Is it possible for an NFL team to keep its draft plans a secret, even from the player they’re drafting? The San Francisco 49ers proved the answer is yes.
The Niners drafted quarterback Trey Lance third overall in the NFL Draft, having apparently been the favored selection of both coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch. While Lance knew the 49ers were interested, he admitted that his guess was it was “50-50” whether he’d be picked once San Francisco went on the clock.
“I honestly did not know,” Lance said Wednesday, via Adam Maya of NFL.com. “I wished all day, and my agent was telling me all day that we should have an idea, or even the week leading up to it, that we should have an idea going into it, and credit to them. They did a great job of (keeping it a secret).”
How did the Niners do it? First, the coach and GM didn’t even compare notes on the pick until the week of the draft. Once they made up their minds, they essentially didn’t tell anyone else within the organization, much less outside of it.
In general, players and their agents at least have an idea of what’s going to happen on draft day. Lance certainly didn’t get the typical experience, but it sounds like he did land where he wanted to.
