San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch doesn't put much stock into outside consensus—and that was apparent during the 2026 NFL Draft.

"We've got consensus in this building, and that's the consensus that I care about," Lynch said when asked about the perception that the team tends to reach on draft prospects.


Still, external reviews of the 49ers' draft class were mixed. While some outlets handed out favorable marks, Pro Football Focus (PFF) was among the most critical, assigning San Francisco a "D" grade.

This week, PFF expanded on that evaluation, pointing to what it viewed as a heavily unbalanced reach-to-steal ratio. Much of the criticism centered on where players were selected compared to the rankings on PFF's big board.

Of the 49ers' eight selections, PFF labeled seven as reaches—several by significant margins. The lone exception was defensive tackle Gracen Halton, taken in the fourth round (No. 107 overall), 37 spots below his ranking, making him the only perceived value pick.

It might be unfair to count edge rusher Romello Height as a reach, though. PFF ranked him 77th overall, while San Francisco selected him at No. 70—a modest seven-spot difference. Height was also the highest-graded defender among the group, earning a 92.5 defensive grade last season.

The gap was far wider for the rest of the class.


According to PFF, the biggest reach came with offensive lineman Carver Willis, selected in the fourth round (No. 127 overall) despite holding a 398th overall ranking—a 271-spot difference.

Below is how PFF evaluated each of the 49ers' selections:

Pos Player Pick Board Rank Steal/Reach
WR De'Zhaun Stribling 33 112 Reach: 79 spots
Edge Romello Height 70 77 Reach: 7 spots
RB Kaelon Black 90 187 Reach: 97 spots
DT Gracen Halton 107 70 Steal: 37 spots
OL Carver Willis 127 398 Reach: 271 spots
CB Ephesians Prysock 139 162 Reach: 23 spots
LB Jaden Dugger 154 340 Reach: 186 spots
OT Enrique Cruz Jr. 179 379 Reach: 200 spots

While PFF's evaluation leans heavily on draft value relative to its internal rankings, the 49ers consistently prioritize scheme fit and internal evaluations over outside perception—and that's unlikely to change.

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