When you have as much recent success as the San Francisco 49ers have had, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that executives from other teams take the advice of coaches and players from the ‘9ers.
While they have not achieved the ultimate goal of bringing a Super Bowl back to the Bay Area for the first time since 1994 yet, there have been few teams better than the San Francisco 49ers over the last five years. They have won 10 or more games four times during that stint and made two trips to the Super Bowl.
It’s why there is a lot of respect for their coaching staff, front office, and roster around the league, and when they have an opinion on the game there are rivals around the NFL that are willing to listen. That was apparently the case before this year’s NFL Draft for the Washington Commanders.
Various reports suggested before the event last month that Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and JJ McCarthy were reportedly all in the running for the team’s selection at No. 2 overall. When they were on the clock the organization eventually went with the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner. However, it seems 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and star receiver Brandon Aiyuk played a role in that choice.
San Francisco 49ers head coach and star receiver gave glowing reviews about Jayden Daniels
On Friday, ESPN NFL reporter John Keim revealed an interesting tidbit about the Washington Commanders’ process to decide who would be their No. 1 pick in 2024.
“One source said San Francisco receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a close friend of Daniels’, sang his pal’s praises to [Commanders general manager Adam Peters]. And San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan, with whom Peters worked for seven years, also gave Daniels a glowing review.”
It doesn’t mean the 49ers coach and star swayed the Commanders’ choice, but if Washington was at a stalemate it very well might have played a huge role in Daniels ending up in DC because of the success both have had in the NFL.
