49ers GM John Lynch believes the 49ers took a step in the right direction with the 2024 draft class, and explains why the 49ers can’t continue to spend as much cash
Based on the final snap-weighted data age data from the 2024 NFL regular season, the San Francisco 49ers were the fifth-oldest team in the NFL. They were the oldest team offensively while coming in 16th on defense.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise when general manager John Lynch said, “We need to get younger,” during his press conference in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
Lynch was asked for a health update on wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and if the report about teams poking around asking about Aiyuk were true. Lynch turned that into an explanation of the 49ers’ spending habits:
“Yeah, that typically happens with really good players. I remember, I think two years ago, having similar conversations. You get calls and you always listen to calls. I think since Kyle and I have been here, we’ve been certainly a top five, I believe, number two, cash spending team in the four years.
Going into the fourth year, I think we’re the fourth highest cash spending team, so at some point you have to reset a little bit or at least recalibrate. You can’t just keep pressing the pedal and I think there’s some good that could come out. We need to get younger, I think we’re the oldest team in football trying to make a run at the deal last year. And I think it’s good to constantly get younger.
Our draft class last year was a great move towards that. We’ll have four picks in the top 100. If the comp picks happen, like we see it, that’s always a calculation. We will have 10 picks overall and we’re excited about adding more youth to a great core of players that we already have.”
There isn’t as much excitement for the upcoming free agency class, meaning San Francisco is unlikely to spend big in March. Signing veteran safeties familiar with Robert Saleh’s scheme makes sense. Shelling out money to convince D.J. Reed to return to the Bay Area would solidify the secondary.
The depth and talent of the NFL Draft are at the positions of need for the 49ers. Those first four picks have a chance at contributing early, just like the 2024 rookie class. We will see if the Niners elect to go the fifth-year senior route for the second draft in a row.
Lynch believes there are pluses and minuses when it comes to drafting players with perceived higher ceilings:
“There are some teams that really have a philosophy of, they won’t touch a player that’s a little older, that’s probably had to adjust. Covid and stuff had guys staying at school longer, NIL has guys staying at school longer. So I think if you really stay true to that, you’re limiting the pool that you’re picking from. I think sometimes we have to ask ourselves, are you trying to get this guy for 12 years? Which is, if you’re looking for that, it’s a small, small percentage or are you looking for one contract and then hopefully more? So it’s an interesting topic. It’s one we constantly discuss. There are pluses and minuses to both sides. Having a young guy that you think you can develop and is already a good player, and then a guy who’s a little more battle tested, been through a little more. It’s an interesting conversation.”
“Battle-tested” could mean a player who has started for multiple years and played in big games.
In the first round, the goal should be to avoid taking a bad player. If he’s good enough to contribute right away, great. Suppose he’s a difference-maker, even better. But a player who brings nothing to the table is the type of pick that can set you back. The more that player has played, the easier it is to recognize whether they are “battle-tested.”