistic approach, although the team elected to make zero trades on draft day, which was a first since the Shanahan-Lynch era began.
"We stayed pat because there were players there that we liked at every pick," Lynch said. "That's a cool thing when a plan comes together. There were some fun moments in the draft. Some not so fun, like a player we really wanted and someone jumped us. But, that happens in every draft."
It appears that Lynch was alluding to the 49ers' first selection, where the Cincinnati Bengals traded ahead of the 49ers to select Nebraska defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt with the 60th overall pick. The 49ers then selected USC edge rusher
Drake Jackson with their second-round pick (61 overall), following up the selection with two offensive skill players in round 3.
Taylor-Britt would have made sense for the 49ers, as he had the versatility to play both cornerback and safety, which were the positions that many believed the organization would target with their early-round selections.
However, the 49ers seem extremely content with their selection of Jackson,
especially given their philosophy around the importance of defensive linemen.
"And I think in the day and age of football, it's set up right now for offense to have so much success," Lynch admitted. "I really believe it's the great equalizer to have a dominant defensive line. It's the one thing that you can dictate from, and Kyle has the same philosophy. So, we've continued to add to it. We had some good pieces when we first got here. We continued to add to it every year, and it's served us well."
Shanahan praised Jackson's play through the early stage of the offseason, understanding that defensive linemen are limited in this stage, but liking what he's seen from the rookie so far.
"Drake's been great, just getting him in there," Shanahan said. "OTAs are always different. We're not doing as much O-line, D-line, and stuff, so you don't get to see as much as you want from those guys. But when he's been in, he's been exactly as advertised. I mean, the movement, what he can do."
While the 49ers may have preferred the versatile Taylor-Britt, it doesn't seem that they're any less excited about their actual selection, Jackson,
who has received significant praise from a number of teammates already.
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the San Francisco 49ers are among several teams that have shown interest in former North Carolina State defensive lineman Savion Jackson.
In a social media post, Wilson noted, "Scouting reports praise him for heavy hands, being stout run-stopper."
North Carolina State @PackFootball defensive lineman Savion Jackson had 30 visit with #Chargers, Zoom meeting
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
