Why 49ers could trade down from No. 13 pick in 2020 NFL Draft

It doesn’t seem like a strong possibility, yet the San Francisco 49ers could be put into a position where trading out of the No. 13 overall NFL Draft pick actually happens.

In case you forgot or missed it, the San Francisco 49ers are currently scheduled to pick twice in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, first at No. 13 overall and then again at No. 31.

The 13th overall pick, the one acquired from the blockbuster deal that sent defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts, is the one in question here. Considering the level of talent available within the first 20 picks or so, it doesn’t seem likely at all general manager John Lynch would want to move back from this particular selection.

Perhaps the 31st overall pick, yes, especially considering Lynch won’t be selecting again until Round 5. But certainly not No. 13, right?

Probably not. But this isn’t a case of definitely not.

There is a scenario where Lynch could be enticed to move out of the team’s first of two first-round picks. And it’s contingent on San Francisco’s likely desire to add one of the top-flight wide receivers in this year’s class: Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb or Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs III.

There’s a small-but-noticeable drop off from this trio until the next batch of wide receivers, which includes LSU’s Justin Jefferson, Clemson’s Tee Higgins and TCU’s Jalen Reagor.

But where things get interesting is where San Francisco is picking first, that No. 13 selection. Ahead of the 49ers’ first pick sit the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders, selecting at Nos. 11 and 12, respectively. Both those teams could use some serious wide receiver help in this year’s draft, too, and it’s highly possible the Niners simply grab whichever of the thee aforementioned top-tier wideouts are left after the Jets and Raiders make their picks, assuming the draft pans out in such a way.

There are some dark-horse teams picking above the Jets, Raiders and Niners who could pluck a player like Lamb, Jeudy or Ruggs instead of going with other apparent needs.

Case in point, the No. 10-drafting Cleveland Brown could feasibly trade star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason — not to San Francisco — which would leave a noticeable void at the position. The Arizona Cardinals could be looking for a successor to the veteran, Larry Fitzgerald, even though they just added former Houston Texans wideout DeAndre Hopkins this offseason.

Figuring out what general manager Dave Gettleman and the New York Giants do at No. 4 overall could also be a mystery, too.

The question at hand here is identifying the possibility some other unanticipated team selecting in the top 10 grabs a wide receiver, lessening the chances the 49ers wind up with an opportunity to grab one of those top-tier wideouts. The Jets and Raiders would still be in play, of course. But not San Francisco.

At that point, the Niners have a choice. There’s plenty of other talented non-wide receiver options available at No. 13, yes. But one could see a situation where Lynch could pass down the pick to accrue some additional capital while still having an excellent chance to grab one of the second-tier receiving targets previously mentioned.

Again, it’s a long-shot possibility. But it’s one worth noting, since the NFL Draft never pans out the way anyone thinks it will.