While Kyle Shanahan was in Stanford on Thursday, general manager John Lynch was in South Bend, Ind. watching Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer throw passes and chatting with Kizer’s parents.
NFL.com reported that Lynch took Kizer to dinner Wednesday night, this after Lynch said the quarterback “blew the doors off” his interview with the 49ers at the scouting combine.
“Mr. Lynch and I have spent quite a bit of time together,” Kizer told reporters after his Thursday workout. “We have gotten to know each other quite well. I look forward to what they do with the No. 2 spot.”
Indeed, the 49ers have the second overall pick in the draft and likely will add at least one additional quarterback next month.
Lynch, personnel department executives Adam Peters and Martin Mayhew, and quarterback’s coach Rich Scangarello traveled east this week to watch three of the consensus top 4 quarterbacks — Kizer, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson — throw.
Another quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, will be featured at Texas Tech’s pro day later this month. Neither Shanahan nor Lynch is expected at Cal’s pro day today to watch quarterback Davis Webb and others because the 49ers’ annual Winterfest charity event at Lake Tahoe is this weekend.
Shanahan noted that the 49ers also likely will schedule private throwing sessions with some quarterbacks in the run-up to the April 27 draft.
“We haven’t mapped them all out yet, but I’m sure I’ll do a few private workouts, whether it’s me or (Scangarello),” Shanahan said Thursday. “… We kind of spread us out a little bit. We can get a lot more out of being in the office right now and watching more tape. Most of these pro days, we get all these videos anyway. There are a few guys we’ll have these private workouts for, not just quarterbacks.”
Because the 49ers have a new coaching staff, they can start their offseason program — when players can begin formal workouts — on April 3. San Francisco will start, however, on April 10.
“We’re using the same amount of time that we’re given,” Shanahan said. “We’re using all the days. We just wanted a little bit more time to get ready. Then you don’t have as long of a break at the end, too.”
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