The San Francisco 49ers are predicted to choose in the first round by several pundits, who see them moving out of the first round if a team makes an alluring offer. These projections are based on mock drafts.
To predict that John Lynch will make a trade is not a risky move. Six deals were arranged by Lynch during the 49ers’ inaugural draft. Is it a given that you will profit on every deal you make, profit or loss? Without a doubt not—looking at you, Trey Lance and Solomon Thomas
On the other hand, the 49ers gained a lot from the trade for Thomas. They smartly used their third-round draft pick in 2018 to take a safety from BYU who had been converted to a linebacker. Since then, he has developed into the NFL’s top player at his position and a consistent All-Pro. We are reminded of the possible benefits of trades that don’t work out in Year 1 by this success tale.
Tonight, phones will ring for Lynch and the front office. Quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. of Washington or Bo Nix of Oregon might be available at the second-to-last pick of the first round in a few different situations.
It won’t, however, be limited to quarterbacks. Assume for the moment that the 49ers are confident enough in a group of players to choose in the early 30s. A new team might trade up for a wideout, such as the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, or New England Patriots. A team might potentially jump in front of the Kansas City Chiefs for an offensive tackle, in my opinion.
Remember that the Niners—or twenty other teams, for that matter—may not agree with a team’s assessment of a player whom they consider a first-round prospect.
