ESPN’s Nick Wagoner breaks down 49ers’ controversial Draft decisions

The San Francisco 49ers walked out of the 2026 NFL Draft with a class that has drawn mixed reactions — and according to Nick Wagoner, that tension is understandable.

Speaking on Sactown Sports’ The Matt & Kayla Show, Wagoner described the 49ers’ approach as familiar — and potentially frustrating for fans hoping for a philosophical shift.

“My takeaway from the 49ers draft was a lot of the same as what they’ve done,” Wagoner said. “I get why people might take issue with the approach. They had an opportunity to maybe shift philosophically, in the name of getting more immediate help, and they chose not to do that.”

General Manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers speaks to the media during the 2025 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 26, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Instead, San Francisco leaned into its long-standing draft identity: prioritizing premium positions and traits over immediate need. That decision showed up early, as the team traded down multiple times rather than selecting at No. 27 overall.

Wagoner noted that the outcome aligned with the front office’s view of the class.

“When [John Lynch] starts talking about how few guys had a first-round grade. That tells you the chances of them actually drafting a guy at 27 were going to be very low,” Wagoner said. “So the idea of them moving down always made the most sense.”

Still, the execution raised eyebrows — particularly when the 49ers passed on widely projected targets at wide receiver before ultimately selecting a different option.

“It was a little bit surprising,” Wagoner admitted. “You just kind of had a feeling that something was changing there.”

Beyond individual picks, Wagoner emphasized that most of the criticism comes down to process, not players.

“As for the particular players, I’m not going to be the one to sit here and tell you whether that player is going to work out or not… frankly, nobody does,” he said.

(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

One of the more debated decisions came in the third round, when San Francisco selected a running back despite a mixed track record at the position.

“This is a process question for me,” Wagoner explained. “They have the track record of missing on the middle-round running backs, but also the track record of having success with late-round or undrafted guys.”

That contradiction is at the heart of fan skepticism — and a broader conversation about whether the team should adapt.

Wagoner also pushed back on the idea that outside “consensus” draft boards should dictate evaluation.

“There’s no such thing as a consensus NFL board amongst the teams,” he said. “There’s information that teams are privy to that people just flat out are not.”

Check out the full conversation at the top of the page or by heading over to the Sactown Sports YouTube channel.

Listen to and watch Sactown Sports’ The Matt & Kayla Show with Matt George & Kayla Anderson, airing weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT on Sactown Sports.

More NFL content from Sactown Sports

• 49ers’ De’Zhaun Stribling ‘Excited to Work’ With New Team
• San Francisco 49ers selects WR De’Zhaun Stribling in 2026 NFL Draft
• San Francisco 49ers 2026 NFL Draft: Day 2 Recap
• Lynch: 49ers are ‘Really Excited’ About Trent Williams Deal

Upcoming 49ers & NFL Offseason Schedule

• Mid-May 2026 (TBD) – NFL Schedule Release
• May–June 2026 (TBD) – OTAs (Organized Team Activities)
• June 2026 (TBD) – Mandatory Minicamps
• Late July 2026 (TBD) – NFL Training Camps open

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