3 trade-down scenarios for 49ers in Round 1 of 2020 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
It seems likely the San Francisco 49ers will try trading out of the No. 31 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and Niner Noise breaks down three possible scenarios.
There are plenty of good reasons why the San Francisco 49ers want to trade down from the No. 31 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft this April.
For starters, the Niners have just that pick in the first four rounds of the draft. The 49ers’ Round 2 pick was used in the trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire EDGE Dee Ford, while San Francisco’s third- and fourth-round picks were sent to the Denver Broncos in exchange for wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and Denver’s fifth-round selection.
Further complicating the issue is the fact the 49ers aren’t exactly laden with salary cap space — just a projected $13,123,285, according to Over the Cap — meaning general manager John Lynch is going to have some tough decisions ahead, both this year and in the future.
The good news, though, is there aren’t a lot of holes on San Francisco’s roster. But Lynch and Co. will want to take advantage of as many of those relatively cheap rookie contracts, hoping to eventually replace aging, more expensive players in coming seasons.
That’s why additional NFL Draft capital is so vital.
One would likely expect Lynch to make a move from No. 31 down into Round 2. Using Pro Football Talk’s trusty NFL Draft pick trade-value chart, it’s possible to gauge a rough estimate for what each pick might be worth if dealt. There are also comparable moves from recent seasons around the same spot, such as the one involving the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, which landed the latter team quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Could the 49ers be the next team trying to pull in more selections via this manner? If so, one of these three scenarios could play out when the 2020 NFL Draft kicks off.