John Lynch reveals why the 49ers excel with late-round draft picks

The San Francisco 49ers have relied on young players more than expected in recent seasons, largely because injuries have reduced the roster's depth.

Two defensive rookies, linebacker Jaden Dugger and defensive tackle Gracen Halton, have seen their roles grow, potentially earlier than expected. Both have shown promise as potential long-term contributors.

General manager John Lynch joined the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast this week and explained what attracted the 49ers to the two young defenders.

"We were going to be doing more five-down fronts, and there was probably more of an emphasis this year," Lynch said. "And you look at some of the guys like Dugger, the linebacker that we took, we knew we had a bunch of guys, a bunch of little Chihuahuas that would chase you and swarm you. We needed some length to play those fronts. Whether we had gone to more of the five-down fronts or not, we needed some length in there.

"A guy like Gracen Halton, we just love his style. He's an attacking defensive lineman, and we loved his film from Oklahoma."

John Lynch credits 49ers' draft success to organizational alignment

The 49ers have found several contributors in the later rounds of the NFL Draft. Lynch attributes that success to shared vision and alignment within the organization.

"I really think why we hit on late-round picks exceptionally well is because we have great synergy with our coaching staff," Lynch said. "Scouting, coaching. And we talk about alignment all the time, and that's where you use data. When our research and development, when they're in on a player, when scouting's in on a player, and then when coaching is in on a player, we hit at a real high rate.

"And a lot of those late-round picks, when you have that alignment on a guy, you say, 'All right, we don't think he's going until here.' Now we've got to be really skillful and use our experience as to when we do think we can get him."

That collaboration helps the 49ers identify prospects who fit their system and decide when to select them, letting the team maximize the value of its draft picks.

Brock Purdy is the ultimate example of 49ers' draft success

One of the 49ers' most significant recent draft successes is quarterback Brock Purdy, whom the team selected with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Many initially viewed Purdy as a developmental prospect with little chance of making a significant impact. Still, he quickly earned the coaching staff's trust and emerged as a breakout star during his rookie season.

Lynch acknowledged that Purdy's selection involved an element of luck but also pointed to the evaluations that helped San Francisco identify his potential.

"Then sometimes you get lucky, like with Brock Purdy," Lynch explained. "Nobody took him until the last pick. Everyone says, 'What did you guys see?' Well, we didn't see a whole lot because we took him with the last pick in the draft, but I think there is a story there.

"I think with Brock we had a late third-, early fourth-round grade, and a lot of that was the area scout. It was [former QB coach] Brian Griese who had an affinity for him. It was [former Iowa State head coach] Matt Campbell talking about him so glowingly.

"But most of those stories come from the synergy that we have as a coaching staff and a scouting department."

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