With no selections between rounds one and five, it's a near certainty that the San Francisco 49ers will try to make a move to acquire more draft equity. Many assume that means the No. 31 overall pick will be on the market. NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently speculated that there might be some interest from other teams in that selection.
There's also been speculation surrounding the trade value of players like wide receiver Marquise Goodwin or running back Matt Breida. Could the Niners manage a trade involving either for a mid-round pick?
The 49ers have options.
Maybe, just maybe, it isn't the No. 31 pick everyone should be looking at when thinking about a potential trade-down spot. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area speculates that perhaps the 49ers might be willing to trade down from No. 13. You know, the selection the team acquired from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Few are considering the No. 13 pick as being a tradable commodity, given what the Niners had to give up to acquire it. But when it comes to improving their roster, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan always consider everything.
Maiocco goes on to discuss the reasoning behind wanting to move out of that spot. He mentions what the 49ers parted ways with — Buckner — for the selection, and how that factors into any decision. After all, whatever the Niners choose to do with that pick will be compared to Buckner for a long time.
Moving past that, the bottom line is that the 49ers would love to fill the void of picks after the first round. The No. 13 pick is worth significantly more than the team's later first-rounder. San Francisco could potentially find itself having flipped Buckner and the massive contract he would have cost for several players, much like the New England Patriots did when they sent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the Niners.
"The 49ers will have plenty of options at different positions with the No. 13 overall pick," writes Maiocco. "If they love a player in that spot, they will undoubtedly make their selection. ... But if one or two targeted players are not there when it's the 49ers' turn to select in three weeks, they will almost assuredly look to bail out of No. 13. That would allow the 49ers to pick up more selections to take advantage of what is expected to be a deep draft at a number of different positions of need."
Most mock drafts have the 49ers selecting a receiver at No. 13. But in a draft so deep at the position, San Francisco might be willing to wait until later to bolster its group of wideouts.
It also wouldn't be a shock to see the 49ers go in a completely different direction.
