The 49ers were a rapidly evaporating shell of an NFL team when general manager John Lynch was hired before the 2017 season. While they didn’t find success until Lynch’s third year heading the front office, the foundations were quickly laid with draft picks like George Kittle and Fred Warner, and trade acquisitions like Jimmy Garoppolo.
San Francisco doesn’t have a Super Bowl to show for its success, but they’re entering the 2023 campaign as legitimate Super Bowl contenders for the fourth time in five seasons. Their last few years have been enough to move John Lynch to No. 5 on the NFL GM rankings from NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal.
One thing Rosenthal points to is the 49ers’ ability to continue winning despite their massive trade for quarterback Trey Lance bearing virtually no fruit through the first two years:
The 49ers deserve more credit for finding and maintaining so much talent everywhere else that they’ve thrived despite all the resources used (including first-round picks in 2022 and ’23) in the 2021 trade up to draft Trey Lance, who has attempted 102 passes since. Lynch has helped find core pieces through the draft (receiver Brandon Aiyuk, safety Talanoa Hufanga), free agency (corner Charvarius Ward, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave) and trades (running back Christian McCaffrey, left tackle Trent Williams). The Niners build strength on strength and stay focused on line play, like the Eagles. That said, the offensive line could use some work in the draft.
San Francisco shed a trio of first-round picks to move up for Lance in the 2021 draft, but Lance started just four games in his first two years. The 49ers have still managed to restock their roster and make a pair of trips to the NFC championship game despite unloading that premium draft capital.
Ultimately for Lynch to climb further up the list the 49ers will need to hit on some draft picks and hoist a sixth Lombardi Trophy. Given where the team was six years ago though it’s hard to call Lynch’s tenure anything short of successful to this point.
