NFL Expert Sounds Off on 49ers' GM John Lynch's NFL Draft History

Brutal.

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers are receiving all sorts of criticism for how they handled the NFL Draft.

They had several pressing needs, but failed to address them, and most of their selections were widely viewed as reaches despite their insistence that they weren’t.

The front office’s decisions in the draft have now become a talking point, given their history of selecting players well above their projected value or choosing players who have had minimal impact.

Warren Sharp rips into John Lynch's drafting strategy

Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch watches pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

“I know some 49ers fans are going to say they win a lot of games, so he must be drafting well. No. They win in spite of Lynch," said Sharp.

"Their 3 biggest on field contributors to wins the last several years have been Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy.

"He got Trent because Dan Snyder pissed him off. CMC was a trade and Purdy was Mr Irrelevant, but after the draft, Lynch gave the credit to the Purdy pick to Brian Griese and scout Steve Slowik.

"Those 3 players combined with the coaching of Kyle Shanahan are leading the 49ers to wins.

"In fact, I would turn this argument on its head and say the 49ers have been close to winning, but still haven’t won a Super Bowl because they have drafted so poorly.”

He’s not wrong about everything he said, and it’s a talking point that deserves serious scrutiny.

He didn’t even cover the Trey Lance trade, where John Lynch gave the Miami Dolphins three first-round picks for a quarterback who hadn’t even played close to half a regular season’s worth of games.

If it weren’t for Brock Purdy emerging as a top NFL quarterback after being the last pick in the draft, Lynch might not still be in his role today.

The 49ers’ recent draft struggles are a major reason why their roster is aging. While they made masterstroke selections like George Kittle in the fifth round and Fred Warner in the third back in 2017 and 2018, both players are now past their peak years, with fewer seasons ahead of them than behind.

The roster is aging quickly, and the next few years are incredibly decisive. Because they haven’t drafted well, they’re not reaping the benefits of younger, more explosive and dynamic talent.

More scrutiny needs to be placed on Lynch for his decisions, but it helps that Kyle Shanahan is one of the best coaches in the league and can cover for those mistakes.