Few names are as synonymous with the NFL draft as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
When it comes to the 49ers’ performance in the 2020 NFL Draft, Kiper Jr. doesn’t have the class graded nearly as highly as Niner fans did.
B-minus was Kiper Jr.'s verdict for general manager John Lynch in his fourth season at the helm, citing a lower amount of selections than most NFL teams.
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“With just five selections, this 49ers class is difficult to evaluate,” Kiper wrote. “But for a team that played in the Super Bowl and has mostly kept its team intact, apart from trading defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for a first-round pick and losing wideout Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, it does have two defined needs. Credit general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan for doing all they could to fill those needs on Day 1.”
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Lynch and the 49ers’ front office chose South Carolina product Javon Kinlaw and Arizona State wideout Brandon Aiyuk to fill those needs, although Kiper questions whether Kinlaw can measure up to Buckner’s potential.
“San Francisco scooped up interior penetrator Javon Kinlaw (14),” Kiper wrote. “And he'll be a Buckner fill-in. He's cheaper than Buckner, of course, but does he have Buckner's ceiling?”
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The longtime NFL pundit doesn’t see the team’s other three later-round picks (Colton McKivitz, Charlie Woerner, and Jauan Jennings) as anything more than reserves, but gives the front office a bump for the acquisition of Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams on Saturday for a pair of draft picks.
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“What keeps this in the B range is that the 49ers were able to use picks to get left tackle Trent Williams in a trade with Washington and it cost them only a fifth-rounder this year and next year's third-rounder.”
Kiper got only six out of 32 picks correct in his mock draft, so it’s not exactly apt to consider him a prophet when it comes to projecting how players will adapt and fit within an NFL team.
Kinlaw and Aiyuk have the chance to be instant impact players, and Williams’ acquisition makes for a perfect transition from Joe Staley following the fan favorite’s retirement announcement over the weekend.