Getty John Lynch smiles during his February 28, 2023 appearance at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
The San Francisco 49ers currently hold the option of waiting more than 24 hours after day one of the NFL Draft to make their first selection.
Or, they can add to their aggressive offseason and move up in the draft — and crash the first day of the festival on April 27.
Bleacher Report NFL columnist Joe Tansey presented some hypothetical trade ideas involving S.F. on Wednesday, April 5. And one bold, calculated move he has written down as a tactic the 49ers can consider: Trading into the first round.
“The San Francisco 49ers reside in a position where they can sit back and make a calculated move in the 2023 NFL draft. The 49ers own 11 picks in the selection process, but the first one does not come up until No. 99,” Tansey wrote, with the 99th selection coming in the late third round.
While Tansey acknowledges the late round finds the 49ers scouting department discovered — names like Brock Purdy, Talanoa Hufanga, Elijah Mitchell and Deommodore Lenoir in the past two drafts who were final day selections — the allure of using one or multiple 2023 selections to move up in the draft is still an intriguing thought, especially during a time when late blockbuster trades are made.
Idea Has 49ers Sending Multiple Picks to Super Bowl Contender for Their First Selection
The hypothetical idea Tansey has in mind first? The 49ers making a deal with a team they already plucked a big fish out of: The Philadelphia Eagles, who lost defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to an $84 million contract with the Niners.
But this time, the 49ers can make this generous offer per Tansey: Sending their 99th, 102nd, 155 and 216th picks to the NFC champs in exchange for the 30th overall pick the Eagles hold.
“General manager John Lynch should be tasked with evaluating all possibilities in the 2023 NFL draft. The biggest splash Lynch could make is moving into the back end of the first round by packaging a handful of his selections together,” Tansey wrote.
He’s another reason why Tansey believes this idea could come into fruition: The NFC champs don’t have selections in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. Plus, the Eagles are one who don’t shy from making a splashy trade during the month of April — a la A.J. Brown last year on draft night, which included Philly sending the 18th overall pick and the 101st selection to the Tennessee Titans.
“Lynch could throw together some combination of three picks to appease the Eagles’ needs and land a player that the 49ers believe is falling down the draft board,” Tansey said. “Philadelphia might shake off any negotiations because it may have the first-round pick at a higher valuation when it comes to trade return, but that seems like the most logical spot for the 49ers to trade up into.”
Who Could be an Option for S.F. if the 49ers Orchestrate the Trade?
Say this deal does fall through. Tansey believes No. 30 can go to someone falling on draft boards.
If that’s the case, then the 49ers may luck out and add one more layer to their defensive line. One name that’s been projected to drift to the later selections of the first is Will McDonald IV out of Iowa State. The edge rusher from the Cyclones was mocked to No. 30 to Philly on Tuesday by ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay. However, the 49ers adding both Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant to the edge rush room may convince S.F. to hold off on taking an edge rusher.
But, one fast rising name with the potential to slide inside is Adetomiwa Adebawore of Northwestern, who’s been mentioned before as a 49er possibility. The Wildcat has climbed up the boards as a hybrid edge rusher/three technique interior defender by McShay. The thought of a 282-pound defensive lineman who runs a 4.49 40-yard dash has to be more than enticing for 49ers DL coach Kris Kocurek, especially pairing Adebawore with Hargrave.
There are other needs like right tackle, safety and an extra tight end. But the market for the latter position is stronger after the round of 20 as names like Dalton Kincaid of Utah, Michael Mayer of Norte Dame and Darnell Washington of Georgia are projected by McShay to go between picks 24 to 40. Or S.F. can hold off and see if a fast-rising sleeper like Zack Kuntz of Old Dominion can fall to them in later rounds.
Regardless, this is a trade idea that’s enticing enough to merit some watching for the next three weeks.