Getty John Lynch, 49ers GM, will have to decide whether to make a move at the NFL trade deadline.
Perhaps it is a reaction to the way the Vikings sliced and diced them through the air on Monday night, but the flavor of the week when it comes to 49ers trade rumors ahead of the NFL deadline is the defensive backfield. The latest comes from Bleacher Report, which has the 49ers reaching for a pretty high-ranking trade target: Bears corner Jaylon Johnson.
Over the course of the season, Johnson has made it clear that, when he hits free agency in 2024, he expected to be paid like one of the top corners in the league, which will put him in the $20 million per year range, with Jaire Alexander of Geen Bay, Denzel Ward of Cleveland and Jalen Ramsey of Miami.
And Johnson would be worth it. According to Pro Football Focus, he has graded out with an 85.5 this year, which is second among all corners in the NFL. At 88.1 in coverage, he is one fo the best cover men in the league.
The 49ers don’t have to give Johnson $20 million per year next year. They just have to see what it will take to get Johnson from the Bears for the second half of the season.
“If the Bears aren’t willing to give Johnson that kind of a deal, the San Francisco 49ers should see if he can be had ahead the trade deadline,” B/R wrote.
Should the 49ers Trade for a DB at the NFL Deadline?
One question general manager John Lynch and the 49ers will have to answer before the trade deadline is whether the defense really is a problem. Talent-wise, they’re loaded on the defensive line, and have the best group of linebackers in the league. The defensive backfield is a weak spot, but even there, the 49ers should have enough talent to win.
The 49ers are in the best position possible to take on a short-term rental player at the NFL trade deadline, with more cap space on hand than any other team.
“Monday’s loss to the Vikings—a game in which Minnesota topped 450 yards—showed that San Francisco’s vaunted defense is vulnerable, particularly on the back end. Johnson, who is coming off a two-interception, one-touchdown game, could dramatically improve San Francisco’s secondary,” according to Bleacher Report.
“In addition to making several splash plays, Johnson been dependable in coverage, allowing an opposing passer rating of only 24.7 this season. With more cap space than any other team, Niners general manager John Lynch should be aggressive in going after top talents like Johnson.”
Jaylon Johnson Might Be Worth a Trade
We recently covered another potential trade addition at defensive backs for the 49ers, Donte Jackson, the Carolina Panthers starter who played for Steve Wilks, the 49ers’ new defensive coordinator.
The 49ers have a solid corner in place, with Chavarius Ward, but Isaiah Oliver and Deommodore Lenoir do not provide much quality depth in the rotation. Ward has graded out as the 17th-rated corner in the league, out of 115, while Oliver is 59th and Lenoir is 53rd, per PFF’s ratings.
It’s probably not fair to take the struggles against Minnesota and heap them onto the defensive backs—there were others to blame, no doubt, for that loss and, and in the previous loss to Cleveland, the 49ers yielded only 105 passing yards. Pushing for a defensive-back trade feels like a kneejerk reaction.
But if that kneejerk reaction lands the 49ers someone like Jaylon Johnson, maybe that’s not a bad thing.