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2020 NFL Draft: 49ers must target a wide receiver at No. 13 overall

By Timmy Gibson

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 9: Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates his touchdown on a 63-yard pass and run with wide receivers Trejan Bridges #8 and Nick Basquine #83 in the game against the Iowa State Cyclones on November 9, 2019 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners lead 35-14 at the half. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 9: Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates his touchdown on a 63-yard pass and run with wide receivers Trejan Bridges #8 and Nick Basquine #83 in the game against the Iowa State Cyclones on November 9, 2019 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners lead 35-14 at the half. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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The San Francisco 49ers made a blockbuster by trading away defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Giving up Buckner is a hard pill to swallow, but the move is justifiable if the Niners use their new pick on a wide receiver.

On March 16, the San Francisco 49ers traded their star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts for the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Buckner is one of the best defensive tackles in the league and was a key part of the Niners’ stellar pass rush last season.

The Niners trading away Buckner is a huge blow.

Sure, Buckner wanted to be paid, and the Colts paid him, signing him to an extension that will pay $21 million a year, which makes him the NFL’s second-highest paid defensive tackle, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Many will say San Francisco could not afford to pay Buckner, especially after extending defensive end Arik Armstead. And it’s true the 49ers extending Armstead pretty much signaled the end of Buckner’s time in the red and gold.

But here’s the thing: As good as Armstead is, Buckner is better. Armstead is a great defensive end. Buckner, on the other hand, is one of the top defensive talents in the league. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take home Defensive Player of the Year soon. The Niners chose not to pay Buckner. Perhaps the 49ers’ contract wizard, Paraag Marathe, could have figured out a way to sign both. Or maybe the Niners decided they simply couldn’t justify paying Buckner.

Either way, the Niners chose to move on from Buckner. There is no way around that fact. The Niners traded away a top-three player at his position for the 13th overall pick in the draft. There is no defensive talent in the draft certain to be as dominant as Buckner.

The 49ers paid a steep price, yet there is only one way that this price is justifiable. Many will argue the Niners could target a top defensive talent, but there is only one position group that has truly elite players.

Luckily, that position is one the 49ers need: wide receiver.

This draft is widely considered as one of the best drafts for wide receivers in recent history. The 49ers need a true No. 1 receiver, especially after veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders signed with the New Orleans Saints.

The wide receivers available in this year’s draft are some of the best talents seen at their position in a long time. I wrote a piece a little while ago about the top five receivers for the Niners in this year’s draft. While it was written before the Niners acquired the 13th overall pick and lost Sanders, it can provide some good insight into some of the players available.

Now that the Niners have the 13th overall pick, there are two players who were out of reach before and may be available for the 49ers now: Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb.

These players are two of the best wide receiver prospects in recent memory. Both of them will go on to be elite NFL receivers for whoever drafts them. And now the Niners have the 13th overall pick, they could be that team.

If the 49ers draft Jeudy or Lamb, then giving up Buckner will have been worth it. Either of them will be a great target for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and will help take the Niners passing game to new heights. As good as the Niners were last year, they will be even better with a true No. 1 receiver.

Personally, I would prefer Lamb as I think he is a better fit for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system, but either of these guys will be fantastic on the Niners.

The Niners paid a big price by trading away Buckner for the 13th overall pick. There are not many players in the 2020 NFL Draft who are likely to be able to bring the level of value to the 49ers that Buckner brought. In fact, the only position in the draft that makes this trade justifiable is drafting a wide receiver. The 49ers have made the first half of a move to grab one of the two best wide receivers seen in the draft in years: Jeudy and Lamb.

Next. San Francisco 49ers: 5 players who could extend their contracts in 2020. dark

Now, on draft day, April 23rd, they will hopefully be able to make the second half. If not, the Buckner trade may live in infamy.