Ranking Every 49ers Draft Class of the John Lynch Era From Best to Worst

Is Lynch good at drafting?

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John Lynch is now entering his 10th draft as the San Francisco 49ers General Manager. With the draft approaching it is a good time to look back at his near decade of drafting and see which ones were the best. 

9. 2023 - No first-rounder 

You do not want to hurt Lynch too bad because his first pick was in round three. Still, the picks he traded to put them in this spot were not worth it, either. Brown and Winters play, but both could be replaced this year. Jake Moody and Cameron Latu were round three disasters. 

8. 2021 - Swing on Trey Lance 

This draft will be tainted by the Lance pick. Getting that little from number three is bad. Trey Sermon and Ambry Thomas do not help. Aaron Banks was a hit but no longer plays for the 49ers. This draft is propped up by Deommodore Lenoir and Talanoa Hufanga. Hufanga is also gone. 

7. 2025 - Too Unproven

It does not look like a disaster, while Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins seem to provide high floors. Upton Stout looks like a starter as well. However, we are not seeing the potential for a big star quite yet. 

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6. 2024 - Potential but not enough 

Ricky Pearsall, Renardo Green, Dominick Puni, and Malik Mustapha have all looked like hits at times. However, none of them have been consistent enough. There is reason to get excited, but it is not a top-tier Lynch draft. 

5. 2022 - Propped up by 1 pick 

Almost everyone would agree that 2022 is the worst draft that Lynch had aside from one pick. However, when you nail a quarterback who leads you on multiple playoff runs in the seventh round, the draft gets a lot of credit for being strong. 

4. 2020 - Solid but unspectacular 

Javon Kinlaw did not live up to his draft slot, but he is a good player. The Brandon Aiyuk situation is ending poorly, but he gave the 49ers plenty of production. Colton McKivitz is a great pick in the fifth round that is still paying off, and while Jauan Jennings is a free agent, he brought two very productive seasons to the 49ers and a few big catches. He only had five picks, four were hits, and while none changed the franchise, this was a good draft. 

3. 2019 - Two studs

Nick Bosa may have been easy, but the pick worked. Deebo Samuel gives them a great duo to start with. Dre Greenlaw completes it as a solid late-round addition.

2. 2017 - 1 franchise changer

This draft centers around George Kittle. D.J. Jones was a great pick as well, and guys like CJ Beathard, Trent Taylor, and Solomon Thomas had impactful moments. Still, this class hinges on an elite player being taken in round 5. 

1. 2018 - Hall of Fame talent 

Fred Warner is right there with Purdy and Kittle as the best picks that Lynch has ever made. Warner makes this class worth it. Still, Mike McGlinchey was fine at tackle and is still good. DJ Reed started for years and is still in the NFL, and Kentavius Street is still around, even if a lot of his production was not with the 49ers. A Hall of Famer and a few other impact players are the best that Lynch has done.