New 49ers general manager John Lynch received high marks for his first-ever draft as a team executive.

On the first day, Lynch took extra picks from the Chicago Bears, who were eager to ensure they drafted quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Then traded back into the first round to select Reuben Foster, an inside linebacker who could’ve easily gone in the top 10 had it not been for a rocky lead up to the draft when he got into an altercation with a hospital worker and later failed a drug test for having a diluted sample.

On the second day, Lynch used those extra picks to get “the ammunition to win” Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard in the third round and Utah running back Joe Williams in the fourth.

(A fun fact for Beathard: While a member of the Hawkeyes, he appeared on stage during a rally for Donald Trump. So if the goal this offseason was to find the political opposite of Colin Kaepernick, they found him.)

Shortly before trading for the pick that he would ultimately use on Williams, Lynch dealt for former Denver Broncos running back Kapri Bibbs for the 49ers’ fifth-round pick in 2018.

Before any of those deals, Lynch selected Ahkello Witherspoon, a cornerback from Colorado, with the team’s second-round pick.

“He’s gonna compete [for a starting spot],” Lynch said. “And, you know, there’s a great opportunity for him to do so, but he’s gonna have to earn that.”

Lynch and the 49ers finished out the draft by selecting George Kittle (TE, Utah, fifth round), Trent Taylor, (WR, Louisiana Tech, fifth round), D.J. Jones (DT, Ole Miss, sixth round), Pita Taumoepenu (LB, Utah, sixth round), and Adrian Colbert (CB, Miami, seventh round).

Through one draft, Lynch looks to be a natural at his position. But if there’s one thing football fans should know by now, it’s that it takes time to accurately judge a draft class.

cj beathardNFLNFL DraftSan Francisco 49ers