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49ers Say They Use AI in Draft Evaluations Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft

The draft starting Thursday will be the first informal test of how this approach shows up in their choices.

Overview

  • General manager John Lynch told reporters Monday that San Francisco is using AI to help evaluate draft prospects before this week’s event.
  • Lynch said staff do not need to be experts to benefit from the tools and compared using them to asking a travel planner chatbot for ideas.
  • He cited the team’s Silicon Valley location and partnerships with tech companies as a source of access to new tools.
  • Lynch said he thinks most NFL teams already use some form of AI and expects adoption to grow, while the 49ers have not disclosed which systems they use.
  • Fans and media mixed jokes with warnings about errors and “hallucinations” if outputs go unchecked, and Round 1 on Thursday could hint at how much these tools influence picks.