The San Francisco 49ers received plenty of heat for their selections throughout the 2026 NFL Draft, and much of the criticism fell harshly on both general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Understandably. The Niners had perceived reaches on several picks, including their top selection of wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling at No. 33 overall, as well as grabbing running back Kaelon Black in Round 3 when most pundits felt he'd be a late day-three pick.
Looking further back at other major draft whiffs, particularly the 2021 trade-up for quarterback Trey Lance that went bust awfully fast, it's certainly fair to point fingers at both Lynch and Shanahan for their many draft failures.
But, if you're thinking those misses endanger either Lynch or Shanahan's respective jobs, think again.
And that's something NFL Network's Tom Pelissero just reinforced.
Tom Pelissero: 'I don't see a world where' 49ers fire John Lynch or Kyle Shanahan
The respected NFL insider was a guest host of The Rich Eisen Show this week, and he was asked about Lynch and Shanahan's job security, primarily in response to the questionable draft efforts put forth last April:
Pelissero had a blunt response:
I don't see a world where John Lynch ever gets fired by the 49ers. Same thing with Kyle Shanahan. They have stabilized that franchise. If you remember how things were for several years before they got there, it was a constant churn. It was the end of the Jim Harbaugh era, which became the Jim Tomsula era, which became the Chip Kelly era. The 49ers are competitive year after year.
While Pelissero did acknowledge how the Niners have whiffed on several early draft picks in recent years, the insider also pointed out how Lynch and Co. have been able to identify plenty of star talent late in the draft (George Kittle, Dre Greenlaw and Brock Purdy are just some examples), plus the fact the Lynch-Shanahan tandem ultimately turned San Francisco from a laughingstock into a perennial contender matters, too.
Far more than any one particular draft class, even though that's a popular part of the GM/head coach jobs to criticize.
According to Pelissero, whose position working for the league itself allows him exceptional access and inside information, no one bad draft will endanger Shanahan or Lynch.
At all.
Hat tip to David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone for the find and transcription.
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