San Francisco 49ers' worst draft picks during the John Lynch era

The San Francisco 49ers made careful decisions in their draft selections as they looked to address the positions that needed depth during the 2026 NFL Draft . General manager John Lynch and company did their homework and went for the best player available at their needed positions. Grading their 2026 draft selections , the 49ers earned a C+/B- for their decisions.

They took Mississippi wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling in the second round , a pick that former 49ers Pro Bowl safety Donte Whitner didn't agree with, but has since walked back. "I can admit that I was wrong about this kid. Kyle Shanahan's offense is in the past, and having guys like Julio Jones, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, a lot of these guys, primarily, was a one trick pony," Whitner said on an episode of The Grit Code podcast .

"Deebo Samuel, yards after the catch. Brandon Aiyuk, downfield, throws. Julio Jones, downfield.

He never really had a guy that was a triple threat. " He added: "I mean a guy that can run past you, catch the deep ball right, catch the ball yards have to catch, give you a move, take it to the house, and then a guy that could catch it, put a move on you lower, hit the (expletive) boom on your truck, stick and run you to (expletive) over. He's never really had that.