The 49ers general manager downplayed the perceived holes on the team ahead of the draft.
The San Francisco 49ers are less than 48 hours away from making their first selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, with uncertainty still swirling in the air about what positions the team will look to target in a crucial draft.
Ahead of the draft, the 49ers took an interesting approach to free agency, looking to make a number of depth signings, rather than a key splash, providing the team with some form of a solution across the board at nearly every position on the team.
As a result, the team enters the 2024 NFL Draft with a fresh mind, as they don’t have many needs for the upcoming year, according to general manager John Lynch.
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“I think we’re in a real good place as a football team, as an organization,” Lynch said on Monday, “and we got to find a way to get a little bit better. And that’s the focus of this whole offseason and this draft is an opportunity to do just that.
While the 49ers have a set group of positions that they will look to target in the draft, they’re approaching this weekend as a place to add talent not only for this year, but for the upcoming seasons where needs may arise.
“We’ve identified where we think we want to add some people in this draft, but, you know, [there’s] not a lot of needs on this team,” Lynch said. “But, there’s things like a couple years out, there’s things a year out, and then there’s opportunities where guys can come in.”
Still, there are several area on the team where an entrenched starter may not be there, allowing for increased competition, which San Francisco will look to contribute to with younger talent.
“While the glaring spot that a guy can come in and be the starter right away may not be there, there’s a number of spots that we see, probably more than people might think, where there is opportunity, and we’re very thoughtful of that,” Lynch acknowledged ahead of the draft. “But then you also have to be flexible and nimble to see how the draft breaks. And then who do you have? Not being beholden, like, ‘we are drafting this position at 31.’
“We’ll draft, ‘okay. we got three or four needs that we see.’ You know, which way are we going to go with it? And that is when we’ve done our best work. And I think when most teams do.”
A position that could fit that criterion is cornerback, where the 49ers are searching for a third starter alongside Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir, which prompted them to sign Isaac Yiadom and Rock Ya-Sin in the offseason.
Additionally, the 49ers have a clean slate at the position in 2025, with all five of their top cornerbacks scheduled to be free agents after the season.
Elsewhere, the 49ers could look to add competition along the offensive line, where they fielded average play from several positions this past season. Like at cornerback, the 49ers could see some serious attrition along the line next offseason, with three projected starters scheduled to be free agents.
Overall, though, the 49ers entered the offseason with a plan to fill as many needs as possible to an already strong roster in free agency, which has allowed them to take a wider approach when it comes to the draft, rather than locking themselves in on taking a certain position.
That strategy has generally worked in their favor, and will be called upon on Thursday night, when the 49ers make a first-round selection for the first time since 2021.
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