49ers Embracing "Best Player Available" Mentality in NFL Draft

It's about time the 49ers skew towards picking the best player available versus need in the NFL draft.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Drafting for need will almost always place a team reaching for need.

The best-case scenario is that the player drafted becomes a starter or role player. But often, when a team drafts for need, they whiff on that player. It has happened plenty of times for the 49ers.

Just look at their 2022 and 2023 draft classes. That is part of the issue for why those classes were major failures. Even their trade-up and selection for Trey Lance in 2021 was drafting for need.

The 49ers need to do a better job of looking at the best player available, even if it isn't addressing a glaring need. It turns out that they might finally adopt that style this year.

On Tuesday, General Manager John Lynch indicated that the 49ers are embracing a "best player available" mentality in the NFL draft.

"I do know that, especially in the first round, we have a relatively high pick. You can't go wrong picking a quality player," Lynch said. "And if that isn't a glaring need on your team, that's alright because this player is gonna end up playing for you and contributing and hopefully moving the needle. So, it's a fine balance between drafting towards need, especially when you're drafting up high. I think you got to be cognisant that you can't go wrong taking really good quality players."

This is a great change for the 49ers. It means they will no longer force picks just because. That is how they ended up with kicker Jake Moody two years ago.

However, the best part about adopting this mentality is that it allows the 49ers to be more open-minded. When they are looking for a need, they filter out a lot of quality prospects.

Now, they are free. They have unlocked themselves, and it may have been a mindset they had last year. That is probably why the 2024 draft class was sweet.

In any case, this is stellar for the 49ers, especially since the 2025 NFL draft is a pivotal one for them. Anything and everything will be on the table for them.