Why the 49ers' Front Office Has So Much to Prove in the 2026 NFL Draft

Its track record is spotty at best.

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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan will enter their 10th NFL draft together, adding young faces who will be looking to fit into the team's win-now mindset.

Over the duo's 10-year tenure, they have made 77 draft picks, a mixed bag of talent that results in a mediocre draft résumé. In this year's draft, barring any trades, they will make six selections.

Notably, Lynch and Shanahan have hit on cornerstones such as Fred Warner, George Kittle and Brock Purdy, which has helped their job security, but have taken swings and misses on players such as Trey Lance, Javon Kinlaw and Jake Moody.

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Lynch and Shanahan have been worse at drafting over the last five years in comparison to their first four, resulting in a conservative draft approach that we have seen over the last couple of years.

Seven players remain from the 49ers' 2020 to 2023 drafts; the team made 30 draft selections during that stretch.

Heading into this year's draft, the duo will have the opportunity to even the playing field in the NFC West, but they will have to put together a draft that will have an immediate impact.

The team has drafted well the past two seasons but has yet to select players with superstar potential, which is necessary for the 49ers to jump the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks in the standings, who have cornerstone players of all ages.

It will not matter if it is the 27th pick in the first round or a mid-round selection; the 49ers need a rejuvenation of cornerstone players, and the most effective way to do that is through the draft.

The 49ers have draft needs across the roster; there can be a case for the team to draft almost every positional group.

It seems as if the 49ers are taking the need for young franchise players seriously, as they have had official visits with four of ESPN's top eight wide receivers, including K.C. Concepcion and Denzel Boston.

Along with showing interest in the draft's top receivers, they have held visits with the top offensive tackles in Caleb Lomu and Kadyn Proctor. They are both ranked within ESPN's top five tackles.

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On the defensive side of the ball, the team has held visits with defensive tackles Chris McClellan and Tyler Onyedim and edge rushers Romello Height and Malachi Lawrence, who are highly touted.

If the 49ers stick to the pattern of their pre-draft visits, the team should set up for a franchise-altering draft class similar to the ones this regime began with.

But if the team reverts to the trends of the last draft classes, the team will have to rely on its aging cornerstones that have struggled to reach the finish line throughout the past two seasons.