On Sunday, it was announced that John Lynch had been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was a well-deserved honor for what was a memorable career for one of the toughest safeties the sport has ever seen. For his part, however, Lynch still holds a few regrets in his career, with perhaps none greater than his decision to pass on Patrick Mahomes when he had the opportunity to draft him back in 2017 as the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers.
In a recent interview, Lynch admitted that turning down the chance to bring Mahomes to San Francisco is something “that’ll probably haunt me for a while.” (h/t Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports).
Lynch and the Niners had the second overall pick entering the 2017 NFL Draft. They ended up trading down one spot with the Chicago Bears, as San Francisco selected defensive tackle Solomon Thomas third overall. For his part, Mahomes fell to the Kansas City Chiefs all the way at the 10th spot.
Lynch recalled witnessing Mahomes' potential during the pre-draft workout. According to the 49-year-old, he knew right then and there that this kid was going places:
“You talk about the talent,” Lynch said. “It was a windy day in Lubbock, and I remember standing next to various NFL GMs and what-not, and everybody’s jaw was dropping because of what he was doing, throwing the ball into the wind, and finished with, like, an 80-yard throw. I mean, it was remarkable.”
Clearly, though, that wasn't enough to sway Lynch and the 49ers to gamble on Mahomes in the draft — a decision that the high-ranking executive rues to this very day.
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