Upon learning that offensive tackle Joe Staley planned to retire, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan put more of an emphasis on trading for former Washington tackle Trent Williams. They were able to get that deal done, and Williams will replace Staley during the upcoming season.
It was very possible, however, that the 49ers might not have been able to pull off the trade. Shanahan revealed on Saturday that the team had a backup plan if they couldn't land Williams.
"One thing that was really cool was that, if the Washington thing didn't go through, one of our Plan Bs was to try to draft Colton (McKivitz) there in the fourth round," Shanahan explained. "And then we made that risk to [trade that pick] to go up to get the receiver (Brandon Aiyuk in the first round) that we wanted.
"And then we did end up getting Trent. And to still be able to get [McKivitz] in the fifth round was a hell of a deal. We felt really excited about how today went."
The 49ers selected McKivitz, an offensive tackle out of West Virginia, with the No. 153 overall pick, and now have both him and Williams. The selection was acquired by trading running back Matt Breida to the Miami Dolphins.
"We just felt like, at that point, it was a good move for us to make," Lynch added.
It looks like Lynch and Shanahan gambled in that situation and won.
Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers trade up to select Trent Williams successor in CBS Sports mock draft
By David Bonilla
Feb 23
Ryan Wilson and Mike Renner recently conducted a first-round mock draft on the With the First Pick podcast, alternating selections. When the No. 9 overall pick came up, Renner wasted no time making an aggressive move, projecting the San Francisco 49ers to trade up with the New...
49ers GM John Lynch provides updates on Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey
By David Bonilla
Feb 26
Sergio Estrada-Imagn ImagesSan Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday, as he does annually. He provided updates on two key offensive players—tackle Trent Williams and running back Christian...
John Lynch: 49ers plan to honor Deebo Samuel's request to leave
By David Bonilla
Feb 26
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke with reporters on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, confirming that there has been significant interest in wide receiver Deebo Samuel from other NFL teams.
Samuel requested a trade in January, and the...
49ers mailbag: Will Brock Purdy's contract or Deebo Samuel's situation get resolved first? When will SF extend George Kittle? Who gets drafted at number 11?
By Marc Adams
Feb 22
It's less than a week until the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis starts, and representatives of the San Francisco 49ers will soon be making their way to Lucas Oil Stadium. They won't be there just to scout college players who have declared for the NFL Draft but also to...
