Execs Compared Ryan Pace and John Lynch Again and It Wasn't Close

It seems like Ryan Pace and John Lynch will be forever linked now. Ever since the Chicago Bears GM and San Francisco 49ers GM made their shocking trade in the 2017 draft, the one that allowed Pace to nab Mitch Trubisky, the comparisons between the two started. Many declared the Lynch had "fleeced" Pace in the deal which included two third round picks. This despite experts saying based on costs from other QB trades it was relatively cheap. Since then the comparisons have continued to go back and forth, fanned further when the 49ers squeaked by the Bears 16-15 last season at Soldier Field. Lynch has since become the darling of the NFL media, a genius destined to carry San Francisco back to relevance. Except that may be a delusion perpetrated by people who can't see the reality. The first draft class for Lynch was rather unremarkable in 2017. Its best performer, linebacker Reuben Foster, is in danger of landing in prison for domestic violence issues. On top of that, it seems his 2018 run didn't get off to the best start according to others around the league.

GM says Ryan Pace and John Lynch 1st rounders not even in same ballpark

Peter King, in his final column at the MMQB, did an overview of what happened during the draft. Amidst the many nuggets, he uncovered a surprising reaction to the 49ers picks. One GM stated he was shocked at just how big if a talent drop it was from the Bears' selection one slot before.

“The biggest gap of our grades between any two picks in the first round was Roquan Smith at eight and Mike McGlinchey at nine. That’s a premier player followed by a need pick of a good player.” Interesting. Those two tackles, in another year, could have gone 29 and 35 instead of nine and 15. But it’s a vital position, and there weren’t many tackles in the draft this year—and maybe none who can plug-and-play."

Ouch. If nothing else this sounds like a collision of two draft philosophies. Pace has stated for years that he's always focused on getting the best player available. No matter what happens, he sticks to his board. Lynch appears to operate a different way. He's focused on using the draft to plug the most immediate needs on the roster. This isn't a failed policy but it does have drawbacks. It can often force teams to miss out on great players in pursuit of good ones. A perfect example is McGlinchey. Accord to NFL.com, he had a draft value of 5.95. Meanwhile, Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who went two picks later at #11? He had one of 6.19. Almost universally all experts had Fitzpatrick ranked ahead of McGlinchey on their boards. So while the 49ers may have plugged a hole, it doesn't necessarily mean they're that much better. This is the potential trap Lynch fell into.