We are less than two weeks away from the NFL trade deadline, where the San Francisco 49ers could be a buyer after starting the season 5-2.
The 49ers have dealt with several injuries to start the year, including season-ending injuries to linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa, so there are definitely areas to improve on the team if they do look to push in chips for a playoff run this year.
Those two positions could be seen as the top needs for the 49ers entering the trade deadline, but it’s
unclear if the team will address both groups or if they look to make a move for just one.
The Athletic’s Mike Jones shared three trade proposals that made sense for both teams ahead of the deadline, and he had the 49ers acquiring New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick.
“The 49ers badly need defensive playmakers after the loss of leading tackler Fred Warner and pass rusher Nick Bosa, and the veteran Davis would help fill that need at the heart of Robert Saleh’s defense,” Jones wrote.
“Although 36, Davis remains highly productive, ranking among the NFL’s leading tacklers (51) and also has five for a loss (tied for first). His extensive experience would enable him to quickly adapt to Saleh’s scheme and help San Francisco remain in contention.”
Giving a case why the trade doesn’t work, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe shared that the move actually has no flaws on either side, but pointed out Davis’s age.
“Yeah, this is another good one with no logical flaws that I can see, but I’ll turn heel here,” Howe said about the trade. “Do the Niners really want to spend more draft capital on an aging player after dealing with ongoing injury issues with more stars? The Niners need to fortify the middle class of their roster by drafting and developing. A 36-year-old won’t help that mission.”
Earlier this week, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team would look at the trade market, but did not want to jeopardize the team’s future in a move. The 49ers currently have five picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, not including compensatory selections. They have their own first, second, and third-round picks. Either their fourth or fifth-round pick will go to the Philadelphia Eagles for Bryce Huff, so they’ll have the other. And they have a sixth-round pick from the Minnesota Vikings in the Jordan Mason trade.
According to OverTheCap, the 49ers are currently projected to have three fourth-round compensatory picks for the losses of Aaron Banks, Charvarius Ward, and Talanoa Hufanga. We’ll see whether those picks remain fourth-rounders, but that should take San Francisco to eight total draft picks.
So, they can afford to give away a Day 3 pick for a player that can help them now, but I’m not sure that a 36-year-old Davis fits the mold. San Francisco has liked what it’s seen from Tatum Bethune, whose development may be more paramount than a short-term fix like Davis.
But, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they do look to trade for a linebacker, potentially one that defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has experience with. Those compensatory picks should come in handy for a trade. It’s just up to whether the player makes sense for the team.
