The 49ers made waves late in third round of the draft when they went to the podium and selected Michigan kicker Jake Moody No. 99 overall.
It was the earliest the 49ers have ever drafted a kicker, and it was the earliest a player had been taken at the position since the Buccaneers chose Roberto Aguayo out of Florida State at No. 59 overall in the 2016 draft.
San Francisco has a ton of boxes to check in the draft, and kicker appeared to get pushed down their list of priorities after they added K Zane Gonzalez in a trade with the Panthers. However, that deal was just a swap of 2025 seventh-round picks, which means the 49ers don’t have a ton invested in the journeyman kicker.
General manager John Lynch explained to reporters after Day 2 of the draft ended why the team used one of its three third-round picks on Moody.
“Kickers matter,” Lynch said via Matt Barrows of the Athletic. “When we felt there was one who separated from the rest, we became convicted.”
Lynch said Moody was the consensus top kicker on their board, and with no picks until the fifth round on Day 3, adding him was a priority.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said kicker was the only position where they felt like they needed a starter.
It’s risky given how little is typically invested in the position, but if the 49ers are right on Moody, where he was drafted will quickly become irrelevant.
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