San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch didn’t want former Utah running back Joe Williams on his team’s roster at the 2017 NFL Draft.
“I was like, ‘uh uh — not interested,’” Lynch later revealed, via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
After a direct conversation with Williams, though, Lynch changed his mind. And the Niners grabbed the tailback in Round 4 of the draft, No. 121 overall. Certainly head coach Kyle Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner influenced the decision. The tandem is well-known for finding hidden gems at the position, and Williams was going to be the next protege.