The 49ers have been known for having players with high character who fit their culture and locker room.
With veterans such as quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner leading the team, San Francisco constantly has possessed a roster that buys in and does whatever it takes to win football games.
For 49ers general manager and president of football operations John Lynch, there is another characteristic he values in players, especially during the scouting process before the NFL draft.
“I think tape’s most important,” Lynch told reporters during a Tuesday press conference after being asked if there is anything more important than a player’s tape during the scouting process. “I will tell you that a lot of the things we track in terms of successful draft choices over the years, there’s obviously a requisite amount of ability.
“A lot of it goes to the person, the intangibles that they possess or don’t possess in terms of them making it or not making it. And I think that’s because, having done it myself for 15 years, the NFL is very hard. It’s tough. It’s not easy. You’re going to be tested over and over and over.
“And so, do you have that mental fortitude that when things get tough, because they will and they do, and that never goes away, do you have that mental toughness, that physical toughness to endure and get the most out of whatever your abilities are? I think that’s really critical, but the tape is very critical.”
Finding the right players who fit a locker room is not always easy. While there have been times San Francisco has missed on a number of their draft picks, the 49ers organization still maintains its process of prioritizing players who positively can impact others around them.
“I think we’ve also, some of our best picks, that’s kind of, I think one thing we try to do in these meetings, you’re not just the ones you have questions with because they’ve been in trouble,” Lynch said.
“Let’s get the guy that is a stud human being in front of us so we can feel that, and we can feel the effect he might have. I think the best leaders, they make everyone around them better. And so, if you can get a sense of that, that goes a long way to identifying the right type of people that you want in your building.”
Since Lynch joined the 49ers alongside coach Kyle Shanahan in 2017, San Francisco has seen a huge amount of success, with five seasons of 10 or more wins and two Super Bowl appearances.
With their reputation for acquiring high-character players throughout their tenure, expect Lynch and Co. to keep the same procedures of building a well-meshed roster on a year-to-year basis and maintaining the 49ers’ winning culture.
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