Kyle Shanahan Is Facing Unfair Criticism Over the 49ers' Draft Process

Hear me out.

Dec 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan leaves the field after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has received heavy criticism this past week after discussing the San Francisco 49ers’ scouting process.

He appeared on The Rich Eisen Show to publicly defend the process they use for the NFL Draft, and, to be perfectly honest, it doesn’t sound nearly as incompetent as some have suggested.

Valid arguments have been raised about a head coach of an NFL franchise only evaluating draft prospects in February, as it increases the risk of missing developmental traits that require longer-term observation across multiple games and situations.

As Shanahan outlined, his evaluation window is condensed, meaning he relies heavily on curated film from assistants and focuses on identifying core attributes rather than conducting exhaustive, ground-up scouting himself. That in itself could be deemed an issue.

In a league where scheme fit is everything, a head coach is less concerned with every snap a player has taken and more focused on whether that player possesses the key traits required to execute at the highest level in his system.

The process itself is likely broadly similar to how many successful NFL franchises operate, and that kind of delegation is essential in a league where the time window is extremely limited and the sheer volume of prospects makes it difficult to organize.

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; NBC Sports analyst Kyle Shanahan prior to the New England Patriots game against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

But what cannot be defended is how Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have very rarely struck gold with their draft picks in recent years.

For a Super Bowl contender, the results simply have not consistently matched the expectations of a well-run organisation.

Too often, San Francisco have failed to extract maximum value from their draft capital, whether through missed evaluations, underdeveloped players, or selections that simply were not good enough.

That suggests the issue may not lie in when or how Shanahan evaluates players, but rather in how the wider body of information is interpreted and acted upon.

Especially this year, more than ever, it feels like they are under the microscope for how aggressively they jumped on certain prospects and made several reaches.

When that pattern becomes noticeable, it points less to a flawed structure and more to questionable decision-making at the final stage. At some point, if the outcomes continue to disappoint, it becomes clear that something in that decision-making process needs to change.

It says a lot that their best selection remains Brock Purdy, who was famously the final pick in the 2022 draft before becoming their starting quarterback.