John Lynch Says Solomon Thomas, Reuben Foster Were 2 of 49ers' Top 3 Players

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

John Lynch made two noteworthy splashes Thursday night during his first draft as the San Francisco 49ers' general manager.

The first came when the 49ers moved down one spot to No. 3 overall in a deal with the Chicago Bears and selected defensive end Solomon Thomas. The second took place when they traded back into Round 1 at No. 31 overall to select linebacker Reuben Foster. 

To hear Lynch tell it, those moves represented huge wins. 

"I can tell you right off the bat that what we had on the board was just under 200 players, and in terms of how we rated them, we got two of our top three players," he said, per ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner. "We were able to do that, and we're thrilled. We're ecstatic. We think these guys have a lot of traits of what we want to be about as a football organization."

1. Odell Beckham Jr.'s Trade to Cleveland Has the Browns Hyped

   

2. Le'Veon Bell's Power Move Pays Off After Signing Massive Deal with the Jets

   

3. Ole Miss WR D.K. Metcalf Looks Ready to Destroy NFL Combine or Take Down Thanos

   

4. Friends to Foes, Ex-UGA Teammates Sony Michel & Todd Gurley Meet in Super Bowl

   

5. Brandin Cooks Gave a Super Gift to This Special L.A. Rams Employee

   

6. MVP Front-Runner Patrick Mahomes Loves Ketchup as Much as Torching Defenses

   

7. Chicago Bears Hoping to Ride Club Dub All the Way to the Super Bowl

   

8. The Worst Fantasy Football Punishments for Last Place Finishers

   

9. NFL Players Bring Soccer Traditions to the NFL with Post-Game Jersey Swaps

   

10. JuJu Smith-Schuster Is a Man of the People

    

11. Buffalo Bills Superfan "Pancho Billa" Continues to Inspire Squad

    

12. Happy 26th Birthday to New York Giants WR and NFL Icon Odell Beckham Jr.

    

13. Chiefs' QB Patrick Mahomes Is 'Showtime' on More Than Just the Football Field

    

14. Adam Thielen's Wild Ride from Obscure Underdog to Record-Breaking Vikings WR

    

15. 49ers' Kyle Shanahan and His Son Carter Are Hyped for Lil Wayne's Album to Drop

    

16. The Cleveland Browns Are Winning Off the Field Too with Their Community Service

    

17. Steelers RB James Conner's Journey from Beating Cancer to Starting in the NFL

    

18. Does Donovan McNabb Deserve Your 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Vote?

    

19. B/R Fantasy Expert Matt Camp Gives His Picks for Keep or Release After Week 2

    

20. Does Hines Ward Deserve Your 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Vote?

    

Foster slid all the way to the back end of Round 1 due to concerns over his surgically repaired shoulder and a positive drug test that was the result of a diluted sample at the NFL Scouting Combine, but Lynch told reporters Thursday the team was comfortable trading back up to select him. 

"We were exhaustive in getting to know the kid," Lynch said, per Wagoner. "It felt genuine. That's something we loved about Reuben is that he's really genuine, he's got a smile that lights up a room, and the way he plays football is special."

As things stand, the 49ers won't have as many opportunities to make waves on Day 2. Entering Friday night, they own zero second-round picks and a pair of third-round selections (Nos. 66 and 67 overall).