While there've certainly been suggestions the San Francisco 49ers have a history of reaching in the NFL Draft each April, general manager John Lynch's 2026 draft class certainly put such at the forefront of the discussion.
Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn even challenged Lynch about reaching in contrast to consensus big boards, to which the GM had a blunt response defending each of the Niners' picks.
Still, that didn't change the growing narrative surrounding San Francisco's picks being total reaches, and even deeper studies by analytical sites like Sharp Football Analysis show how the 2026 class wasn't an isolated incident.
There's one individual who could implement change on this front, however.
Although it might not necessarily be the best thing for the franchise if he ultimately has to get involved.
Jed York could put a halt to 49ers' draft reaches (if he wants to)
Ever since the post-Jim Harbaugh coaching fiascos of the mid-2010s, owner and CEO Jed York has largely shied away from involving himself in pure football duties, turning the vast majority of control over to Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
The results speak for themselves, as the 49ers have gone from laughingstock to perennial contender.
But York has made his presence known here and there. For starters, he was implicitly responsible for the Niners proverbially tightening their belts, financially, entering 2025 after a massive wave of cash spending the previous few years. And there may have been a direct intervention back in 2021 when San Francisco traded up to No. 3 overall with a (reported) original intent to draft quarterback Mac Jones, only to pivot to the now-bust Trey Lance.
No doubt, York is paying attention to what the critics are saying about his team's draft reaches. And with how the bulk of recent draft classes have largely flopped, it wouldn't be a total shock for the CEO to make an entrance once again.
Even though that might not necessarily be the best thing for the franchise overall.
Still, if anyone can put heat on both Lynch and Shanahan to rethink their draft approaches, it'd be York.
He'd just have to go about doing so the right way, which hasn't always been the case.
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