CBS Sports' John Breech made several bold predictions ahead of the first night of the 2025 NFL Draft, and one of them involves a surprising move by the San Francisco 49ers—not to trade up or down the draft board, but to acquire veteran help at cornerback.
With 11 total picks, Breech believes the 49ers have enough draft capital to swing a deal for Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
"The 49ers are going into the draft with 11 picks, which is tied for the most in the NFL, so they definitely have some draft capital that they could use in any potential trade," Breech wrote. "One reason San Francisco might be interested is because the 49ers coaching staff is familiar with Ramsey: The cornerback was drafted by the Jaguars in 2016 and Jacksonville's head coach at the time was Gus Bradley, who's now the assistant head coach in San Francisco.
"Also, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was Jacksonville's linebackers coach in 2016, so he also has some familiarity with Ramsey."
The Dolphins have reportedly granted Ramsey permission to seek a trade. However, moving him before June 1 would be costly for Miami, resulting in over $25 million in dead money, per Over The Cap.
Earlier this month, NFL insider Ian Rapoport noted that any team trading for Ramsey would inherit his fully guaranteed 2025 salary of $21.1 million, a significant financial commitment for a 49ers team that's already trimmed a lot of future spending this offseason.
Ramsey (6-1, 208) has posted a Pro Football Focus defensive grade of at least 76.9 and a coverage grade of 71.9 or better in four of the past five seasons. While his 85.7 run-defense grade in 2024 was the third-highest of his nine-year career, his 43.0 tackling grade marked a personal low.
Last season, Ramsey started all 17 games for the Dolphins, finishing with 60 tackles (six for loss), two interceptions, 11 passes defensed, and one sack, per Pro Football Reference.