John Lynch: Teams were trying to trade up to draft kicker Jake Moody before 49ers did

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 4, 2023, 12:54 PM EDT
NFL: APR 28 2023 Draft
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The 49ers made the unusual decision to draft a kicker, Jake Moody, in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. San Francisco General Manager John Lynch says that if the 49ers hadn’t drafted Moody so high, some other team would have taken him soon.

Lynch said on KNBR that other kicker-needy teams were trying to trade up to get in front of the 49ers to take Moody, according to Matt Barrows of TheAthletic.com.

Lynch can’t know for sure what any other team would have done, but there did seem to be significant interest in kickers this year. The Patriots drafted kicker Chad Ryland in the fourth round, just 13 spots after the 49ers drafted Moody, and most observers consider Moody a better prospect than Ryland.

But while Lynch got the kicker he wanted, kickers are not a safe bet. Kicking is inconsistent, and no one knows with any degree of certainty which college kickers will succeed in the NFL.

That’s why no kicker had been drafted within the first three rounds since Roberto Aguayo went to the Buccaneers in the second round in 2016. Lynch has to hope Moody turns out a lot better than Aguayo did.

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15 responses to “John Lynch: Teams were trying to trade up to draft kicker Jake Moody before 49ers did”

  1. “IF” he becomes the next Justin Tucker nobody will care if he’s the next Aguaro everyone will never let him forget.

    Who knows, look at Carlson. He was lights out at Auburn. Minnesota drafted him and he struggled, Raiders signed him and he’s turned into the kicker he was expected to be.

    All I know is that without Gould I’ll be holding my breath

    Hope he’s worth the hype and pick as a 9ER fan

  2. Lynch fell for the oldest trick in the book.

    Make some noise about K since it’s an area of need and pressure team into stupid pick.

    Clown

  4. You just posted the other day about how only 12 of the 32 first round picks got a 5th year option. I think if you look at kickers and punters, if they get drafted, their success rate is higher than position players. And kickers score the most.

  5. Michigan State fan here who doesn’t like praising Michigan players but Moody is the real deal. Pretty much automatic

  8. My prediction is that the 49ers will carry Gould and Moody, because Moody struggles to adjust to the NFL, but they can’t cut him because he’s a 3rd round pick. It will be deja vu all over again with the QB situation where they trade up to get “the best guy,” and he turns out to not be the best guy, but they have to keep him anyway because of the draft capital they invested. This would be par for Lynch and the 49er brain trust. They got lucky with Purdy, but eventually, they will need to upgrade from him as well. They won’t beat an AFC team with a dynamic QB in the Super Bowl with Purdy. If they even get there. Maybe by then, Lance will be ready? frfr.

  9. Rodrigo Blankenship couldn’t miss when he was at Georgia, then got to the NFL and was FAR from automatic…no rhyme or reason that I can tell. Kickers are just strange. Wouldn’t draft one before the 7th round, ever…

  10. Sure they were John, just like every team was after trey lance two years ago.

  12. The Raiders drafted Sebastian Janikowski in the first round and he was well worth the pick.
    The guy was worth 1,799 points.

  15. Chase McLaughlin will do just fine. If he slumps bring Succop , Robbie Gould of Mason Crosby to finish off the season.

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