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In today’s links, you’ll see Jed York give his explanation for his draft day tweets and the plan for Trey Lance. You’ll also former Niners GM Scot McCloughlan give his takes for each 49ers draft pick. He’s a tough, honest, grader.
“If you saw my deleted draft folder, then you’d see some really, really good tweets,” York said on 49ers Talk. York said there was no master plan — other than to provide some entertainment and, perhaps, even add to the drama after the first two picks of the draft went as expected.
“It’s one of my favorite days of the year, and for any NFL fan, it’s a way for college football fans and NFL fans to come together,” York said. “I think that’s one of the things that makes the draft so special.
“I wanted to poke fun at social media a little bit. And I also knew the first two picks were relatively certain and there was a little bit of intrigue around us, and I wanted to be able to connect with the fans a little bit on that day.”
Scot McCloughan goes deep into 49ers’ draft class: ‘You can tell he’s the alpha’
What do you think of the team’s first, third-round pick, running back Trey Sermon from Ohio State?
You know what? He’s never going to be your starter. You need to have a good back in front of him. He’s going to be like (a former 49ers running back) Anthony Dixon-type guy — big body. He won’t be as good on (special teams) as Dixon because he’s not as crazy as Dixon. He’s got more common sense. But he has talent; he’s got pretty good feet. He’s not a home run guy. I think you saw him by far at his best these last couple of games of the (2020) season. I believe it was Northwestern and the first playoff game.
If you watch (Leonard) Fournette in the playoffs for the Bucs, (Sermon) is going to be like that. He’s going to run the ball when he needs to. He’s going to catch the ball and make some plays. But he’s never gonna be fancy.
NFC West draft grades: 49ers got it right with Trey Lance; Rams took historic gamble
It seems like in every draft these days, a toolsy quarterback comes off the board in Round 1 only to be tagged with a warning label from draftniks and league folks alike: This is going to take time — DO NOT rush him onto the field in Year 1! Last year, Justin Herbert was that guy. Then Tyrod Taylor’s pregame shot went awry just before kickoff in Week 2 and Herbert proceeded to throw a rookie-record 33 touchdown passes in one of the finest debut seasons by a quarterback in NFL history. So forgive me for rolling my eyes at the slow-play crowd preaching patience before the Niners take their brand new No. 3 overall pick out of the box. Thankfully, Jimmy Garoppolo is still alive. But while the veteran quarterback remains on the roster today, there’s no guarantee that remains the case through the summer. And regardless, let’s be honest: This is Trey’s team now.
Richard Sherman weighs in on 49ers having Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance
“I see it playing out exactly like Kyle said it would,” Sherman told Max Kellerman and Molly Qerim Rose on ESPN’s First Take. “I see Jimmy G being the starter. He has a fantastic grasp of the offense. He knows the team. He has the respect of his men. He’s already led them to a Super Bowl.
“I see Trey learning behind him. And if something crazy happens, and Jimmy gets banged up or something like that, I think they’d be really comfortable putting Trey in there and letting him learn the offense and letting him get his reps. But I don’t think they want to throw him in the fire if they don’t have to.”