Recapping the 49ers’ Actions in the 2017 NFL Draft

With the conclusion of the 2017 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers roster looks far different than it did a few days ago, for the better. Let’s break down all that happened in the busy few days of the new regime’s first draft.

General manager John Lynch began his draft tenure in the best way possible — by absolutely fleecing the Chicago Bears in a trade. To move up a mere one spot, the Bears gave the 49ers their third-round pick (No. 67), fourth-round pick (No. 111) and  a 2018 third-round pick. It was a robbery by the first-time general manager, and a surprise to some:

Chicago winded up selecting North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, while San Francisco drafted Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas.  It was a win for the 49ers management, who had Thomas as a top three player on their big board. And it would only get better from there for San Francisco.

The third player on their big board? Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster, who the 49ers selected at No. 31 after a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. How did they trade back into the first round? Using assets from the trade with the Bears. The 49ers got two of their top three players by moving back one spot in the draft. It was simply a brilliant maneuver by the front office –efficiency at its finest.

Here’s how the rest of the draft played out, as well as some analysis on the selections and predictions for the upcoming season.