There's always a flurry of communication between NFL teams during the draft, as front offices gauge opportunities to move up or down the board. For the San Francisco 49ers, the opening night of the 2025 NFL Draft was no exception. General manager John Lynch recently joined the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and shared some behind-the-scenes insight into how active the team was during Round 1.

Lynch had already admitted to trying to trade up to ensure the 49ers acquired former Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams, failing but ultimately selecting their desired target with the 11th overall pick. However, the 49ers weren't the only ones on the phones looking to make a move.


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When asked how many trade calls the 49ers received on the first night, Lynch paused briefly before responding, "On draft day, probably like eight to ten."

While that number might sound high, Lynch noted that trade activity has significantly increased since he first stepped into his role with San Francisco in 2017.

"There's kind of this new breed of GMs," Lynch explained. "Our first year, I don't want to say I didn't know what I was doing, but we were really active trading and just going for it. Like, 'We like that player. Let's go get him.' And, fortunately, we had people that kind of kept us [in check].

"But I would say, now, because the league is trading more, a lot of the stuff goes into setting it up the week before. 'Hey, just know that we may be wanting to come up to 11.' And then, you kind of say, 'Okay, send over what you would do.'

"So I can tell you, 'Okay, we wouldn't entertain that. You're gonna have to improve this part of it. We're interested in more this year,' because sometimes people are saying [they want to trade picks for] next year."


Lynch emphasized that the chaos continues after Round 1 concludes, as teams with early second-round picks suddenly find themselves fielding a wave of calls from others looking to move up after having a full night to reflect on how Day 1 played out.

"And then, the draft breaks out, and then it's like all hell breaks loose," Lynch said. "You're getting calls from everywhere. It's actually really, really fun."

Lynch and the 49ers ultimately stood firm at No. 11, but based on his comments, the phone lines in San Francisco's war room were anything but quiet.



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