Kyle Shanahan Pushes Back on the 49ers Reaching in the NFL Draft

“I think that was one of the coolest things with this draft, just so you don't reach on somebody," said Shanahan at his post-draft press conference. "If there's somebody you know you're going to take at that spot and your consensus or what all your homework from around the league, not necessarily like Twitter or media stuff, just like the things you investigate and when people are going to go.

"And if you're going to take someone who you think is the best player but you don't think they're going to go until like 15 picks later, 20 picks later, it's always a huge risk because you never find out when they're going to go if you take them there. But the times that we did feel that way, at 27, at 30, and you're able to move back and create stuff later."

Several factors are at play with Shanahan's comments. First off, of course, he's going to defend the 49ers' draft process. It's his team. He was a part of that process and has final say over the picks.

Second, clearly the 49ers would've taken wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the 27th overall pick if they failed to trade down twice. Because they were able to trade down, they view it as a huge win.

Shanahan probably believes the 49ers should be commended for that and not criticized. However, it is a fact that the 49ers have been one of the mediocre teams at drafting.

Their process is completely flawed. Their history is against them. Maybe this draft class is the one for them to finally stick it to the doubters.

But the odds are strongly against them that it's not, and that they yet again reached for nearly all of the players they drafted. Its pattern is unlikely to change.

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