WEBVTT - 1st & 10: Recapping the 49ers 2023 NFL Draft

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<v Speaker 1>Hello, and welcome to the forty nine Ers First and

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<v Speaker 1>ten Podcast, ten minutes of the most up to date

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<v Speaker 1>forty nine Ers news first Thing in the morning. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>your host Brianna McDonald, and I'm joined by forty nine

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<v Speaker 1>Ers team reporter Lindsay Polares. The forty nine Ers closed

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<v Speaker 1>out the final day of the twenty twenty three NFL

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<v Speaker 1>Draft on Saturday, making six selections in rounds five, six,

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<v Speaker 1>and seven. In total. San Francisco welcomed nine draft picks

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<v Speaker 1>to the team. Before we get to know some of

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<v Speaker 1>the final picks, Lindsay, tell me your initial reaction to

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<v Speaker 1>the twenty twenty three draft class.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think I just want to echo what general

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<v Speaker 2>manager John Lynch said, I think the forty nine Ers

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<v Speaker 2>got better this weekend. I think kind of the overarching

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<v Speaker 2>theme that we heard heading into the draft and also

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<v Speaker 2>coming out of it is the forty nine Ers were

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<v Speaker 2>interested in adding depth to their team. They had a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of their core remain intact during free agency, which

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<v Speaker 2>everyone was really happy about. They added some more key

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<v Speaker 2>players and positions of kneed during free agency, so the

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<v Speaker 2>draft really was to make sure that they have the

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<v Speaker 2>talent of the future and talent that can step in

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<v Speaker 2>if there's unfortunate injuries throughout the season, which happens every year.

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<v Speaker 2>It's almost unavoidable, and they got a lot of players

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<v Speaker 2>that they were happy to find in the spots they had.

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<v Speaker 2>There was only one trade they've made, and that was

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<v Speaker 2>to go up to eighty seven. Really just from one

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<v Speaker 2>round three spot to number eighty seven, So there wasn't

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<v Speaker 2>a ton of movement, and I think they were okay

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<v Speaker 2>with that because they were really happy with the picks

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<v Speaker 2>they came out of this weekend.

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<v Speaker 1>Awesome. It's definitely exciting to welcome some new faces to

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<v Speaker 1>the team and see how they'll perform in the Red

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<v Speaker 1>and gold. Now forty nine ers first selection on Day

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<v Speaker 1>three was at pick number one, fifty five cornerback Darrell

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<v Speaker 1>Ludar Junior from South Alabama. He's a player who was

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<v Speaker 1>honored as the SBC Defensive Player of the Year in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty one. Last season, he recorded forty two tackles

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<v Speaker 1>in interception and seven pass breakups, so he's definitely a

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<v Speaker 1>standout player on the field, but the forty nine ers

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<v Speaker 1>personnel also called him very mature and simply a great leader.

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<v Speaker 1>Tell me about how he fits in with the team.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So when I asked him to describe himself as

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<v Speaker 2>a player, he really really was happy to talk about

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<v Speaker 2>how physical of a player he is. He's more of

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<v Speaker 2>a press coverage guy, but can play also deep corner position.

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<v Speaker 2>So he is just excited to come in and learn.

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<v Speaker 2>He is a guy that I talked to and he

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<v Speaker 2>came the Juco route, and he said that that really

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<v Speaker 2>primed him for the competition that he's going to see

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<v Speaker 2>at the next level. He didn't have the traditional college

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<v Speaker 2>football route, made a name for himself at the jucal level,

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<v Speaker 2>and then went to South Alabama and now got his

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<v Speaker 2>name called in the NFL Draft. I think one important

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<v Speaker 2>thing to note about him too is that he is

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<v Speaker 2>a girl dad, and he is also a husband and father,

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<v Speaker 2>and so he said that that also adds an element

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<v Speaker 2>to his game. He is a mature player, like you said,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think all of that kind of feeds into it.

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<v Speaker 2>Also one thing that the forty nine ers love just

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<v Speaker 2>to find in their players as natural born leaders. You

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<v Speaker 2>see that in him at something that the personnel department

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<v Speaker 2>also highlighted. So just a really mature guy that's coming

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<v Speaker 2>in for the forty nine ers.

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<v Speaker 1>That's great. The next draft that became a Niner is

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<v Speaker 1>defensive lineman Robert Beale, junior from Georgia. He's just coming

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<v Speaker 1>off a CFP National championship game against TCU. What made

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<v Speaker 1>Beal stand out to John Lynch and the team?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so this one was funny and the answer kind

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<v Speaker 2>of came in the John Lynch Kyle Shanahan press conference.

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<v Speaker 2>But essentially his get off the ball meter, which they

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<v Speaker 2>have a different acronym for, which if you want to

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<v Speaker 2>know what that is, just go ahead and tune into

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<v Speaker 2>that press conference. He was off the charts in terms

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<v Speaker 2>of getting off the ball his speed and that's really

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<v Speaker 2>the first one or two yards off the line of scrimmage,

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<v Speaker 2>and that is a statistic that the forty nine ers

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<v Speaker 2>are very, very fond of that. He also got a

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<v Speaker 2>glowing recommendation from his college football head coach, Kirby Smart.

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<v Speaker 2>He said, is a really talented guy that if you

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<v Speaker 2>just let him go, I think it was Hunt quarterbacks,

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<v Speaker 2>He's going to do really well at the next level. Bria.

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<v Speaker 2>As you know, that is pretty much the number one

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<v Speaker 2>goal of the forty nine ers defensive line, So they

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<v Speaker 2>are really excited about the potential he has as a

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<v Speaker 2>pass rusher, and he's really excited in particular to be

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<v Speaker 2>learning from the best, and of course I mean AP

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<v Speaker 2>Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. Bill mentioned that

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<v Speaker 2>at Georgia they watched a ton of tape on Nick Bosa,

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<v Speaker 2>and that's a guy that he's really excited not just

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<v Speaker 2>to meet, but to learn from.

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<v Speaker 1>Biil he started in eight games during the twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 1>two season. He had twenty six total stops and twenty

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<v Speaker 1>quarterback pressures in his senior year. So a huge pickup

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<v Speaker 1>in round five, which forty nine ers are great at

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<v Speaker 1>finding those late round gems. It's definitely exciting to see

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<v Speaker 1>what he can do with the Niners. So next step

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<v Speaker 1>was also a player who was just in the CFP

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<v Speaker 1>National Championship game, just on the opposing team. It's linebacker

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<v Speaker 1>d Winters out of TCU. He was selected in the

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<v Speaker 1>sixth round. Why was it important for the forty nine

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<v Speaker 1>ers to draft a linebacker here?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so I think the you know, the number one

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<v Speaker 2>defense in the league just wants to continue reloading talent. Also,

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<v Speaker 2>we saw the exit of linebacker as he's al Shire,

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<v Speaker 2>so there is room in the linebacking corps and with

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<v Speaker 2>D Winners, he is a guy that talked about studying

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<v Speaker 2>someone that is currently on the roster, All Pro Fred Warner.

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<v Speaker 2>That's somebody that D Winters has really targeted as someone

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<v Speaker 2>that he wants to model his game game from. And

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<v Speaker 2>d Winter's actually used to play safety, came into TCU

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<v Speaker 2>playing safety and made the switch to linebacker during the

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<v Speaker 2>course of his collegiate career. There and again, I think

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<v Speaker 2>the forty nine Ers just want to continue adding depth.

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<v Speaker 2>I asked General manager John Lynch in our one on

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<v Speaker 2>one interview after his press conference if he saw a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit of Fred Warner in him, and he said

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<v Speaker 2>that it was actually funny that he's studying Fred Warner

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<v Speaker 2>because D Winters actually reminds him a little bit more

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<v Speaker 2>of Drake Greenlaw, which is the other piece of the

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<v Speaker 2>forty nine ers dynamic linebacker duo. So definitely not a

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<v Speaker 2>bad thing. So yeah, just very excited about reloading that

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<v Speaker 2>linebacker core and having young talent to develop in house.

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<v Speaker 1>Now. In Round seven, the forty nine Ers picked up

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<v Speaker 1>tight end Brandon Willis from Oklahoma, wide receiver Ronnie Bell

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<v Speaker 1>from Michigan, and linebacker Jalen Graham from Purdue with these elections,

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<v Speaker 1>What was the forty nine Ers strategy here as the

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<v Speaker 1>draft was winding down and did the team meet their

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<v Speaker 1>goal of simply adding depth to the roster?

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, bri And I think again, I was able to

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<v Speaker 2>chat with general manager John Lynch and he said that

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<v Speaker 2>he was so happy to see those three seventh round

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<v Speaker 2>names still be available when they were picking at two

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<v Speaker 2>forty seven, two fifty three, and two fifty five, because

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<v Speaker 2>you're really at the tail end of the draft there.

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<v Speaker 2>Braiden Willis was the second tight end taken in the draft,

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<v Speaker 2>and we've heard it a lot, kind of a common

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<v Speaker 2>theme in this draft to these young players have sort

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<v Speaker 2>of identified their favorite guy on the forty nine Ers

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<v Speaker 2>that they're super excited to come into the building and

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<v Speaker 2>learn from. For Braden Willis, that is George Kittle. Not

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<v Speaker 2>a huge surprise there. He said again, same thing as

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<v Speaker 2>we've seen over the course of other draft picks, that

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<v Speaker 2>they want a lot of George Kittle footage at Oklahoma.

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<v Speaker 2>That's somebody that he's excited to just be in the

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<v Speaker 2>same room with and be able to learn from as

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<v Speaker 2>he begins his pro career and one thing I did

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<v Speaker 2>want to know about Brandon Willis is I think he

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<v Speaker 2>probably had the best draft celebration, and you can head

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<v Speaker 2>to our forty nine Ers social channels specifically ticked off

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<v Speaker 2>to see it. He did a backflip into the pool

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<v Speaker 2>after he was done with all his interviews. He's so

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<v Speaker 2>excited to officially say he's a San Francisco forty nine Ers,

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<v Speaker 2>and I know the team is really happy to have him.

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<v Speaker 1>I wonder if that's a forty nine Ers draft pick essential. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>if you get the forty nine Ers in the draft,

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<v Speaker 1>you've got to do a backflip in the pool. I

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<v Speaker 1>think Drake Jackson started that last year. So yeah, maybe

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<v Speaker 1>a new tradition. All right. Finally, maybe a surprise for

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<v Speaker 1>some of the faithful, but the forty nine Ers opted

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<v Speaker 1>to not draft any offensive lineman in this year's draft.

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<v Speaker 1>Why is that so? Yeah?

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<v Speaker 2>So that was probably the first topic of conversation that

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<v Speaker 2>came up in the post draft press conference with Lynch

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<v Speaker 2>and Shanahan, And I think it's just a testament to

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<v Speaker 2>the guys that are currently on the roster. If the

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<v Speaker 2>season were to start today, the forty nine Ers are

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<v Speaker 2>incredibly confident that it would be Colton mckivott's starting at

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<v Speaker 2>right tackle. He's proven himself over the course of the

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<v Speaker 2>last two seasons, having to fill in for left tackle

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<v Speaker 2>Trent Williams in some very important situations, both during the

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<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty one season and again in twenty twenty two.

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<v Speaker 2>I think playing the Rams both times, and they like

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<v Speaker 2>how he's developed over the course of the three seasons

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<v Speaker 2>he's had here in the Bay Area, and they didn't

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<v Speaker 2>have an offensive tackle that they saw where they were

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<v Speaker 2>picking in the draft that would beat him out, So

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<v Speaker 2>they've decided to go with what they have. They feel

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<v Speaker 2>really confident about it, and that's kind of the big

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<v Speaker 2>reason that you didn't see any offensive lineman get selected

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<v Speaker 2>by San Francisco.

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<v Speaker 1>All Right, that'll do it for today. Be sure to

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<v Speaker 1>look out for all of the forty nine ers draft

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<v Speaker 1>news and content on forty nine ers dot com slash Draft.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you so much Lindsay for joining me in this

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<v Speaker 1>off season update. Don't forget to follow First and ten

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<v Speaker 1>on Spotify and Apple podcasts. Be sure to turn on

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<v Speaker 1>the notifications so you're in the know when we post

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<v Speaker 1>any breaking news updates. And thank you faithful for tuning

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<v Speaker 1>in