I have written in the past about what teams should consider when building a roster. Today, I will examine two trends that have emerged recently in 49erland.

Trust the Conference


In the past five seasons, the following receivers have been All-Pro selections.



What do they have in common? They are all from the SEC. The Philadelphia Eagles, in their championship run two years ago, had Brown and Devonta Smith.

Now, how does this relate to the 49ers?

A big question this offseason was how the 49ers would (re)build their receiving corps. The team lost Jauan Jennings, Skyy Moore, and Kendrick Bourne. Brandon Aiyuk has been gone—both physically and emotionally—for two years. And Moore was the 49ers' best return man since maybe Ted Ginn in 2012.

How did general manager John Lynch address these losses?


First, he brought in Mike Evans, who is the best receiver they have had in years.

The Mike Evans who went to Texas A&M—that is, an SEC school.

He signed Christian Kirk, who is not only a good receiver but has also been a solid punt returner in his career. That's the Kirk also from Texas A&M.

A few years ago, Lynch drafted Ricky Pearsall in the first round—out of Florida. Pearsall has shown skills and just needs to remain healthy.

Last year, Lynch spent a fourth-round pick on Jordan Watkins from the SEC's Ole Miss.


And with the first pick Lynch used this past draft, in the second round, he selected De'Zhaun Stribling, also out of Ole Miss.

Oh, and Demarcus Robinson is on the roster, and he went to . . . Florida.

Aside from these six, the only player likely to compete for a roster spot is Jacob Cowing from Arizona.

In other words, if the Niners keep six receivers—and they will—at least five will be gentlemen from the SEC. Not only is the upgrade obvious from the skill sets they have demonstrated in their NFL and college careers, but their conference pedigree also points in the right direction.

(Quick question: Who was the 49ers' most dominant receiver in the last five years? Deebo Samuel, from the University of South Carolina.)


If the 49er receivers remain healthy (sadly, a big if in Santa Clara), I predict this unit will be at least a top-five group in the league.

Take Note of the Titles


In the years leading up to their championship, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Jalen Carter, and Nolan Smith. Now what do those six have in common?

Yes, the SEC is one thing, but that isn't the point here.

They all won national championships in college.

That means they know what it's like to hold other great players accountable and to be held accountable by those players. (Look at the concept of accountability here and what the speaker says it means—and one of those two is now a Niner.)


Players on national championship teams know how to win and what it feels like to go on the field not simply believing they will win, but almost knowing they will. Athletes in every sport talk about learning how to win. It's why pro tennis players got worried when they had a big lead against all-time great Novak Djokovic. Even when he was down, he knew he could dominate—and more often than not did.

College players with rings do not have to be taught that feeling when they join a team that is in the title hunt every year.

The top players in national championships have good practice habits. The greatest college coach of all time, Nick Saban, said that over his career, all of the great players he coached had one thing in common: in everything they did—practice, film study, lifting weights, everything—they all "invested" their time. They knew what they wanted to get out of even the smallest of tasks and were focused. Average players "spend" time doing things.

Where does this fit with the 49ers? Two years ago, Indiana turned their program around. By all accounts, their head coach, Curt Cignetti, is an excellent coach and teacher (and was a Saban assistant). This past year, Indiana won the national championship.

Last year, Lynch selected Indiana defensive tackle CJ West and quarterback Kurtis Rourke. This past April, they drafted the Hoosiers' defensive tackle Gracen Halton and running back Kaelon Black (and signed DT Mikail Kamara as an undrafted free agent). Now, the Black pick was widely criticized (I was one of those critics), but he does come from a championship program.


That means he has the work ethic. That means he knows how to be coached and what it means to be a teammate. Head coach Kyle Shanahan might have to help him develop his receiving skills, but he won't have to teach him certain intangibles that can be the difference in wins and losses and championships. Even though perhaps he should have been drafted in a later round, Black brings something to the team that most other running backs would not.

Lynch might not have consciously approached offseason acquisitions with these two concepts in mind, but they are now both present on the team. If those two factors—conference toughness and program success—hold to form, this should be a very successful year.

Written By:

Jack Stewart


Jack Stewart was educated at Alabama and Emory and was a Brittain Fellow at Georgia Tech. His poetry has been published widely in the US and several other countries. His book No Reason was published in the Poeima Poetry Series in 2020.
All articles by Jack Stewart


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