Lynch shares honest assessment of ‘truly special’ 2024 rookie class originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
John Lynch likes what he’s seen from the 49ers rookies throughout the 2024 NFL season.
San Francisco’s general manager offered his opinion on the performance of the first-year players.
“I’m very proud of the boys” Lynch said Friday on KNBR. “We had an immediate feeling. The football character, the general character of this group was really special. We had a lot of guys that we thought could handle (the NFL) and could be good players for us for a long time, but also had the ability to come in and help us right away. Now, I would tell you that I don’t think we believed that everyone would spring into action so soon, and they did.”
As the franchise dealt with a steady stream of injuries throughout the season, rookies were thrust into starting roles, with Dominick Puni emerging as one of the best young offensive linemen in the NFL.
in what It has become a lost season. For San Francisco, which missed the playoffs for the first time in four years, the emerging rookie class has been a bright spot.
Drafting players who can make an immediate impact is a rare skill in the NFL, and it’s crucial for any franchise have sustained success. Just looking back at the draft classes since Lynch and Kyle Shanahan took over the franchise explains why the team has consistently been in the playoffs most years. Draft picks like Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa, Deommodore Lenoir and Fred Warner have matured into elite players.
Lynch and the rest of San Francisco’s top brass will have to turn the page on a frustrating and inconsistent year and right the ship in time for the start of the 2025 NFL season.
Armed with plenty of draft capital, the franchise is well positioned to accumulate even more talent in the 2025 NFL Draft and become a playoff-caliber team once again.
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