49ers General Manager John Lynch has been in his job for a decade and that means he’s made plenty of draft picks that have elicited a wide range of reactions from around the football world.
The second day of this year’s draft saw the 49ers select three players and a couple of them drew responses on the negative end of the spectrum. Lynch was asked over the weekend about the outside perception that the team reached to take wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd overall pick and running back Kaelon Black at No. 90.
“It depends on whose consensus,” Lynch said, via Kevin Borba of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “We’ve got consensus in this building. That’s the consensus I care about.”
The 49ers have heard similar criticisms in the past — taking kicker Jake Moody in the third round in 2023 was a notable case — and they’ve seen a number of picks fail to pan out. Lynch has hit on enough to help the team win playoff games in five of the last seven seasons and the team’s on-field success will continue to be the ultimate test of how he’s doing in his job.
Free agent running back Sincere McCormick has agreed to terms with the 49ers, his representation announced on social media.
The 49ers will have to make a roster move to open a spot for McCormick.
McCormick, 25, joins Jordan James, Kaelon Black and Isaac Guerendo on the depth chart behind Christian McCaffrey.
McCormick joined the 49ers’ practice squad after the Raiders waived him out of the preseason. The team cut him Nov. 18, and he was on the practice squads of the Cardinals, Broncos and Vikings to end the season.
He did not play a down in 2025.
McCormick’s only playing time came with the Raiders in 2024 when he played five games with two starts. He has totaled 45 touches for 212 yards.
The 49ers did not draft a safety this year, but they are adding one with some NFL experience to the roster.
The agents for Patrick McMorris announced that their client has signed with the 49ers. The 49ers also agreed to terms with undrafted rookie safety Jalen Stroman on Sunday.
McMorris was a 2024 sixth-round pick by the Dolphins and he had a tackle in six appearances during his rookie season. He spent time with the Cardinals and Giants last year, but did not appear in any regular season games and was released by the Giants this month. He took part in the Browns’ recent minicamp on a tryout basis as well.
Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha are the top returning safeties for the 49ers.
The 49ers have announced a group of eight undrafted rookie additions to their roster.
Punter Jack Bouwmeester is part of the group. Bouwmeester grew up in Australia and spent three years at Utah before transferring to Texas in 2025. He averaged 44.5 yards per kick and joins Corliss Waitman as punter options for the Niners.
The 49ers are also signing North Carolina State wide receiver Wesley Grimes and Notre Dame wideout Will Pauling. They made De’Zhaun Stribling their top draft pick, so they’ll have three rookie receivers at practice in the coming weeks.
Penn State tight end Khalil Dinkins, Tennessee defensive lineman Bryson Eason, Indiana defensive lineman Mikail Kamara, Notre Dame safety Jalen Stroman, and Illinois defensive lineman James Thompson are the other new Niners.
The Commanders have “significant interest” in signing Brandon Aiyuk if San Francisco releases the wide receiver, according to a report Saturday. 49ers General Manager John Lynch, though, made clear the team has no intention of doing Aiyuk any favors.
The 49ers are holding out for a trade.
“No new update right now,” Lynch said Saturday, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “We’re available. Give us a call.”
Aiyuk last played in a game on Oct. 20, 2024, when he tore an ACL and a MCL in his right knee. The relationship between the team and the player fell apart after that, and the 49ers voided the guaranteed money in November due to his unwillingness to rehab at their facility.
The 49ers have moved on from Aiyuk, although he’s still on their roster, and they are in no rush to cut him.
“He’s an extremely talented player,” Lynch said. “He’s been an extremely effective player in our league. The situation didn’t work itself out here. That’s not to say that it can’t be rekindled somewhere else. And we’d be happy to do something with anyone, if the opportunity presented itself.”
When asked directly about a timeline for a potential release, Lynch was clear: “Not anytime soon.”
