Nobody felt more confident about the San Francisco 49ers' 2026 draft selections than the Niners themselves.
Literally.
A slew of questionable reaches and positional focuses left many fans and pundits alike scratching their heads. It didn't help matters when a pre-draft statement from general manager John Lynch surfaced regarding their... unique scouting tool: artificial intelligence.
"If you aren't using [AI], you're already behind," Lynch said.
The 49ers walked away with the least valuable draft class in the league, only drawing more scrutiny to Lynch's bold claim. Their selections consisted of numerous reaches that were not well-received by the public.
Their first pick, De'Zhaun Stribling, was the sixth wide receiver taken off the board, though ESPN had him as the 15th best pass catcher in his class. They then reached for edge rusher Romello Height. But the biggest question mark was their decision to spend their late third-round pick on running back Kaelon Black.
Like Stribling, Black was ranked 15th at his position, but he was the third back taken off the board. Shanahan, though, later said the Niners had him pegged as the second-best back in the draft. The selection was especially peculiar, as he is expected to back up Christian McCaffrey, one of the best pass-catching running backs in the league.
Black registered just four catches last year for Indiana.
49ers banking on draft-day reaches to make them look smart
The immense scouting discrepancy between San Francisco and the rest of the league cannot be overstated, and Lynch's comment about how non-AI users are behind could come back to bite him if all doesn't go according to plan.
Given how much value his staff left on the table on draft day, the sentiment more so reeks of hubris than progressivism.
Granted, all reports on Stribling and Black have been positive since they joined OTAs, but that is mostly to be expected coming from their fellow coaches and teammates. The truth of the matter is we won't know how smart (or foolish) the Niners will look until later in the season, when this class of rookies is either playing up to their draft-day standard or their pre-draft expectation.
The Bay Area has long been known for its progressive nature when it comes to technology and other global advancements, and it appears its beloved football team has taken pages from that playbook.
Whether the strategy will pay off has yet to be seen, but the gamble could result in major unsettlement among 49er Faithful if things go south in the regular season.
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