San Francisco 49ers: Trading up to No. 1 pick should be in play
The San Francisco 49ers own the second pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but trading up to the top overall selection should be in play for them.
In the 2017 NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch pulled a fantastic move as they traded down just one spot in a deal with the Chicago Bears. The move was so the Bears could move up to take quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but the 49ers benefitted by landing both future picks and the player they ultimately wanted, Solomon Thomas.
The move for the 49ers was praised, but the move by the Bears was questioned as they gave up draft capital to move up just one spot to grab a player that wasn’t going to be taken by the 49ers. Having said that, the logic for Chicago was simply avoiding another team being willing to trade and leap-frogging them to grab the player they believed was the one they needed.
Looking ahead to the 2019 NFL Draft, the 49ers would be wise to at least consider taking the position of the Bears in regards to trading up.
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Lynch’s Niners own the second-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, sitting behind the Arizona Cardinals. Should the Cardinals stay there, the likely top pick in the draft is going to be edge rusher Nick Bosa out of Ohio State, bar none the best prospect in the class. However, other teams could look to trade up for Bosa in this class because, despite it being a deep edge-rusher class, he’s that much better than his peers.
The key in all of this, however, is that the biggest need that the 49ers have entering the NFL Draft is at edge rusher. If Bosa does go No. 1, that will leave them in a tough position where taking an edge rusher would be a reach. Josh Allen out of Kentucky is going to be a good NFL player, but he doesn’t have the same pedigree or future as Bosa at the next level — again, the Ohio State product is just that good.
Moreover, the 49ers are in a unique position as the team picking second in the 2019 NFL Draft. Most teams in that spot are tanking and can’t afford mortgaging draft capital to move up. However, the injury to Jimmy Garoppolo early in 2018 sunk a hopeful season in San Francisco. They are not as bad of a roster when healthy as what we saw this past year would indicate.
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Trading up just one spot is always a bit odd to see in terms of the optics of the situation. While that may be true, it’s a move that wouldn’t be far-fetched for the 49ers in their current form. The best player in the draft fits their biggest need, but he might not be there if they stay at No. 2. If they want to land a potential game-changer where they need it most, trading up to the top pick to take Bosa should be something that the Niners brass is discussing.