The San Francisco 49ers currently hold the second overall selection in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Now having that selection obviously means one thing: the 49ers were not a very good football team in 2018. However, they are in a good position to turn things around for this coming season. It all starts with their first pick.
Bleacher Report's lead NFL draft writer Matt Miller has Ohio State's EDGE rusher Nick Bosa as the top player entering the 2019 NFL Draft. With only 37 sacks as a team in 2018, putting them at 22nd in the NFL, it's easy to see why the biggest need for the 49ers is at the EDGE position.
If Bosa is available then 49ers General Manager John Lynch will have the easiest draft selection of his career. But, what if Bosa is off the board? The options the 49ers have are plentiful. The following are a few options that the 49ers may have on draft day:
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Trade for Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown:
Antonio Brown is by far the current most trending option. Whether it's been the clearly disgruntled Brown deleting the Steelers from his social media bios, or him face timing with 49ers legend Jerry Rice, the 49ers and Brown have been connected.
The talk of a trade has been surfacing more and more as time goes on by multiple credible sources like NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
From @NFLGameDay: The #Steelers are going to get trade offers for Antonio Brown, and rival GMs predict they'll be able to at least get a 2nd rounder. The #Broncos are expected to be one of many teams interested. pic.twitter.com/Hz16So8pwV
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2019
I don't think the 49ers will give up the second overall selection for Brown. I think more along the lines of their 36th overall selection getting it done. But for the sake of this article, if the Steelers play hardball and the 49ers really want Brown, they could do a pick swap. The Steelers have the 20th overall selection. That's a big move back for the 49ers and may take them out of reach for the top EDGE players. Here is the breakdown for all you "value" fans: the 49ers' selection is valued at 2,600 points while the Steelers' 20th pick is valued at 850 points. Is Brown worth the 1750 points, or equivalent to what would be a fourth or fifth overall pick?
That's a little too rich for my blood but it's certainly an option.
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Trade back with a QB needy team:
It happens every single year. Teams that are desperate for a top QB throw caution out the window and do whatever it takes to get "their" guy. With QB Jimmy Garoppolo in place this puts the 49ers in a fantastic position of power. In any trade scenario, the 49ers have all the leverage, which usually ends with the team that's trading back with a handful of high-value picks. The teams to watch for would be the New York Giants at six (more on this option later that could involve a high profile player), the Jacksonville Jaguars at seven and the Denver Broncos at ten.
The 49ers are entering the 2019 draft with only five selections. So trading back within the top 10 would be extremely beneficial for the 49ers, they could still land a top EDGE prospect while obtaining more draft capital. A true win-win for the 49ers and an option that should be strongly considered.
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Stay put:
Another great option: they stay put and grab the best player available. Likely players to be mentioned for this pick will be Alabama's Quinnen Williams, Kentucky's Josh Allen, LSU's Greedy Williams and more. All viable players who fill needs for the 49ers.
If they are not "wowed" by an offer then staying put will still land them a high profile prospect even with Bosa gone.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Swap picks with the New York Giants for WR Odell Beckham Jr.:
Ok, I know this is highly unlikely and a little bit of a bold take but it's fun to talk about right? It's not a move that's entirely impossible. With Heisman winner and Oklahoma standout QB Kyler Murray surprisingly entering the NFL Draft, there could be a chance that the Giants will look to trade up to replace aging Eli Manning.
It's also been publicly known that Beckham has voiced his frustrations with the Giants and if the planets happen to align on draft night, there could be a scenario that would send Beckham and the sixth pick to the 49ers for the second pick and their choice of anyone not named Nick Bosa with the 2018 Heisman winner still on the board.
It's an unlikely scenario to say the least and one that I don't personally think will happen. However, it's not an impossibility and if the Giants are desperate enough it could happen.
Closing statements:
Well it's easy to see that the 49ers are in a healthy position heading into the 2019 Draft. They have a lot of options and directions they could go and with Murray declaring for the draft it only strengthens the position they are in. April can't come soon enough.