49ers 2020 NFL Draft: 3 players San Francisco should have taken
By Peter Panacy
Despite bringing aboard only five prospects, the San Francisco 49ers had a very successful 2020 NFL Draft. Although that doesn’t block the idea they could have targeted other players aside from the ones they grabbed.
The San Francisco 49ers‘ 2020 NFL Draft class is officially in the books, and the majority of accounts out there suggest general manager John Lynch put together quite the impressive haul despite being limited on the number of selections he had entering the weekend.
The Niners had to move assets, too, particularly to account for veteran left tackle Joe Staley‘s retirement, which prompted Lynch and Co. to execute arguably the biggest draft-day trade by acquiring perennial Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Williams from the Washington Redskins in exchange for a 2020 fifth- and 2021 third-round pick.
That alone could arguably make San Francisco’s 2020 draft haul pretty exemplary.
As for the rest of the picks, they ended up being as follows:
- Round 1: DT Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
- Round 1: WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
- Round 5: OL Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
- Round 6: TE Charlie Woerner, Georgia
- Round 7: WR Jauan Jennings, Tennessee
It feels a little too critical to start suggesting the 49ers made some gaffes in the NFL Draft, of course. But it’s at least worth the discussion to note other players Lynch and his staff could have targeted instead.
Granted, the Niners seemed to have their sights all along on players like Kinlaw and Aiyuk. Given how the draft played out over the course of Round 1, let’s not mess with the idea San Francisco made a mistake drafting either.
Although some may question whether or not going with Kinlaw was the right move while top-name receivers like Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy were available.
Instead, let’s look at the later rounds and point out three players the 49ers should have gone after instead.