The San Francisco 49ers will break their streak of being mere spectators on the NFL draft’s opening night. After abstaining from round one in the past two years due to the costly decision to trade up for quarterback Trey Lance in 2021, the 49ers are now poised to address roster needs on day one of this year’s draft. With the 31st overall pick and an additional nine picks in the following days, the opening night promises more excitement for the Niners compared to the previous two years.
Coach Kyle Shanahan expressed his dissatisfaction with the absence of a first-round pick, highlighting the frustration of watching without active involvement on the first day of the draft. Having foreseen their lack of first-round selections in the previous two years, the team focused less on top picks.
However, this year, they are prepared for all possibilities, whether they retain their position or opt to trade around. The experience of pick No. 31 necessitates readiness for any scenario.
San Francisco forfeited its first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 by trading up in 2021 to select Lance. Despite Lance’s limited starts over two seasons and his struggle to adapt fully to Shanahan’s offense, the 49ers managed to reach the NFC title game in both of his initial seasons and the Super Bowl in the last season. Eventually, Lance was traded to Dallas before the season, yielding a fourth-round pick.
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