NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- John Lynch’s first two years as 49ers general manager produced one grand slam, a few swings-and-misses and a lot of wait-and-sees.
The team has little to show for the first five selections of the 2017 draft, but selecting tight end George Kittle in the fifth round saved it from being a complete disaster.
The 49ers enter the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday with six draft picks. The 49ers’ top picks are at No. 2 overall and in the second round, at No. 36. And there’s a lot more work to be done, as the 49ers hope to make a significant leap in 2019 after a 4-12 season.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“We’re used to having more (picks),” said Lynch, noting the 49ers gave up a fifth-round pick to acquire starting left guard Laken Tomlinson in a trade with the Detroit Lions.
“Draft choices are valuable,” Lynch added. “A lot happens as the draft’s moving. It’s fluid. If we don’t have more than that, we’ve just got to make them all count. In any event, we have to make them all count, but there certainly would be a scenario where we try to add to it.”
Whereas the 49ers had so many needs the past two years, the club filled some major holes in free agency last month to set the stage for the next three days.
“That’s not to say we’re absent of need on this team,” Lynch said. “We still have some things where we feel like we can improve. Every time we come into this we feel a little better.
San Francisco 49ers
“So I think just adding good football players who fit into our culture and fit into what we want to be as an organization. I think that’s the most important thing that we can come out of this draft with.”
Linebacker Reuben Foster, whom the 49ers traded up to select at No. 31 overall in 2017, proved to be unreliable on the field. But his issues off the field prompted the 49ers to release him while he was being held in a Tampa jail just hours before a November game against the Buccaneers.
Foster’s absence created a vacancy that the 49ers filled in free agency by signing veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander to a four-year, $54 million contract.
The 49ers filled another urgent need by acquiring edge rusher Dee Ford in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The team can certainly use more help with its pass rush, and that’s the spot the 49ers figure to fill with the No. 2 overall pick. The most likely candidate is Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa. Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen would also provide improvements for the 49ers’ defense.
[RELATED: The Choice - A look at Josh Allen's journey to become a top NFL draft pick]
The 49ers owned the No. 2 overall pick two years ago, too. They ended up moving back one spot and selecting Stanford defensive tackle Solomon Thomas, whom they would have chosen at No. 2.
Thomas was not a productive player in his first two seasons. Last year, he was understandably impacted by the death of his sister. But it remains to be seen if he can ever play to a level expected from a high draft pick.
The 49ers’ two third-round picks are in danger of losing their jobs. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon started and played well toward the end of his rookie season. But he did not nail down his role as a starter last year and will be in an open competition for a job this year. Quarterback C.J. Beathard will battle Nick Mullens to be Jimmy Garoppolo’s backup.
The 49ers completely missed on running back Joe Williams, who had the physical tools that coach Kyle Shanahan covets but lacked the passion to play the sport at its highest level.
The only star to emerge from that first draft is Kittle, who set the single-season NFL record for tight ends last season with 1,377 yards receiving.
In Lynch’s second draft, the 49ers appear to have a couple of keepers with offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey and linebacker Fred Warner. The 49ers also have high hopes for Dante Pettis, who heads into the offseason as the best candidate to lock down a starting job at wide receiver.
The 49ers are definitely in the market for another wide receiver – perhaps with their second-round pick. Nearly half of the 49ers’ 30 pre-draft visits were with wideouts.
“I think it says that there’s a lot of depth at that position,” Lynch said of the draft class of wide receivers. “There’s a lot of guys who we like and there’s different reasons we bring guys in.
“Just like any position, that may be a spot where we try to improve our team. Fortunately, in this year’s draft, it seems to be a good stable of guys who can help.”
Lynch and Shanahan have gotten free passes the first two years, mostly because of the mess left from the previous regime and the lack of dysfunction that is apparent through a 10-22 beginning.
This is the season the club will be expected to add a couple of significant players in the draft and start to move in the right direction on the field.