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10 Reasons to be Excited, Worried about the San Francisco 49ers in 2017

By Peter Panacy

Feb 9, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks to the media between general manager John Lynch and chief executive officer Jed York during a press conference at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks to the media between general manager John Lynch and chief executive officer Jed York during a press conference at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 2, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Worry: General Manager John Lynch’s First NFL Draft

One can say what he or she wants about former Niners general manager Trent Baalke.

Yes, he was largely responsible for the abysmal state of the roster at the conclusion of his tenure. And yet Baalke was rewarded for his efforts back in 2011 with the Pro Football Writers Association’s Executive of the Year award.

Enter John Lynch, the former Fox analyst and NFL star who had exactly zero years of front-office experience before accepting the Niners GM job.

True, Lynch has the clout and respect. His free-agent moves did enough to suggest he can handle this despite the lack of experience.

But the NFL Draft is a much different animal than free agency. Transitioning from the collegiate level to the pros has all sorts of challenges, the likes of which could inspire a multitude of books.

Lynch might know NFL players and the pro-style game from his analyst days. But he’s already behind the curve when it comes to evaluating college talent. Sure, the first two or three rounds might be relatively easy. Yet the Niners need a home-run draft and the ability to cash in on late-round gems otherwise missed by Baalke in recent years.

Fortunately, Baalke has the assistance from guys like Adam Peters, who ran the Denver Broncos’ college scouting department in recent years. That turned out well.

We can hope Lynch gets this right. Yet the lack of experience is concerning.