Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers. (Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Today’s NFL rumors surround Andy Reid divulging some sensitive information, Kyle Shanahan kicking himself for a draft choice, and Jim Irsay doing Jim Irsay things.
The NFL Draft never ceases to shock the public as year after year there’s always one team that makes a jaw-dropping trade or takes the player no one thought they would.
This year, the Panthers got the ball rolling by selecting quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick, and from there, chaos ensued. Some teams traded up while others traded down, some teams flexed their muscles while others cowered in the background, and throughout it all a downtrodden Will Levis sat waiting for a call that never came on Day 1.
Levis would eventually get picked up by the Titans in the second round, but his landslide down the board wasn’t the only surprising thing to come out of the 2023 draft.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid talked to the media about Kansas City’s major pitfall, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan already has regrets about his draft picks, and Colts owner Jim Irsay continues to baffle America with the unhinged way that he uses Twitter.
Without any further ado, here are the biggest NFL rumors from draft weekend.
NFL Rumors: Kyle Shanahan regrets not taking a running back in the third round
New San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody has some lofty expectations for 2023. He was, after all, selected in the third round, the earliest any team has ever taken a kicker since the Bucs used the 59th pick to take Robert Aguayo in 2016.
Anyone who’s been following the 49ers’ moves this offseason will know that the franchise was actively looking for a kicker ahead of this year’s draft. Veteran Robbie Gould enjoyed six productive seasons in San Francisco but remains a free agent this offseason — Moody is the all too obvious replacement for Gould, and the 49ers hope to mold him into a pillar of consistency by the time September rolls around.
There’s always the question of “What if?” after any controversial pick, and the Moody pick is indeed controversial for the sole reason that the 49ers used such a high selection on a kicker.
According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, the team was also scouting running backs at the time, and Shanahan couldn’t believe he didn’t pick one of those instead.
Moody, the proud owner of a plethora of collegiate records, was ranked as the top kicker in this year’s draft and will be expected to excel where Gould struggled last season. For one thing, the 23-year-old’s leg should provide much more power on kickoffs. The dependability should come afterward.
Still, one can’t help but wonder along with Shanahan: Did the 49ers reach too high for Moody?
