Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The San Francisco 49ers passed on drafting Patrick Mahomes during Kyle Shanahan's and John Lynch's first season together. Of course, so did a lot of teams. The 49ers, however, were in a different situation. They owned a very high draft pick, and many — mistakenly — didn't see Mahomes as a value with a high first-round selection.
The Chiefs did, however, and moved up in the draft to pick the former Texas Tech quarterback.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters from the J.W. Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami on Tuesday and was asked how much research they did on Mahomes leading into the 2017 draft.
"I didn't look into him, obviously, as much as I should have," Shanahan admitted before a slight smile crossed his face. "I mean, we definitely looked into him, studied all his tape. He was just a freak, could make any throw, had the ability to do anything.
"I think that was a little bit different situation for us. We had the second pick in the draft, did not feel like, from all the intel you get and stuff, that he was going to go that high.
"And it was a little bit different of a situation for us just because I think it's pretty well documented of just the relationship I had with Kirk (Cousins), and being in Washington and everything. I felt very confident that he wasn't going to stay there. So any time you go into a season knowing that a franchise quarterback is going to be available the next year, it made me a lot more picky with what we were looking at.
"You saw a bunch of talented guys in that draft, but it's very tough when you watch college systems and stuff. You don't really know until you get someone in the building. I mean, you can see ability, you can see talent, but how's the mind? How do they play in the pocket? How do they process? That's not just an IQ score. That's some stuff that I don't think you can totally test. You've got to go through that with them. So there's always a risk with that when you spend a first-round pick on a quarterback.
"With the situation we were in, we didn't want to be that risky, especially with the second pick in the draft. We didn't [study Mahomes] as hard. Obviously, he ended up being one of the best players in the league, along with a couple of other quarterbacks that year. He's extremely talented."
Is 49ers' Kyle Juszczyk a Hall-of-Famer? Or is he just the NFL's last great fullback?
By Chris Wilson
Jul 2
Does 49ers running back Kyle Juszczyk deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame? Or will his eventual retirement mark the end of the modern NFL fullback?
The NFL writers at CBS Sports recently examined the Hall-of-Fame prospects of 12 current NFL players who have Hall-of-Fame...
Tom Pelissero: WR Brandon Aiyuk's meeting with 49ers described as "good," says there's been no trade request
By Marc Adams
Jun 26
Fans of the San Francisco 49ers are getting tired of hearing about the drama between wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers. The star receiver is trying to negotiate a new contract with the team that would keep him with the 49ers for years to come. But so far, negotiations...
San Francisco 49ers Dominate CBS Sports' NFL Top 100 List
By Jon Opelt
Jun 26
Nine 49ers made CBS Sports' list of the top 100 NFL players entering the 2024 season, which is the most of any franchise in the NFL.
Cracking the list of the top 100 in inverse order are Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, Charvarius Ward, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Fred Warner,...
Former NFL GM explains why 49ers have leverage in Brandon Aiyuk negotiations, predicts final outcome
By Kirk Larrabee
Jun 27
Former NFL general manager Randy Mueller provided an in-depth analysis of the Brandon Aiyuk contract negotiations on Thursday, detailing why the 49ers have more leverage than Aiyuk and why he thinks the eventual outcome will be positive for both sides.
In an article published...
