The 49ers’ draft brought ridicule, but it somehow got better without ever playing a game
By Jerry Mcdonald
Published on May 1, 2026.
The 49ers' controversial draft, which was criticized for lack of respect, has since improved, with De’Zhaun Stribling and Trent Williams being considered good prospects. However, some analysts suggest the team's overall ranking is low. The NFL has built up the draft as if it were a World Series, Super Bowl or World Cup, with 320,000 people watching a list of names on Day 1 and 805,000 overall. Viewership was 13.2 million for the first round. Despite this, there are concerns that the 49ers have a poor record under coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in identifying premium talent in the first two rounds.
Read Original Article