ESPN’s Bill Barnwell came up with hypothetical trades for each team in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft. Barnwell had the San Francisco 49ers moving up to No. 23 with the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for two of their fourth-rounders. Here’s his explanation:
49ers get: 1-23
Eagles get: 1-27, 4-127, 4-133The 49ers are in a unique spot. Though they don’t have a third-round pick after trading for Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, John Lynch’s team has four fourth-round picks, all coming
between Nos. 127 and 139. I’d expect the 49ers to use some of those picks while they jump around the first three rounds of the draft, either to move up early or as a package to get back into the third round.
In this scenario, they’re trying to jump teams that are thinking about edge talents and wide receivers. The Eagles aren’t in the market for a wideout (yet), but the Browns, Bears and Bills could all at least look toward options at wide receiver. The 49ers are expected to move on from Brandon Aiyuk at some point during the offseason, and though he could be part of an Eagles trade here as an A.J. Brown replacement, I suspect any team trading for Aiyuk will want to address his contract, which would make a draft-day trade more difficult.
Philadelphia would end up with four fourth-round picks after this deal, but I have no worries about Howie Roseman finding ways to use them on his roster or as trade chits over the ensuing 24 hours. The 49ers could move up here for someone such as Washington receiver Denzel Boston, who could serve as a valuable YAC producer and eventual Mike Evans replacement on the outside in San Francisco.
The 49ers would need to weigh whether a player like Denzel Boston or an edge rusher is more valuable than adding a potential left guard, safety, or backup tight end. Essentially, is the player you’re moving up for enough of a difference-maker where you can afford to miss out on filling out the rest of your depth?
If you hit on the player, nobody will remember the 127th and 133rd picks you sent away. This is a draft where the 49ers must nail their Day 1 pick. Pigeonholing themselves into a position could be problematic for the Niners. Then again, the best players available just so happen to be at positions of need.
Would trading up for a “safe” player make more sense? Meaning, if offensive tackles like Monroe Freeling, Caleb Lomu, or Blake Miller fall, are those prospects worth moving up for? For my money, Keldric Faulk and Caleb Banks are the only defensive linemen worth taking in the 20s. Jordyn Tyson is worthy of a trade-up, but I’d roll the dice to see if Boston fell to me—and I like Boston quite a bit. Other than that, the 49ers could get better value at wideout in the second round without using multiple draft picks.
It’s a fun thought process to pick and choose which players make sense to move up for. If they’re only costing you a pair of picks in the 100s, and you feel like the first-rounder can make an impact, it’s a move you make.
