49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Missing Big NFL Combine
Players and teams are starting to check in to the 2023 NFL Combine. A key member not in attendance is 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. General Manager, John Lynch, and his team will be there, but 49ers reporter Matt Maiocco has confirmed there will be no Kyle Shanahan. With the team’s late draft picks, this is actually not an issue.
49ers Head Coach to Miss NFL Combine
While Kyle Shanahan will not be in attendance for this year’s NFL Combine, it should also be noted that he did not attend last year’s either. Just like the 2022 NFL Draft, the 49ers will once again not have a first-round pick. This could possibly be the reason that Shanahan will not attend the 2023 NFL combine.
The 49ers have proven that some of their best draft picks have come during the second and third days of the draft. These late picks were found by Lynch’s team, such as Adam Peters, the 49ers’ Assistant General Manager. If the team had a first-round pick, Kyle Shanahan would have most likely chosen to be there to see the potential pick for himself.
Last Year’s Draft Picks
With this being the second year in a row without Kyle Shanahan, the team did fairly well observing prospects in 2022. Here is a brief look at the draft picks from last year.
Round 2 Pick 61: Drake Jackson – DL
Drake Jackson played a decent number of games this season despite seeing fewer reps later in the year. Jackson has shown he has potential and could see much more playing time in the 2023 season.
Round 3 Pick 93: Ty Davis-Price – RB
Ty Davis-Price was a player that had a lot of potential, as many running backs do in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Unfortunately for Davis-Price, he suffered an ankle injury early in the season that gave fellow rookie Jordan Mason the edge over him.
Round 4 Pick 134: Spencer Burford – OL
Despite the 49ers head coach rarely playing rookie offensive linemen, Burford played almost every game, only missing time due to an injury late in the season. Although there have been complaints regarding the 49ers’ offensive line, Burford did not give up many sacks. He did allow numerous pressures which will need to lessen.
Round 5 Pick 172: Samuel Womack – CB
Womack was mainly put on special teams this season, but many believe he has the potential to be yet another 49ers late draft pick that can turn into a great player. Womack had a strong preseason, and with a couple of pending free agents in the secondary, Womack may have a great chance to see the field next season.
Round 6 Pick 187: Nick Zakelj – OL
Offensive lineman Nick Zakelj was a player that was consistently a healthy scratch on the inactive list this year. This is someone the team clearly trusted enough to keep on the roster throughout the season, but was not quite ready to get playing time.
Round 6 Pick 220: Kalia Davis – DL
Kalia Davis never got to play in a game this past season due to an ACL injury from his senior year of college. There was a chance that Davis could have played during playoffs, but the team and Kyle Shanahan decided not to activate him. Davis put in the work throughout the season and has a chance to get more playing time in 2023.
Round 6 Pick 221: Tariq Castro-Fields – DB
This is the one pick of the draft that completely did not work out for the team. By the time the 49ers had to start cutting down the roster, Castro-Fields was waived by the team.
Round 7 Pick 262: Brock Purdy – QB
This is a pick that by now football fans know about pretty well. With the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Brock Purdy. The rookie went from being the 3rd string quarterback to a potential starter going into 2023.
While 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan will not be in attendance for the 2023 NFL Combine, Lynch and his trusted staff will be there to find players that can potentially surprise the NFL.
