Kyle Shanahan is one of the sharpest offensive minds in the NFL, but even he has a little fun with how he prepares for the NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers head coach recently opened up about his unique scouting process, and it might surprise you—especially if you think head coaches are glued to college film year-round.

While the team's scouts and personnel department spend months crisscrossing the country evaluating prospects, Shanahan is doing something a little different: coaching. "I feel like I'm just always playing catch-up," Shanahan admitted. "That's what John [Lynch] and his whole department do all year. They've got a really good idea in January, where the season ends. They kind of re-evaluate it after the Pro Days and the Combine."

So when does Shanahan actually dive into college tape? February. That's right—the man responsible for one of the most dynamic offenses in football doesn't even know who the Heisman Trophy winner is until months after the season ends. "I've been 100 percent NFL ball," he explained. "I usually don't know who the Heisman is or anything at that time."

It's a smart approach when you think about it. College football games are played on Saturdays, which for the 49ers is either a travel day or a final walkthrough before Sunday's game. Shanahan's focus is on his job and the game ahead, not on scouting the next wave of talent.

But here's where things get really interesting—and where the internet had a field day. Shanahan revealed that he relies heavily on highlight tapes created by his position coaches. "One way we do it here is, we give all the position coaches a responsibility to make highlight tapes on everybody," he said. "I tell them, you have to watch a lot of game tape to make those highlight tapes."

Then comes the kicker: "Then I study their highlight tapes so I can study 200 people. I always tell people, if I don't like their highlight tape, then I'm not going to watch anything after. So those guys have to put a lot into their highlight tapes. If they can't impress you with that, what's the point of watching more?"

Social media had plenty of jokes about Shanahan's "highlight tape only" approach, but there's a method to the madness. In a two-month window between the Super Bowl and the draft, Shanahan needs to get through hundreds of prospects efficiently. And let's be honest—if a player can't shine in a highlight reel, it's probably not a great sign.

For fans and fantasy owners alike, it's a fascinating peek behind the curtain of how one of the league's top coaches operates. And for the 49ers, it's a system that works—especially when you have a GM like John Lynch doing the heavy lifting all year long.