The San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss of the 2026 season in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons. Moreover, the Niners didn’t get much production from their wide receivers due to Mike Evans being out and injuries to other wideouts.
Jordan Watkins led the group with three receptions on six targets for 56 receiving yards. As a result, many would like to see the Niners make a big-time trade for a wideout to pair with Evans and be someone who could be there for the future.
One potential name in the trade speculation conversation is New York Jets‘ Garrett Wilson. Furthermore, WFAN’s Craig Carton believes that the Jets have to consider trading the wideout, especially if it garners a first-round pick to help their rebuild.
“Do you trade him for a first-round draft pick? You have to have that conversation,” Carton said in an Oct. 26 video from WFAN. “Right now, with the Colts‘ loss [on Oct. 25], the Jets have two top-10 picks and three top-15 picks in next year’s draft.
“Garrett Wilson will get a first-round draft pick if we decide we’re going to see what he’s worth on the open market.”
Wilson has played 238 pass snaps for the Jets so far this season, recording a 76.6 overall PFF grade. Moreover, he has hauled in 37 receptions on 51 targets for 444 receiving yards and three touchdowns while averaging 12.0 yards per reception and generating 110 yards after the catch.
49ers Are an Ideal Fit for Jets’ Garrett Wilson
Nonetheless, the reason for the 49ers being in the trade speculation is due to PFF recently floating the Niners as the best landing spot for Wilson if the Jets decided to trade away the wide receiver.
“The Jets don’t seem pressed to deal Wilson, but his low target share has continued propping up in recent weeks,” Bradley Locker wrote in an Oct. 21 article. “On top of that, general manager Darren Mougey has swiftly established himself as a wheeler-dealer executive, making almost anyone on the team’s roster a plausible target.
“The 49ers already own one of the most efficient and explosive offenses in football, but a player like Wilson would take them over the top as Super Bowl favorites — even if the cost wouldn’t be cheap.”
PFF isn’t alone with this thought as CBS News Bay Area’s Matt Lively floated out four potential wide receiver targets that the Niners could pursue, and the biggest name of the four is Wilson.
“It seems like every 49ers fan wants to trade for Garrett Wilson,” Lively said in an Oct. 22 video on his X account. “[Wilson] recently signed a huge contract. He’s under team control through 2030. He’s off to a great start this season with over 400 receiving yards, but this would cost a boatload for the 49ers to go out and get him. Likely a first-round draft pick, maybe multiple.”
Could Jets Trade Another Former First Round Pick?
Moreover, Carton believes that the Jets could go down this path again of extending a former first-round pick only to deal them right after handing them a lucrative contract extension.
“The Jets did it with Quinnen Williams, signed him to the big deal, then traded him,” Carton added in the same segment. “We did it with Sauce Gardner, signed him to the big deal, then traded him. Garrett Wilson is kind of the last man standing. Breece Hall as well, but Breece is injured, so it’s harder to trade a running back coming off an injury.”
Jets Given Blunt Garrett Wilson Message Amid 49ers Trade Speculation