What 49ers' pre-2026 NFL Draft visits reveal about their strategy

Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan discuss intriguing prospects that visited the 49ers facility and where they might fit on San Francisco's roster.

What 49ers' pre-2026 NFL Draft visits reveal about their strategy originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

View More

Video Transcript

All right, this is 49ers Talk, brought to you by Big O Tires.

At Big O, their Pro-Tech Plus warranty offers free flat repairs, replacements, and roadside assistance.

So tire trouble is no trouble at all when you buy your next set of new tires at Big O Tires.

All right.

I'm Matt, she's Jennifer, and we are counting down the days, counting down the hours, counting down the draft picks until, all the talk about the NFL draft becomes irrelevant, and we can just move on to what actually happens.

I cannot believe it's already almost draft week.

crazy how fast the off-season goes.

It feels like, you know, we were just in Seattle at a playoff game, and here we go.

We're right into the 2026 season.

Yeah.

And there's a, a lot of You know, the, the opinions of the drafts are kind of all over the board as far as, it, it seem, it seems in, in listening to people and talking to people, this is one of those drafts maybe more than ever, expect the unexpected.

And I think that that could very well be the case with the 49ers as well.

You know, there's just so many different ways that they, and, and all the teams, can go in this draft because it doesn't seem like, you know, there's that, that high-end, you know, ta-talent that, is generally associated with the draft.

It just kind of feels like things are all over the board, and the 49ers have generally kept a, a pretty good button on their thought process and, and what they're identifying in the draft and, and who they might be going after.

So I think it really is just a throw it up in the end and throw a bit up in the wind and just kind of see what happens.

what I, I find interesting about what John Lynch, Jed York, and Kyle Shanahan and all- have all said about the draft is how collectively they all work towards it.

I don't know if it's that way with other organizations, and it, it didn't really seem that way when it was the prior regime with Trent Baalke, and it was, you know, Jim Harbaugh before that.

It was Jim Tomsula.

It was Chip Kelly.

It seems like there's really a, a consensus, and they get together, they have these meetings.

John Lynch talks about it being one of his favorite times of the year, where everybody's together, from the scouts to the position coaches, to everyone who watches college tape.

They all get together and talk about players they like.

You know, someone will get on the table for a certain player, and they all listen and they pay attention, and it's this collective, collaborative effort to try and get the best guys in the building, which is You know, I think that's probably not the case with every single franchise.

Yeah.

I mean, you know, the 49ers do They, they have compiled a lot of talent in the talent evaluations.

You know, I know, you know, the, the one name that always comes up is, is John Lynch, and, and rightfully so.

He is the general manager.

He has the final say as it pertains to the 90-man roster.

But, you know, it is definitely not the John Lynch show.

Yeah.

Yes, he will get the most of the credit, he'll get most of the blame based on what happens.

they probably, he and Kyle Shanahan share that, and, and rightfully so.

But I know, you know, John Lynch has always kind of considered himself a- the, the consensus builder.

You know, kind of see what everybody thinks and, and kind of figure it out.

And, you know, they do have a, a lot of trusted people in the front office.

you know, when you look at what they've done, Paraag Marathe comes back this year, but he joins kind of a loaded group of You know, he's a former general manager, but, you know, with, with, Paraag Marathe, R.J. Gillen, Ethan Waugh.

Fred Gammage is the, the director of pro scouting.

You have, Dominic, DeSi- DiCico is the director of college scouting.

So there are a lot of people who have a l- a lot of responsibilities when it comes to, you know, putting together the, the draft board.

And y- you know, I think that one thing that we've seen from the 49ers is, you know, they, they put together their own draft board.

And, and I always kind of laugh 'cause, you know, when people say, "Oh my gosh, they're You know, they reached on this player because, you know, these, you know, part-time draft experts s- had that guy going in the, in the third round or And they took him in the second," or whatever the case may be.

I mean, they I think all NFL teams You know, no NFL team is, like, looking at, media members' draft boards.

So that's, you know, to, to suggest that, you know, a player was taken before he should've been taken, all that stuff kind of goes out the window.

And what really The only thing that matters is how those players go off the draft board Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Right.

It's all about the team getting who they like the best, the best player on their draft board at the time that they pick.

And the 49ers don't have a lot of picks, they only have six, so they gotta make them count.

Number 27 in the first round, number 58 in the second round, and then four picks right next to each other in the fourth round.

So they've got to use them wisely because we've seen in the past, last year they had 11 picks, all of those 11 guys still on the roster, and six is almost half.

So it- they've gotta make sure that they make these draft picks count.

And obviously we know no draft is ever perfect.

There's going to be some makes and there's going to be some misses.

And what I can say for the 49ers is when they've gotten into those later rounds, they've really found some guys who have proven to be worth more than what their draft status was.

You think George Kittle, you think Dre Greenlaw, Deommodore Lenoir, guys that Fred Warner even was a third-round pick.

So it's about them trying to find and make sure they get those value picks in those later rounds because that's really where the 49ers have built their roster from.

And it's those players that f-You know, they don't have to pay as much money until they get to their second contract.

It adds youth to the roster, which has been, you know, a movement that they've had since 2025.

I think they wanna continue that.

I don't think that stops, but getting those younger guys to replenish the roster and be guys of the future, I think that's what they need to do in 2026.

Yeah, and the, the final pick of the 2022 draft wasn't, you know, was pretty good as well.

Yes.

Yes.

Had that Brock Purdy guy.

That guy.

Yeah, and every team has their own draft board, right?

'Cause a player that might be, you know, a first-round pick for one team might not even be on the draft board for another team because either a style, you know, a, a, not a fit for the offense or defense or, you know, maybe some teams, look past, potential character kinds of stuff.

So, you know, there's a lot to talk about a- as this draft approaches, and just, I'm gonna foreshadow later in, in this episode of 49ers Talk, Jennifer and I will be, talking publicly about a s- a situation that, you know, I know personally I didn't really wanna talk about it until there was some sort of rev- resolution.

I'm, I'm not sure I even really wanna talk about it now, but, but we will, because it's, it's I mean, it, it's been one of the stories of the NFL, and of course, I'm talking about the, the Diana Russini and Mike Vrabel, situation.

there was some resolution, at least from, The Athletic, Diana Russini's former employer.

But we'll, we'll talk about more of that later.

Let, let's just focus in on the football right now.

And, you know, the 49ers had their, all their pre-draft visits.

They're, they're allowed 30 visits.

Each team is allowed 30 visits, and the 49ers don't give up that information, like who is coming in or who came in.

you know, I think they did have their annual trip to Topgolf on Tuesday night, and, you know, some of the players, have posted or did post, like, pictures on their IG stories or whatever.

But, l- let's kind of take a look at some of the players who came in and maybe, maybe what it says.

you know, they were, they were heavy with wide receivers.

Mm-hmm.

you know, a few, a couple offensive linemen or at least Yeah, a couple offensive linemen.

So the, the guys that I kind of, put into the bucket of, you know, potential first-round picks, maybe even, you know, maybe there's a one or two of these guys even slip to, to 58 overall.

But the wide receivers, Casey Concepcion, Omar Cooper, Denzel Boston, the offensive lineman, Caden Proctor, Caleb Lomu, and a defensive end, Malachi Lawrence.

So I- i- it's interesting, right?

I mean, wide receiver is one of those spots where, you know, we know they have a need there because, you know, the two veterans that they signed essentially were signed to one-year contracts.

And- Right and let me, let me read this to you, Jennifer, and, and get your reaction.

But two weeks ago at the NFL annual meeting, John Lynch was asked a question, and, and in the course of the question, it was, you know, "Is, is wide receiver set, or is it something that you can address early in the draft?"

And his answer was, "I don't know about early, but we're certainly in the business of adding good players."

And he talked about that position, and he said, "Where the price tag is going," meaning what wide receivers, quality wide receivers get on their second contract.

He said, "Where the price tag is going, it's probably healthy business to try to add them as much as you can in these drafts."

So that said, I guess that still opens a door that they could take a wide receiver at 27 overall, but do you expect it?

I, I honestly think that the emphasis should be, probably will be on defensive line, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a wide receiver, just because sometimes You know, I'm not saying that John Lynch is fibbing about that at all, but he could also be thinking, "Well, I don't know about early."

Early could be considered one through 10.

They have a pick at number 27, so is, you know, wide receiver something that they get at that point?

It could be, and sometimes it's, you know, diversion tactics.

But the three that you mentioned, Casey Concepcion from Texas A&M, Omar Cooper from Indiana, and Denzel Boston from Washington, are all players that everyone I spoke to at the NFL Combine at the end of February, all of the draft experts said those three receivers in particular would fit in very nicely with Kyle Shanahan's system.

They are all willing to block.

Some of them will stretch the field more than others.

They're very astute when it comes to route running, so all of them could easily I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if any of those three were drafted to the 49ers.

Yeah.

Concepcion is, is smaller- Mm-hmm but really fast.

Right.

Good route runner.

has all the tools.

Omar Cooper is a guy that, is, is kind of like Deebo Samuel, but probably m- more polished as a wide receiver and, and can really, you know, do a lot of different things.

Mm-hmm.

And then Denzel Boston is kind of like Mike Evans, right?

A big guy who could probably learn a lot, if he's in the same wide receiver room with Mike Evans for a year.

So I mean, all those guys make sense.

the, the one guy- Right.

When I- I got, I spoke to Daniel Jeremiah right off the podium one-on-one and asked him, "Who is a wide receiver that you can think of off the top of your head that would be great at blocking that Kyle Shanahan would love?"

And he said, "Omar Cooper Jr." He's like, "He's willing to get in there, both the wide receivers from Indiana are willing to get in there, get their noses dirty," which is a clear desire to have as a quality for Kyle Shanahan.The, the one that I kinda, I looked at-- well, the two, you know, the two offensive linemen, Caden Proctor, a big, big offensive lineman, gi-gigantic.

you know, there, there seemed to be a, a thought that he won't be there, that maybe he's rising.

you know, he played really, really heavy at Alabama.

the other one, Kaleb Lomu, who, posted a picture from the 49ers', weight room on Tuesday, I think that was.

he's a guy who has a lot of position flexibility, but I would think that both of these guys that they've brought in for 30 visits, and we don't know if they brought in other as of this point, we don't know, you know, all the other people that they brought in.

But I, I could see where Proctor and Lomu would be players that could start out at left guard- Mm-hmm and then, you know, kinda show or where players can see, just how viable it would be to move them out to left tackle when that time comes, when Trent Williams is, is no longer on the team, the 49ers have a, have a gaping hole there.

I know it's not done often anymore, that that's, you know, a, a plan of attack for teams, but- Mm-hmm yeah, I could see the forty-nine.

I could see that.

I, I know you and I, we've gone back and forth on this a lot.

I was just looking this up, as far as the 49ers' offensive line.

49ers were fifth, tied for fifth best in the league, giving up only twenty-seven sacks on the season, and that's, you know, eight games with Mac Jones and nine games with Brock Purdy.

So twenty-seven sacks allowed, that's the same as Seattle, and the top four teams, were the Rams, Broncos, Bears, and Falcons as far as giving up sacks.

49ers' passing game, sixth in the league with forty-three hundred yards passing.

They were also sixth in the league with a ninety-eight point eight passer rating.

So, yeah, I think the suggestion that the 49ers were so bad with the offensive line, is, is unfounded.

But at the same time, we know that they have an immediate opening on the offensive line, and you can't say that about any other position really on the team.

Right.

So if, if you're going by need, like where, where do they need to fill a spot just to be able to suit up and go play football?

If you look at it from that perspective, left guard is probably the spot.

Absolutely.

I mean, that's the spot where there is not a starter named.

Everywhere else on the, on the roster, there is a starter that is on the roster somewhere.

They've got guys that they've added depth to.

It's going to be a competition, but there is not a guy who is standing out as their left guard as of yet.

And John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, everybody said that it's going to be an open competition.

The guys that they brought in are going to compete.

But yeah, they could take an offensive line-lineman, guard, center possibility type thing, someone who can cross over, or maybe just someone who's a guard specifically at that number twenty-seven spot.

I just, I just historically looking at what they've done in the past, I don't think it happens.

Maybe with the second-round pick like they did with Aaron Banks, I just don't think they do it with number twenty-seven.

Potentially- Yeah you know, those later picks, you know, in the fourth round, I could see that happening.

but just historically the way this group works, I don't think it is.

And it's gotta be where every other skill position that they've had listed above that guard has been taken by another team.

You know, there's a definite order, the draft board that they've built, and if the, the cards fall that way, then it could be a guard.

But I think a lot of different things would have to happen for that to end up being the result.

Yeah.

And for fifty-eight, you know, maybe one of these guys is there.

You know, if you're looking at guard, you know, a Chase Besantes from Texas A&M- Mm-hmm a Keelon Rutledge from Georgia Tech, Jennings Dunker from Iowa.

We know how much they like their Iowa guards, their Iowa- Players blockers.

Yeah.

Yeah.

P- period, right?

Because of, you know, the, the style of, of offense they play.

So, those are some spots there.

you know, you and I on Wednesday at nbcsportsbayarea.com, we wrote about the defensive backfield.

I You know, it looks to me like, you know, their, their cornerback situation, at least the guys who are starters, I mean, that's, that's pretty much in granite right now- Right, right with Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, but they could still use some guys.

Now, they've added a couple of veteran guys.

They just added Jack Jones, who started every game the last two seasons, basically with the Raiders and with the Dolphins.

So he'll be You know, he provides depth along with Dorel Luder.

Mm-hmm.

also th-they previously had signed Nate Hobbs, a veteran.

You know, I'm not sure that any of those guys you'd just say absolutely slam dunk, he makes the team.

but I think that they can add depth at cornerback at some point, probably in those fourth rounds, right?

Right, right.

Those fourth-round picks.

Right.

I mean, they've got their starters.

Like we said, there's not a guy on the roster who is the starting left guard.

In the defensive backfield, they have their starters.

Renardo Green, John Lynch put all of the rumors to rest when we saw him at the owners meeting that there were, you know, talks of trading Renardo Green.

Those were unfounded.

Somehow they got out, but so they have their starters in Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, and Upton Stout.

Upton Stout, I mean, for I mean, when you look at him on the field, when you compare him to the rest of the team, you're like, "Who is that guy out there?"

But when he gets on the field during a game, just plays so differently.

so, you know, they couldMaybe draft in the fourth round, a backup for the nickel position, you know, a backup for, you know, one of the defensive backs', positions.

But I mean, they're pretty much set there.

I definitely don't think they're going to use the first or second round on a defensive back.

Yeah, and just you- to, amplify what you said about Reagardo Green, John Lynch said, "You know, sometimes, you know, whenever trade rumors get out or reports get out, there's, there's a, you know, there's a little bit of smoke, you know, maybe not fire," but he goes, "In this case there was nothing."

He said, "We didn't talk to any team."

That's what, that's what John Lynch said.

And then as far as safety, I still contend I, I wouldn't be shocked if they go safety, 'cause I think that that's an area where they feel like there's a lot of room to improve.

You know, they, they have used picks on safeties, middle round picks.

What, a third round pick on Ji'Ayir Brown, a fourth round pick on Malik Mustafa, and a fifth round pick on Marquis Siegel, and those are each of the past three seasons.

And just the way I read the tea leaves and, and just my feeling is 49ers are happy with Malik Mustafa.

Mm-hmm.

He's entering the third year of his, of his, career.

Ji'Ayir Brown, this is the final year of his contract.

Marquis Siegel coming off his rookie year.

I just feel like the 49ers believe that there's more to be there's more out there that they can, you know, they can make more plays at safety.

They can, they can get their hands on the football more.

They can generate more takeaways.

So it wouldn't shock me if they used one of their first two picks to try to improve that safety position.

I agree with you about Malik Mustafa.

I think he is a guy who they absolutely believe in.

Right when he was ready to come back from his injury, he was back on the field as a starter.

Marquis Siegel, though, kind of untapped.

They don't know what they have in him yet.

He didn't get on the field much.

I know they really liked him coming out of the draft, so if he's able to turn it around, he did have a few setbacks with injuries and whatnot, and, you know, Kyle Shanahan always says if a rookie gets injured during training camp and doesn't get all of that training or during OTAs, it really does set them back, and we've seen it historically.

Guys like Jacob Powling, who got hurt during training camp, Marquis Siegel, Jordan Watkins, those guys who have, like, kind of flash but then got injured and didn't go through the whole training camp, it really does set them back.

It slows them down, and so I know they want to get more out of Marquis Siegel.

Both Marquis Siegel and Ji'Ayir Brown, I don't think they've hit their ceilings yet, and I know the 49ers would really like to get more out of them before their contracts are up.

Yeah, it's kind of interesting.

You know, Marquis Siegel was a, a week one starter last year- Mm-hmm as a rookie.

You know, he won the starting job coming out of training camp over Ji'Ayir Brown, but they never really figured out, you know, who their, who their, their starting safeties were other than Mustafa.

When he was healthy and ready to go, he was the guy.

But, you know, at some point, I think he started off with Jason Pinnock, and- Right and Pinnock signed, re-signed with the Giants this off-season.

Siegel had his opportunity, and then Ji'Ayir Brown got in and, and he played, you know, at a, at an okay level.

But I think tho- those are kind of the spots.

And then, you know, we've always talked about the defensive line and, you know, 20 sacks last year.

That, that says a lot, and 49ers do expect just the presence of Nick Bosa to help that group out.

but it doesn't matter how many sacks he gets, they're gonna need more.

You know, they, they did not have really much at all at outside pass rusher.

I mean, Clelin Ferrell came in midway through the season.

He tied for the team league, team lead with four sacks.

You know, Bryce Huff did not give them what they wanted.

He only had four sacks.

you know, Sam Okowanu, you know, they, they just need to find a, a four-man pass rush, especially a guy on the outside opposite of Bosa- Yep that can consistently get pressure on the quarterback.

I feel like they've been looking for someone to play opposite of Nick Bosa for as long as Nick Bosa's been on the roster.

They ha- they were happy with Dee Ford, and then he got injured and he wasn't on the field much, but when they had healthy pass rushers from both sides, I mean, I think that's always been the goal.

They want to return to that, that pressure on quarterbacks, and they really haven't had it since Dee Ford was first with the 49ers and Nick Bosa was on the opposite side.

Yeah, no, one thing I'll say, like, you know, Mykel Williams is somebody that, you know, they took early in the draft last year, but, you know, he's not a high- Right quantity- He's not- Uh- Right.

He's not a guy who gets after the pass rush, after the passer from the outside.

He's- Yeah he's told me that he really likes how things kind of happen faster on the interior.

He plays both.

He's an edge setter more than he's a pass rusher on the side.

Mm-hmm.

So it's not necessarily in his immediate skill set, not to say that he can't get there, but his talents are stopping and blocking in the center, stopping the run, getting af- getting pressure on the quarterback, but not around the outside.

He does set the edge well, though.

He, he's kind of like, Arik Arm- Armstead in a way, right?

Right.

I mean, he's- Right you know, he pl- he can play defensive end on base downs and do a good job there- Mm-hmm and then move inside and rush the passer in nickel situations.

But, you know, I don't, I don't know that he's ever gonna be, like, a double digit or, you know, consistent double digit sack guy.

Now, maybe he might be, because he's still a young guy- Right and growing, and, and I You know, my, my interactions with him have all been very positive- Mm-hmm as far as, you know, the level of detail that, that heUm, uses the, hi-hi-his focus on being a really good player.

So, you know, I think we'll, we'll see how that turns out.

Um- You know what's gonna help him out?

I would What?

Osa Odighizuwa is going to help- Mike El Williams out, because Osa Odighizuwa is gonna draw double teams.

So if they happen to both be on the field at the same time in the interior, that's gonna help Mike El Williams get up the center at the passer.

So I mean, I think having more experience and more power around him, and maybe they won't be on the field a lot together, but, you know, I think that's going to really help him, especially on the interior.

I mean, he can bounce out to the outside, too- but having another power guy in the middle.

You know, they have C.J.

West now for Collins next to him last year, you know, while he was in there, but they were young.

Osa Odighizuwa is much more, polished and refined and, you know, has a lot more experience to help him out.

Yeah.

one, one position we haven't talked about at all, and I think good reason we haven't talked about them at all, is linebacker.

I mean, look at this linebacker core.

I think last year they opened the season, the 49ers did, with five linebackers on their, on their 53-man roster.

And right now they have Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Dee Winners, and Tatum Bethune.

So there's, there's four guys right there who played a lot of football.

You know, with Warner and Greenlaw, they, they'd been, you know, the, the two every down linebackers for the 49ers for quite some time.

Mm-hmm.

Last year, because of the injuries to Warner and Dre Greenlaw being with the Broncos, it was Dee Winners and Tatum Bethune who played a lot of football.

And then you, you sprinkle in Luke Gifford, who was the strong side linebacker and started nine games.

So there are five guys right there that are carryovers from last season, you know, with Dre Greenlaw of course coming back.

And then the 49ers, you know, they drafted Nick Martin a year ago in the third round, so they had a high opinion of him.

his season obviously didn't go the way he wanted it to, or anybody around the 49ers wanted it to.

He had a difficult time getting on the field.

started to play a lot of special teams, had the concussion, missed the final month of the season, and wasn't cleared out of the concussion protocol until after the season was over.

But Nick Martin, a third round pick last year, and then also Garrett Wallow, who the 49ers re-signed and, and played special teams.

So, you know, I, I'm sure they'll add an undrafted guy or two.

I, I just, I don't see them drafting a linebacker because th- they have a lot of people there who have played a lot of football.

They definitely have.

Funny though how it happens, right?

Last year there was so much talk about how the linebacker group was one of the best in the league, and then injury after injury, and they were down to their, you know, their backup backups at the end of the season.

guys that, you know, played well, that have experience, but when you look at what they have now, completely different with the starters being Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.

Kind of how we looked at the running back position a few years ago, right?

It was Christian McCaffrey got hurt.

He wasn't out there.

They went through, what, five running backs in one season.

Just kind of depends on how the season goes, but as of the start, as of right now, linebacker room looks very good.

Yeah, and Arik Kendricks, who ended the season as a starter, he's unsigned, and, you know, I don't, I don't think the 49ers will, will bring him back just 'cause there's no real need for, for Arik Kendricks right now.

yeah, you've mentioned running back.

It, it's kind of interesting to hear Kyle Shanahan talk about his preference to get someone to share the load or find someone who steps up to share the load, whether that's Jordan James, who, moved ahead of Isaac Guerendo on the depth chart last year, or Guerendo himself.

but he said that the one thing that, that went against them incorporating more running backs into the action was they were just too healthy at running back.

I mean, that - That's so weird to hear that, right?

I mean He said What did he mean?

Write this down.

He said something along the lines of, "I don't know that we've ever had a, a, go through an entire season without a running back getting injured."

And it, of all people, it was Christian McCaffrey coming off of the 2024 season where he could, you know, he only suited up for four games I think that year.

And last year, he was out there not only for every game, but it just felt like darn near every snap of every game.

It really was.

He was out there a lot.

And the reason they had to rely on him, because he was also their number one target.

He was the number one receiver.

So I think with not only having more balanced attacks and having, you know, Kyle Shanahan and, and Bobby Turner really work on trying to get the subs down to a right, the right, you know, rhythm, I think Mike Evans and Christian Kirk and Ricky Pearsall being healthy is gonna change a lot.

He, Christian McCaffrey was the number one target.

He was designed in, into almost every play.

And I thought Kyle Shanahan's story about how they wanted to sub him out and Bobby Turner would take him out, and then Kyle Shanahan would call a play that was designed for Christian McCaffrey, and it, he wasn't out there to do it.

So it, you know, would stunt the offense a little bit.

So having those other targets that are going to be reliable for Brock Purdy is also going to help the 49ers give Christian McCaffrey a little bit of rest.

Yeah, the, I remember that one game where, you know, McCaffrey actually asked out of a game 'cause he had carried the ball or, you know, he was tired.

Seems to me it was one of those night games.

It might've been that-Might have been that Sunday night game against the Falcons.

But, you know, he basically raised his hand, he's going off the field, and then Shanah- Shanahan sees him coming off the field and is like, "No, you gotta get back in because this play call is for you."

Exactly.

So even when, even when Christian McCaffrey wanted to come off the field, which is basically never- Never even then Kyle Shanahan wouldn't let him off the field.

So 49ers will, I would think, you know, draft pick for a running back, eh, I don't think they need to do that with McCaffrey, with James, with Gurindo, with Patrick Taylor.

But they have had good success finding undrafted rookies, and that, that would be a spot.

You know, one, one other thing, you know, they, they did bring a couple of veteran guys to the roster last week.

I, I forget if we talked about it on the last, last 49ers Talk or not, but, Cam Sample, who's a defensive end from the Bengals- Mm-hmm and then also mentioned Jack Jones, a cornerback from Miami.

I think- Let me know your thoughts, let me know your thoughts on, on Jack Jones.

I, I was surprised that, I mean, and everybody deserves a second chance, but with his history of being late to meetings along with, you know, off-the-field issues, he didn't seem like a guy that I would think the 49ers are like, "Oh, yes, that's the guy."

I mean, they really have a standard of guys who are on the straight and narrow, who are team captains.

Mm-hmm.

I thought it was a little different for them to bring in Jack Jones.

I know it's only a one-year deal, but it did strike me as something kind of not on the normal path for the team.

Yeah.

I, I, I just feel like probably, you know, that contract, there's not much risk.

Mm-hmm.

So it's kind of like no skin off their nose if- Mm-hmm if it doesn't work out, and they can, you know, they can move on quite quickly from him.

Mm-hmm.

so I, you know, it's probably just a, a really low-risk situation, as far as bringing him to the team.

my guess is that the f- top four guys are probably pretty well set.

Mm-hmm.

You know, and I'd put Darrelle Luer in that as well.

Right.

Chase Lucas, he, he signed last week with the, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Right.

49ers did not tender him as a, as a restricted free agent.

But I think this is the time of year where teams are looking or willing to go out and sign a veteran guy who has experience as almost kind of like a, a placeholder.

Like, okay, you know, right now, you know, if e- everything works out, he'll be on the team and he can fill this role or that role, and then you look at what happens after the draft.

And, you know, I know John Lynch said that this guy is, you know, too, too rich for our blood, but I just wonder if after the draft, if the 49ers aren't able to get a pass rusher at 27, I just wonder if there might be an opportunity for them to revisit the Joey Bosa situation.

Joey Bosa.

The newly, newly married Joey Bosa.

Is that right?

Yeah.

I didn't get the invite.

What the heck is going on here?

Neither did I. but I just wonder, you know, at some point is he gonna want to Everybody has their asking price.

Right.

But, you know, after the draft, that's typically when teams kind of reassess.

Mm-hmm.

And, you know, there are a lot of wide receivers out there- Mm-hmm veteran guys, well-known names, and, and Joey Bosa would be a, a guy at a position where the 49ers could ce- certainly, they, they would have a spot for him.

so we'll see how the, how the draft goes and that, and just around the league, you know, teams that don't get their wide receiver.

Maybe they, you know, dip into the wide receivers who are, who are out there, including Juwan Jennings- Right and Deebo Samuel.

Mm-hmm.

or Brandon Aiyuk.

you know, for the 49ers, if they don't get the edge rusher that they want and they don't see, a rookie being part of their, you know, nickel package, you know, could they revisit the, the Joey Bosa thing?

If Joey's, if Joey's price falls a little bit and the 49ers'- Yeah price rises a little bit, eh, may- maybe there's a- I think- maybe there's a way where they can swing a deal.

Maybe there's a way where they can have- Yeah Joey Bosa can have his second union of the off-season.

Hey, gotta pay for the wedding too, you know?

So- I, I, I think he's okay.

I think so too.

I think so too.

But yeah, I mean, you know, it, it, you never know, right?

I think, you know, they would love to have Joey Bosa a- and Nick Bosa on the roster.

I think that would be, a great kind of package for edge rushers.

I think they would love to do that.

It's just every time I've asked, and we've, you've asked about Joey Bosa, it's been, it's just, it's too high a price for us.

Okay.

It's too high a price.

So the, the desire is there, it's just the money is the limiting factor.

Yeah.

You know, we'll see how all that works out.

Okay, we're gonna continue.

We're going to, shift gears, and talk about, I don't know, how, how would you describe it?

A scandal that has kinda rocked the NFL world.

incident.

An incident.

An, an incident?

Okay.

Yeah.

that has, has, been much talked about, because of a lot of different factors and, and we will delve into that a little bit after this word from our sponsors.

We're back on 49ers Talk, brought to you by your local Toyota dealers, Toyota, Let's Go Places.

Before we get into the, the heavy subject, Jennifer, Mike Evans apparently has a number with the 49ers.Number five- Yeah which- Mm-hmm DeMarcus Robinson had last year.

Robinson remains on the team, but I was just kinda looking at DeMarcus Robinson's number history.

Uh- Uh-huh.

The previous year, he was number 15 with the Rams.

Of course, that was, Jauan Jennings' number with the 49ers.

Mm-hmm.

And through most of his career with KC, he was number 11.

Of course, that's Brandon Aiyuk's old number.

Or I guess it's still his number until something actually happens.

Yeah.

So- Uh-huh Mike Evans, number five.

I really think that Mike Evans being part of the 49ers is going to change how the offense is run, and from everyone I've spoken to, I know you have too.

Jenna Lane, who's been covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a long time, they're really bummed to miss him.

they're gonna be missing him in the locker room.

Just a stand-up guy.

you know, sometimes when the You know, there are going to be losses, and there are certain guys who always offer really nice insight to why there were losses or what happened, and that's what I've heard about him in the locker room post-game.

And it's, you know, I think goes in line with everything that you see from the 49ers locker room, from George Kittle to Christian McCaffrey, Fred Warner.

I think it's gonna be a really easy fit for him to be part of this group.

All right.

We are There's probably no, simple and easy way- No segue to, to make this, the segue.

we, we've avoided talking about this subject, or I guess it's probably not necessarily revelant re- re- relevant to be talking about it.

But, you know, you, you did post something on your YouTube channel about, kinda your thoughts about, this, this situation involving Dianna Russini, formerly of The Athletic.

She turned in her resignation this week.

And Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, who, you know, photos appeared of them at a resort in Sedona a couple days before.

The pictures were taken a couple days before the NFL annual meeting, of which you and I were there, and we both saw Dianna, we both saw Mike Vrabel.

so, I, I'm just gonna kinda toss it open to you, Jennifer, 'cause I, I certainly have some thoughts about this, but, it just, it I'll just, yeah, I'll, I'll just leave it open to you to kinda take it where you wanna take this.

like you said, saw Dianna Russini at the annual meeting.

I've seen her repeatedly throughout my coverage of the 49ers, and she's, you know, a very nice person.

She is very, like, you know, I see her, we hug.

She's gregarious, she's energetic.

big personality.

And what I also wanna say is that we don't know what the truth is.

We don't know what the situation is.

We only see what everybody else has seen.

So there are two people who know exactly what is going on, and that's Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini.

but the issue is with the perception of what could've happened or what might've happened.

And as a female covering an NFL team, being involved with the NFL, and, a male-dominated industry, I, I know there have been some stories out there that said every female's credibility is in question.

I don't necessarily think it's as harsh or as, as, I think, as extreme as that, but I do think that when journalistic integrity and professionalism is in question, it makes all of us have to behave at an even higher standard, and to make sure that there are no questions.

Mm-hmm.

whether or not it's true or not, we have to be, as women, careful not to put ourselves in a situation that could be interpreted as that.

I mean, whether she Whatever the relationship or friendship is between them, it's just unfortunately you have to think twice and be very careful to not put yourself in a situation that could come into question.

And it's a tough spot to be in.

you know, as, as a member of the media, family members, moms, wives, girlfriends all wait outside the locker room for their spouse, boyfriend, sons in the locker room while we walk in, and it's not lost on me that I'm a female walking into a male locker room.

And I've talked about this, a number of times to women, to men.

My behavior in the locker room is all really based on our old c- former colleague, Mindy Bock.

And she is someone who covered the NFL with grace and professionalism, and my first year, I watched everything she did, and the way she spoke to players.

She got great stories.

She got great interviews with players because she treated them with respect, and they treated her with respect.

And I watched her behavior and how she acted around players, and I mimic all of the things that she did because I realized and watched how comfortable she made players in a situation where they're in a locker room.

They're in their kind of sanctuary.

They are changing, you know, after a game.

And, I just always have thought that the way she acted was the way I wanted to portray myself as well.

So I try to hold myself to that standard, and always thank you to Mindy.Yeah.

No, Mindy is, she was the, she and I kicked off this 49ers Talk podcast- Yeah many, many years ago.

yeah, Mindy Bock, one of the, the absolute greatest.

okay, so couple things.

o- one was I used to work for The New York Times, and The Athletic is owned by The New York Times, and the, the standard, the professional standards of The New York Times were something that I had not experienced before or since in my professional life as far as, and you kind of alluded to it.

It's not just, conflict of interest in-- with a reporter dealing with a source or somebody you cover, but it's also the appearance of conflict of interest, even if the conflict of interest isn't there.

So those are two things that come to mind.

The, the other thing that comes to mind to me is I mean, I'm, I'm speaking to you, I don't have to tell you this, and this, maybe this is something you don't even wanna touch on, but w- women are held to a ridiculously high standard that men are not held to.

All this entire story has been about Dianna Russini and what- Mm-hmm she did or didn't do.

No one is talking about Mike Vrabel, the head coach of the New England Patriots.

It's, it's just, you know, the-- he's more powerful.

you know, he just went to the, just went to the Super Bowl as the head coach of the Patriots.

But I, I find that part, you know, like, i- kind of unsettling that n- nobody's talking about him.

Absolutely.

Because, you know, if, if you're gonna look at, you know, one side of, you know, what, what Dianna Russini might have gained from any kind of interaction with Mike Vrabel, there's the other part of it too, is either he, you know, theoretically would be sharing secrets or using, you know, the media in that way to further the Patriots.

So that part of it, is, is just kinda shocking.

And then the, you know, the Patriots have their pre-draft meeting, and it's Elliot Wolf, who's an executive, who's put out there in front of the New England media, to answer for Mike Vrabel.

And according to Elliot Wolf, you know, for Mike Vrabel, it's business as usual.

Well, it's not business as usual for, Dianna Russini because, this week she, she sent in her letter of resignation, a- and talked about, you know, "The recent attacks against me, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply, unmoored from the facts."

she's said that she was stepping aside, "Not because I accept the narrative, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen and let it define my career."

So, yeah, I've, I've known Dianna for 15-plus years.

in fact, I'll, I'll share this story.

When we were at the, the Super Bowl on, on Media Row this year, there was a group of students, college students, who came by, by our setup there at NBC Sports Bay Area, and I see Dianna walking towards us, and our eyes kinda lock, and she comes on over, and she just impromptu You talk about gregarious and just-- I mean, she is, she is- Full of life full of life.

Full of life.

And I just said, "Hey, everybody, Dianna Russini from The Athletic."

And I said, "Here, you know, this is a, you know, group of, college students here."

And she just immediately just went, "Okay, you know, this is what you do."

And it was-- I mean, she just freaking took charge right there and, and talked about, you know, never experience imposter syndrome.

You belong.

I remember her saying, you know, "There'll be stuff that you do in this business that, that, you know, sources or people wanna make you feel uncomfortable.

Y- you can't give into that.

You, you gotta just, you know, act like you belong and, and seize it."

And, and she left, and everybody was like, "Whoa.

You know, that was..." You know, and I was like, "Yeah, that was, you know, good advice that she gave."

Mm-hmm.

So I've, I've known her.

I'm not gonna You know, it's not up to you and I to, you know, say, to, to publicly back her and have her back 100%, or she did wrong and she, you know, this and, you know, same thing I guess with, with Vrabel.

But that was a part that I just wanted to, to address that, we, we, yeah, we don't know what happened.

I don't care to know.

I have zero-- I don't care what happened between those two.

but it, it's, it's shocking to me.

It shouldn't be shocking.

It's, unsettling to me- Right the double standard.

And the-- to add on to that, you know, there's a lot of people saying, "Well, she's the only one who benefited from this relationship."

I don't believe that is true at all.

I don't either.

Yes, she would've gotten information from him potentially through their friendship, whatever relationship it is.

But also, let's not forget, she had a vote for Coach of the Year, and Mike Vrabel won Coach of the Year for 2025.

Also, information that she has from other sources, he could have benefited from that for information from other teams in the division, other teams throughout the league.

So there could have been, information going back and forth from both sides.

So yes, there should be scrutiny not just of Dianna Russini, but of Mike Vrabel.

He could have had an unfair advantage.

Mm-hmm.

I'm-- and I'm just speculating, but equally, he could have had an unfair advantage of knowledge about things happening throughout the league because she also has other sources.

He's not her only source.

Yeah.

so I mean, yes, that's why there should be- investigation or, you know, the same scrutiny on both sides- Yeah.

And- Of the story let's not pretend that, that, you know, men don't have cozy relationships with, you know, in the media with, with other men, you know, w- and its favors being done.

Mm-hmm.

I mean, all you have to do is just kind of see how, you know, the first days of free agency are handled with, with, you know, the, the reports about contracts that aren't, That end up having, you know, no basis in fact as far as the dollar amounts being thrown out there.

I mean, it's just, you know, it's, it's, it's interesting subject and it's, you know, obviously not a great subject because of this context of it.

But, just the, you know, the professional accountability, you know, that's something that I think, people in the media business, man, woman, doesn't matter, all kind of struggle with, with that part of it, the accountability and- Mm-hmm you know, the forging of relationships.

You have to have relationships with the individuals you cover, otherwise you're, you know, you're just standing up there in an, in an ivory tower and, you know, spitting darts at people.

there has to be some level of accountability, and, it, it's, you know, sometimes I think for, for some, it, it's kind of a, It's a fine line you're walking.

And, and maybe, you know, the, the accountability part is, you know, not admitting anything, but also saying, "You know, I shouldn't have put myself in this situation."

Mm-hmm.

Whether it is, you know, an unprofessional relationship or not, you can't put yourself in a situation that will appear- Mm-hmm to be- Yeah potentially inappropriate.

So, you know, that's just she And also, she's not the only one out there.

She's the only one who is in the spotlight now, and he is the only one in the spotlight now for it being publicized.

But, you know, there are other people in the media that have had inappropriate relationships with players, staff, coaches.

It's not the only one.

It never is.

So it's just You know, I, I feel as a woman, though, there's just a higher level of responsibility that we have to have to keep our reputations as pristine as they need to be.

Mm-hmm.

For instance, if you were seen with a GM or a coach or a player having a cocktail at a restaurant, no one's gonna question that.

No one's gonna question the appropriateness of your relationship.

You know, you could be just having a beer.

You guys ran into each other and you're having a chat.

It's different as a female, and that happens.

It's also different as a female trying to foster the relationships and, you know, there are some reporters that are really, really good at asking for phone numbers, and there are so many other ways of asking for To be connected to a player or a coach or a staff member if needed now, like through DMs, through social media.

But it's, it's one of the hardest parts about, for me, about the job is to trying to say, "Hey," you know, I know that a lot of I've seen other reporters do it.

"Hey, can I get your number?

I just have a few follow-up questions."

"Oh, no problem."

And the player, coach, staff member hands out their phone number quickly, easily.

There's no questions.

As a female doing that, as much as I try and I, I think I do the best I can to try and maintain that level of professionalism, if there's other women with behavior that is lacking professionalism- that promotes the thought that maybe this is not just a phone number for information, it's a phone number that could open doors for something else that's unprofessional.

So it's just, it's, I think it's just a tough situation to be in.

and, you know, I We're just going to do the best that we can here- at 49ers Talk at being as professional as possible.

Yeah.

And I, I would say this, yeah, yeah, I don't As far as relationships with, with, with the current players, you know, I, I, I certainly don't have anything that, that stretches beyond, you know, the locker room or the field.

But what I do do is, you know, I, I do have relationships with former players, you know, some of whom I covered, some of whom I, I didn't cover.

and, and I will do anything, you know, within my power to help those guys out after their careers are over, which, which brings us to the event, the Dwight Clark Legacy Event, which is May 20th.

No, but it's true.

Like I You know, there it is.

Mm-hmm.

You're, you're wearing the, the, pullover, the, the quarter zip.

Is that what it's called?

Mm-hmm.

Yep.

So yeah, like o- once players' careers are over, I mean, I will, I will Anything I can do to help, improve their, their quality of life or causes that they back, and not that I wouldn't do that with, with current players.

But, you know, I do really become a booster of, you know, the former players as they acclimate, or they might need help later in life.

And so that's what this, the, the Dwight Clark Legacy Event is all about.

you can check it out.

There's tickets, that are now on sale for the May 20th event at Hammer Theater in San Jose.

I think you can find all the information either going through Hammer Theater or, dwightclarkaward.com.

let me just make sure that that is the right I think that's the right, yeah, Dwight Clark- And, and you never, yeah, you never wanna miss this event.

It is always packed full of alum and current players, and the storytelling is amazing.

always, there's always stories that we haven't heard before that happen at these events.

It's, it's a fun night.

sometimes there's draftees there.

Mm-hmm.

Last year, two years ago, it was Renardo Green.

Yeah.

Um- And, and was Malik there?

Malik Mustapha was there?

I remember Renardo- I think so, yeah was there.

Yep.

Mm-hmm.

and that was the year that, Brock Purdy, this year- Mm-hmm Kyle Juszczyk is gonna win the Dwight Clark Award.

So yeah- Mm-hmm it should be a fun night with, former players and current players.

So yeah, check that out, dwightclarkaward.com.

All right, Jennifer, I think, this, this 49ers Talk kind of ran, ran the gamut of, information and, and opinion and, you know, touching on the, the news of the day and the, and the, the, the story of the NFL over the past week or so.

Yes.

You know, you get it all here on 49ers Talk.

You know, whether we wanna give it to you or not , you get it all here.

Close