John Lynch expressed “conflicted feelings” about holding the draft amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 49ers general manager is unsure if it will be safe to open the season on time in September.
“Some people make a really compelling case that there’s no way this is happening. That scares me,” Lynch said Monday on a video conference with reporters. “Some make a very compelling case that we’re playing and here’s how we’re going to do it.
“Like everybody else, we’re eager to do so.” Fans fill the stands as the San Francisco 49ers play the Atlanta Falcons at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Is everybody on the 49ers safe from the coronavirus that’s not only ravaged the globe but hit especially hard in Santa Clara County, where the team headquarters has been locked up the past month? Santa Clara County has reported 1,922 cases with 83 deaths.
Lynch said he “legally is not at liberty to share certain things” if any 49ers employee has been stricken, such as positive cases that have been confirmed by Denver Broncos’ star Von Miller and Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen.
“That’s up to certain people. I’m just going to leave it at that,” Lynch added. “But I’m really proud of how our team and organization has responded to all these challenges.” 
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – FEBRUARY 2: San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) is consoled by general manager John Lynch after being defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Lynch said he’s relying on the NFL and its experts whether the season will start on time Sept. 10, adding that the leading criteria will be “when it’s safe.”
As for going forward with free agency last month and now the draft this week, it’s given Lynch pause.
“You understand there are people out there hurting,” Lynch said. “They’ve closed their small business down. The real-life stuff that matters. They have people in their family who’ve been directly affected by this.
“At times, I went through it and I’m sure a lot of people did, (saying), ‘What the heck are we doing with free agency, what are we doing having a draft?’ After free agency, I can’t tell you how many people called and said, ‘Thank goodness you did this.’ It’s the only thing we have to keep us entertained.”
Technology has come a long way since Pete Rozelle’s typewriter as NFL commish (as seen in @ProFootballHOF) pic.twitter.com/00vaEOn2ST
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) April 20, 2020
The 49ers have set Lynch up with nine monitors and three phones to conduct the draft from his guest house, where he’ll be shadowed by only Mike Bracken, the team’s director of video operations. Coach Kyle Shanahan will be working from his house, per the league-wide’s protocol for its first-ever virtual draft, and Shanahan will be one of Lynch’s monitors at all times to enhance their communication.
