ESPN analyst Todd McShay has two trades in his latest first-round mock draft, and one of them involves the San Francisco 49ers. The first trade comes at No. 3, with the Carolina Panthers moving up from No. 8 and into the spot to select a quarterback. In fact, quarterbacks are selected with each of the top four picks.
McShay has Trevor Lawrence headed to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Zach Wilson going to the New York Jets, and Carolina selecting Trey Lance. Finally, the Atlanta Falcons add Matt Ryan's eventual replacement in Justin Fields.
San Francisco currently owns the No. 12 overall pick, and McShay has general manager John Lynch and company dealing the selection to the quarterback-needy Chicago Bears, who add Mac Jones.
"To land the No. 12 pick from San Francisco, the Bears would have to send their own first-rounder (No. 20) and a second-rounder (No. 52), probably along with a 2022 first- or second-rounder," wrote McShay. "This is more than the traditional trade-value chart expects, and whether that '22 pick is of the Day 1 or Day 2 variety would depend on how desperate Chicago is for the last true Round 1 QB still out there."
The move drops the 49ers down to the No. 20 spot, where the team bolsters its secondary with the selection of safety Trevon Moehrig out of TCU. He is the first safety and third defensive back selected in this mock draft.
"The Garoppolo decision looms large for the Niners' draft plan and what happens [at No. 12] might not only keep San Francisco from trading down, but might even influence a trade up into the top 10," explains McShay. "For now, though, let's fixate on a secondary losing many pieces. Safety Jimmie Ward is currently the only defensive back on the entire roster under contract beyond next season. Perhaps the 49ers look to cornerbacks Jaycee Horn (South Carolina) or Aaron Robinson (UCF), but the value and need of Moehrig is just too great to miss. He's my No. 13 prospect and picked off six passes over the past two seasons."
Moehrig added 109 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, 20 passes defensed, and two forced fumbles to those six interceptions during his final two seasons with the Horned Frogs. He is a two-time All-Big 12 selection and was named the latest Jim Thorpe Award recipient.
