SF 49ers: Grading all 4 of John Lynch’s NFL Draft classes

SF 49ers 2020 Draft Class and Final Thoughts

Grading the 2020 draft class is not productive in any way. There’s no way of knowing if any players had one-year aberrations or have something that can be consistent.

Based on what’s known, however, let’s dive into each player selected.

2020 NFL Draft

Javon Kinlaw, drafted in the first round, has shown himself to a better version of what was expected: an extremely raw, yet uber-talented defensive lineman. As the season has progressed, he’s gotten better and better, and most importantly, he’s already showcasing an understanding and instincts about the game, like his pick-six against the LA Rams.

Though he has a ways to go, Kinlaw is looking like another strong selection.

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been electric in his snaps, and he’s been a slam dunk pick, so far. The biggest positive for Aiyuk is both how much more he can develop and how well he’s playing with subpar quarterbacking, showing an extreme amount of future potential the SF 49ers can build upon.

It looks like Aiyuk will be a stud for years to come.

Offensive lineman Colton McKivitz should not have been starting this year, and he has obviously struggled. Though he has much more development to be done, there isn’t much to expect from McKivitz, though as a fifth-round selection, the Niners could have done much worse.

Charlie Woerner, a sixth-round tight end, has also not shown himself to be starter-level just yet, though in his last performance, he did showcase some receiving ability. Blocking, Woerner’s calling card, has not been up to snuff, and he too has a long way to go, but the potential is there.

Finally, wide receiver Jauan Jennings nearly tore his hamstring off the bone in training camp, so the seventh-round rookie, widely viewed as a potential steal, will have to wait for next year.

Final Thoughts

As many people have seen, John Lynch and the SF 49ers have had a penchant for finding players with good quality traits they can use for the future in the later rounds. This is part of the reason they have managed to build strong depth for their team, and sometimes, these depth choices can turn into something much bigger like George Kittle or Dre Greenlaw.

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However, the Niners have struggled at the top of the draft, which limit the high-end talent this roster has.

2017, with the quarterback decisions but also just overall choices, looms especially large.

The roster competes because of free-agent signings that have been against market norms but took advantage of ample cap space and these depth selections working in tandem with phenomenal coaching. But as the coaching tree gets depleted with coaches like Robert Saleh and Mike McDaniel likely moving to newer pastures, and the cap tightens as it is doing this year, the draft becomes more and more important.

The Niners have shown an improvement on the earlier rounds with the selections of Kinlaw and Aiyuk looking good, and the overall trend has been a positive one.

With the SF 49ers facing a crossroads with their roster, they need to make the right decisions in the upcoming draft. Given their track record, the staff has learned how to make such decisions.