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San Francisco 49ers: Biggest Winners & Losers from the 2017 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Solomon Thomas (Stanford) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 3 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Solomon Thomas (Stanford) poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he is selected as the number 3 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-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 /

Winner: General Manager John Lynch

Fans were certainly entitled to have reservations about general manager John Lynch entering draft season.

After all, Lynch had zero front-office experience before accepting the Niners GM job in the wake of Trent Baalke’s departure. And while he said all the right things leading up to Round 1, Lynch’s actions were going to prove the difference between a winner and loser.

Almost all questions were put to rest right out of the gate.

San Francisco traded down one spot, with the Chicago Bears, netting an additional three picks — two in 2017 and a third-round selection in 2018. And the Niners brought in Solomon Thomas anyway, who was all but guaranteed to be the player Lynch wanted atop Round 1.

Lynch and the 49ers: 1, the Chicago Bears: 0. Unless one counts the Bears’ pick, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, as a major victory.

The new GM struck back at the end of the round as well, using one of those acquired picks to move up to the No. 31 spot to land Reuben Foster. Foster wouldn’t have made it past the New Orleans Saints at No. 32, so it’s yet another great move.

All this prompted one anonymous general manager, to Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman, to admit Lynch was doing a fantastic job:

Needless to say, Lynch is proving he’s the right man for this rebuild. And it’s going to be nearly impossible to find any fan saying he had a bad draft.