Carmichael Dave: John Lynch Owns the First Round of the NFL Draft
There were those (some look very much like me) that were nervous about first-year GM John Lynch coming on board with the 49ers. Keeping in mind Super Bowl rings aren't handed out on Draft Day, it sure looks like Jed York finally got a much needed victory by bringing him on.
On the opening night of the draft, Lynch managed to convince the Chicago Bears:
- That the Niners were going to take QB Mitchell Trubisky
- That another team was ready to trade with him in order to take Trubisky
Either way, the Bears bit, and bit hard. For the cost of moving down ONE PICK, the Niners received a 3rd and 4th round pick this year, and another 4th round pick next year. YOW-ZA. Then as it turned out they ended up getting the guy they would've gone with at 2 anyway, Stanford's Solomon Thomas.
THEN, as if that wasn't enough, San Francisco (and of all teams) Seattle worked out a deal to put the Niners in the 31 slot, and with that pick they nabbed a guy some say is the best overall player in the draft- Reuben Foster.
Even if that high of a ranking is a little bit of hyperbole, Foster grades out low to mid 90's, and was the top player at his position. Shoulder problems and a diluted test sample contributed mightily to his fall, but the Niners were obviously willing to take the risk. Having now invested in Foster, DeForest Buckner, and Arik Armstead over the last 3 years, defense has obviously taken center stage.
I would invite you to forward this video to the 4:30 mark. If you want to see a young man with a ridiculous IQ, watch Foster break down tape. He is presented with a couple of plays from his days at Alabama, and the combination of flawless execution and flat out love and passion for the game makes it easy to understand why Lynch and his front office were so enamored with him.
Seriously, hit play and watch the tape. 4:30 on.
