John Lynch discusses draft strategy following Day 1; Kyle Shanahan jokes about 49ers' past misses

Shortly after the San Francisco 49ers finalized their selection of former Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan shared insights with Bay Area radio station KNBR. Reflecting on Day 1's events, Lynch was questioned about the team's approach for the remaining six rounds.

"Well, we will see," Lynch responded thoughtfully, trying not to reveal too much. "We'll get a good sleep right now. We'll wake up. Tomorrow will be a busy day and a fun day. We've got a lot of picks. We just got to make them count; all of them count."

San Francisco has nine more draft picks, barring any trades. The team's next pick is currently the 63rd overall selection toward the end of the second round.

"And we've got a really good roster," Lynch continued. "So it's tough for young players to come and make a dent, but we believe there's players out there who can, and we've got to be really thoughtful, as our whole process has been, and trust that."

Although some have raised eyebrows at the Pearsall pick, suggesting it may have been a reach, the 49ers have consistently remained competitive despite some past draft missteps. Lynch and Shanahan maintain confidence in their pre-draft assessments.

Lynch remarked, "Our preparation, after eight years of doing this as a group, I think we've gotten pretty good at knowing who we are, what we are, and what we look for, and what we do well with. And that's what we've got to go execute, starting tomorrow, again."

When pressed for further details, Shanahan was asked about the possibility of drafting a running back at some point over the next two days.

Given the team's mixed success with running back selections, including recent disappointments in the third round, the coach humorously quipped, "We're going to get a running back in the third, probably won't work out. We're going to find a [TE George] Kittle in the fifth, a [LB Dre] Greenlaw in the fifth. We'll get a second running back in the sixth. That one will be the real one."

Lynch chimed in, "And then we'll, of course, wait until that last pick," alluding to the selection of quarterback Brock Purdy as the last overall pick in 2022.