Dezhaun Stribling and the 49ers’ shifting draft plan after a night of moving back
dezhaun stribling was not the only name hanging over the San Francisco 49ers’ draft room Thursday night, but the broader story was clear: the board did not break their way. General manager John Lynch said there were “a couple players” the team would have taken at No. 27 if they had still been there, and that changed the shape of the night.
Why did the 49ers trade out of Round 1?
The answer starts with timing. The 49ers had already discussed a trade-down contingency before the draft began, and when their targets were gone, they used it. First they sent Nos. 27 and 138 to the Miami Dolphins for Nos. 30 and 90, swapping one of their fourth-round picks for a third-round selection they did not previously have. Later, they moved again, trading No. 30 to the New York Jets for Nos. 33 and 179.
Lynch said the second move happened on the fly after San Francisco realized most of the players it was considering would still be available on Friday. That left the 49ers with the first pick of the second round and a wider set of options. The team now has seven picks overall, including two in the second round and one in the third on Friday, followed by three fourth-round picks and a fifth on Saturday.
Who were the names linked to the 49ers?
The draft board pointed toward several players who appeared to fit immediate needs. Pass rushers Akheem Mesidor and Malachi Lawrence, receiver and kick returner KC Concepcion, and safety Dillon Thienemann all fit roles the 49ers could have used. Lynch would not identify the full group, but he did single out KC Concepcion with a simple message: “We like KC a lot. ” He added that Concepcion visited the team and met with them at the combine, and described him as a player with ball skills and a strong future.
The 49ers also passed on Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. twice after the Jets took him at No. 30. Cooper had drawn comparisons to Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and his fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense made him a notable possibility. The fact that San Francisco still declined him, even after moving down, underscored how much the team valued flexibility over forcing a pick.
What does this mean for Day 2?
Dezhaun stribling sits inside a larger draft story now built around options, not urgency. Lynch said the 33rd pick puts the 49ers in a “really nice” place to reconvene, reset the board, and reassess their thinking. He also called it a coveted selection and said the team is “always open for business. ”
That openness matters because the 49ers are thin on the edge, while their free-agent wide receiver additions, Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, signed what are effectively one-year deals. The team could still add an offensive lineman or safety on Friday, and it may continue to move if the right opportunity appears. Pass rusher Cashius Howell and receiver Denzel Boston were among the names that seemed to be in the conversation at No. 30.
How did the quarterback picture shape the night?
There was also a separate note around backup quarterback Mac Jones. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he was surprised no team made an offer for him on Thursday. The 49ers are not looking to trade him, but they have been surprised that there has not been a stronger market for a quarterback who won five starts last season and is due to make $3. 6 million in the final year of his two-year contract.
Shanahan said the lack of an offer Thursday does not change what might happen next, while also suggesting Jones’s value may already have passed. For now, the 49ers remain positioned to keep moving, keep waiting, and keep weighing whether the next pick is worth making or whether the better play is to trade back again. For a team that began the night looking for a target and ended it with more capital, dezhaun stribling reflects less a finished draft plan than a board still in motion.
