Briana Jeannel
While at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, former 49ers director of player personnel Ran Carthon reflected on his time working alongside president of football operations and general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, and the standards that shaped San Francisco's roster-building approach.
"When John Lynch was hired as the GM, obviously he didn't have a ton of experience from the scouting side, and people had a lot to say about that," Carthon said. "But John Lynch is one of the greatest leaders I've ever been around."
That leadership, Carthon explained, quickly translated into structure used throughout the organization.
"He put together a thing, it was called the Forty Niner Way. And we established qualities in what we were looking for, not only in the building of what we wanted a Forty Niner to be, but on the field as well."
From a football perspective, Carthon said intelligence and versatility were central to player evaluation.
"For the players that they look for, obviously they're looking for really smart players... Guys that can play multiple positions, guys that you can move around," he said. "I think we got to a point where we were almost playing positionless football with Deebo (Samuel Sr.) and withGeorge Kittleand withChristian McCaffrey."
Toughness, he added, was a baseline requirement.
"You have to be tough to not only play for Kyle but to play in that division. So you have to be tough, guys that can run, that kind of is a foregone conclusion."
Beyond the physical traits, Carthon emphasized that character carried just as much weight in the evaluation process.
"The other thing, and this is a John thing, is good people," he said. "Having really good people, because you've got to be stewards of The Bay. You've got to be stewards of the state of California."
That focus, according to Carthon, shows up consistently off the field.
"If you look at the guys that we have on our team, I don't know that there's any team that does more community work than the guys at the Niners. There's always a ton of guys. But again, that's the culture."
At the heart of that culture is a sense of unity that's extended throughout the locker room.
"That's the culture of the San Francisco 49ers, family and brotherhood," Carthon said. "One of our big buzzwords early was the brotherhood. IGYB, I Got Your Back. That was always on our t-shirts. That was always our mantra. That carried onto the field."
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