Ranking 49ers GM John Lynch's 5 best moves in the 2022 NFL season ft. Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy and more
The San Francisco 49ers have now won 11 straight games, won the NFC West, and are now in the Divisional Playoffs. Even with their third-string quarterback, the 49ers just can't stop winning.
Much of this success is due to a great offseason by general manager John Lynch, who navigated a murky quarterback situation in the best possible way and now has his team well-versed both in the present and the future.
Let's analyze what were the best moves made by Lynch in 2022 to make the 49ers a Super Bowl contender.
Five best moves made by 49ers GM John Lynch in 2022
#5 - Signing Charvarius Ward in free agency
Getting Ward in free agency for a 3-year, $42 million was a bargain at the end of the day. He quickly ascended into CB1 status and went against the best receivers of opposing teams, bringing a great veteran presence to DeMeco Ryan's defense and closing one of the biggest gaps.
#4 - Extending Deebo Samuel's contract
Samuel requested a trade during the offseason but he changed course and extended his contract in a 3-year, $73.5 million contract that kept one of Shanahan's biggest weapons available for a long-time. Samuel has not missed a beat after missing some of the offseason workouts and is one of the best players on the team.
#3 - Adjusting Jimmy Garoppolo's contract
Garoppolo was slated for $25 million in cap hit, but he was never going to earn this money with Trey Lance set to take over as the starter. Lynch adjusted his contract to make it cheaper while keeping him as an insurance policy - which they later needed. Garoppolo's saved money was well saved, because...
#2 - Trading for Christian McCaffrey
The 49ers were then able to trade for McCaffrey midseason, and he quickly became a star with 1210 scrimmage yards in just 11 games for San Francisco. In a team full of stars, McCaffrey became the best of them all, and Lynch was a genius for bringing him.
#1 - Drafting Brock Purdy in the 7th round
Getting a possible franchise quarterback by a 7th-round pick? That's what Lynch found in 2022 after picking Purdy in the final round of the draft. He was the third quarterback when the season started, but injuries to both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo saw him quickly become the leader of the team. And boy has he delivered.