Lynch reveals what 49ers are looking for with No. 11 overall pick

Lynch reveals what 49ers are looking for with No. 11 overall pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

INDIANAPOLIS — Looking ahead eight weeks, 49ers general manager John Lynch knows what he is seeking from the team’s first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“A difference maker. That’s what you want. You want a difference maker,” Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“And they don’t need to be that right away. But someone who you believe can potentially become a difference maker. That high, you’d love them to come in and contribute right away, but to be a difference maker.”

The 49ers own the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and expect to have a total of 10 selections during the three-day session (April 24-26).

A year ago, the 49ers’ first four selections came at positions where the 49ers figured to have needs in the future.

Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was chosen in the first round. This year, the 49ers are prepared to trade Deebo Samuel. Cornerback Renardo Green was chosen in the second round. Veteran Charvarius Ward is set for free agency.

Then, the 49ers selected guard Dominick Puni and safety Malik Mustapha one year before guard Aaron Banks and safety Talanoa Hufanga were scheduled for free agency.

Lynch said the plan is to draft for need a year before there’s a need.

“The good organizations, the guys I respect, are constantly doing that,” Lynch said. “That’s sometimes a hard thing to do because ‘the now’ is just a powerful thing and reality.

“But I think you can do both. You can do it for now and into the future. And that’s when you really hit.”

Among the 49ers’ top needs are along the offensive and defensive lines. This year’s draft appears to be rich with defensive linemen.

“There’s no denying that. It’s strong in quality and in numbers. That’s encouraging,” Lynch said.

The 49ers’ defensive line was not as strong in 2024, when the team finished last in the NFC West with a 6-11 record. The Philadelphia Eagles rode a strong defensive line rotation to the Super Bowl title with a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

“You watch the Super Bowl, the Eagles were really, really good up front,” Lynch said. “It made a difference. It made the difference in my mind in that game.

“It’s something we had the year before. They couldn’t block us up front in that game. For whatever reason, we didn’t sustain it as well because we didn’t get that lead, probably.”

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