Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers 2020 NFL Draft: 3 top needs after start of free agency

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 21: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 and wide receiver Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers and teammates celebrate thier second quarter touchdown over the Los Angeles Rams during the game at Levi's Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 21: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 and wide receiver Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers and teammates celebrate thier second quarter touchdown over the Los Angeles Rams during the game at Levi's Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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John Lynch, 49ers, NFL Combine
General managers John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t make any splash signings in free agency, but there were some major moves to shake up the team’s needs in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Just before NFL free agency began, the San Francisco 49ers had a little north of $10 million available in salary cap space.

Combined with the need to try re-signing some key pending free agents, along with long-term needs to extend others, it didn’t seem likely general manager John Lynch and Co. would be major players on the open market.

Yet free agency played a role for the Niners anyway. Lynch was able to re-sign two key players, defensive end Arik Armstead and safety Jimmie Ward. But this came at the cost of trading away defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Additionally, the 49ers’ resources to retain veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who was a major part of the offense’s second-half aerial surge last season, were limited. As a result, Sanders would go on to sign a two-year free-agent deal with the New Orleans Saints.

While there are still some notable names on the free-agent market, it’s likely the Niners stay quiet on that front. Instead, they’ll be looking towards the 2020 NFL Draft as the next means to reinforce the various needs the team has for the upcoming season. Keeping Armstead and Ward relieves some of the pressure on targeting those two specific positions, yet there are still a number of areas needing to be addressed.

So, with these transactions in the books, Niner Noise rethinks and re-evaluates what San Francisco’s top three positional needs are heading towards the draft this April.