49ers news: Biggest storylines from Day 1 of 2022 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers were inactive on day one of the 2022 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean there were zero points of interest for John Lynch and Co.
Thirty-two picks out of the 262 total in the 2022 NFL Draft are officially in the books.
The San Francisco 49ers made precisely zero of them.
The Niners aren’t poised to select until the very tail end of Round 2, No. 61 overall, thanks to last year’s move-up for quarterback Trey Lance. And despite there being a flurry of first-round trades over the course of Thursday night, general manager John Lynch wasn’t responsible for executing any of them.
That said, San Francisco did find itself involved in a number of the chief storylines throughout the opening round of the draft, albeit for reasons it might not have initially wanted.
So, with Round 1 completely finished, let’s take a look at some of those key storylines involving the 49ers even though they were inactive throughout the first round.
49ers Round 1 NFL Draft news: Deebo Samuel remains on the roster
There was widespread speculation, if the Niners were ultimately going to move All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel, it would have to involve a first-round draft pick plus some change from a team willing to bid on his reported trade request.
The New York Jets were likely among those most interested, and they certainly had the ammunition with two picks in the top 10, Nos. 4 and 10 overall. But after New York grabbed cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson with those picks, respectively, San Francisco fans likely breathed a collective sigh of relief.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported immediately after Gang Green’s second first-round selection that it had offered the No. 10 overall pick to the 49ers for Samuel, plus a mid-round pick swap, but the Niners didn’t bite.
Now, this doesn’t wholly eliminate the possibility of Samuel being moved. But the chances diminish significantly, meaning the Niners are likely now poised to clean up the mess with their disgruntled receiver.