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5 Needs the San Francisco 49ers Failed to Address in the 2017 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

Apr 28, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; (l to r) San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch , linebacker Reuben Foster , defensive lineman Soloman Thomas , and head coach Kyle Shanahan pose for photos during the press conference at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; (l to r) San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch , linebacker Reuben Foster , defensive lineman Soloman Thomas , and head coach Kyle Shanahan pose for photos during the press conference at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 28, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers first round draft pick linebacker Reuben Foster answers questions from the media during the press conference at Levi’s Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers first round draft pick linebacker Reuben Foster answers questions from the media during the press conference at Levi’s Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /

The San Francisco 49ers came away with one of the better NFL Draft classes in 2017. But general manager John Lynch and Co. still failed to address some key positions over the three-day period. Let’s look at the biggest misses.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch aced his first NFL Draft test with his new franchise.

Lynch’s first two picks, defensive end Solomon Thomas and Reuben Foster, were surefire home-run selections. And each involved trades that further showcased Lynch’s abilities.

In all, the Niners moves ended up earning an A-grade from CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco after the draft came to a close on April 29.

More from SF 49ers Draft

Still, there were a number of positions not addressed enough, or not at all, with San Francisco’s moves.

Considering the state of the 49ers roster before the draft, it would have been impossible for Lynch to fully upgrade everything of need this offseason. The Niners could have had all 32 first-round picks in this year’s NFL Draft, and it still wouldn’t have been enough.

That said, there were a number of positions overlooked or not considered as pressing a priority.

We’ll look at those in this slideshow.

Keep in mind, this isn’t a knock on Lynch at all. Rather it’s a reminder the 49ers rebuild is far from complete. Lynch and Co. took some great first steps. But there’s a lot of work to be done.

And these subsequent positions will likely point out areas needing help down the road, perhaps the upcoming 2018 offseason.