2016 NFL Draft: 5 Bold Predictions for the San Francisco 49ers
By Peter Panacy
Bold Prediction No. 3: GM Trent Baalke Trades Down from No. 7 Overall
To say general manager Trent Baalke will make a trade in the upcoming draft is kind of like saying you’ll get wet if you jump in a pool. It’s bound to happen. Baalke has made transactions in all three of the last 49ers drafts.
Armed with 12 picks, one has to wonder if moving down from the No. 7 spot would be worthwhile. Such high picks are worth quite a lot compared to later selections even in the first round.
But San Francisco has far more needs than picks — an unusual situation given what was the case between the years 2012 and 2014.
To gauge what Baalke and the 49ers may get in return, let’s look at Walter Football’s draft pick value chart.
For those wondering about #NFLdraft value for picks, here's what Walter Football has for you. pic.twitter.com/jCsJPwjVW6
— Peter Panacy (@PeterPanacy) January 13, 2016
The No. 7 selection is worth 1,500 points, according to the chart. So if the 49ers don’t see anyone of value meeting their plethora of needs — or feel that value can be met later in the draft — a trade-down could be entirely possible, as Niner Noise co-editor Doug Totten recently suggested.
Break out a calculator, do the math and you can come up with a slew of possibilities for Baalke to net more picks.
Next: 49ers Trade Off LB Ahmad Brooks as a Part of a Package