SF 49ers: 4 trade scenarios with team’s top 2021 NFL Draft pick
By Peter Panacy
The SF 49ers have a recent history of moving around in Round 1 of the NFL Draft, and the same could apply with these trade scenarios in 2021.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, SF 49ers general manager John Lynch traded down from the No. 13 overall spot to No. 14 overall in a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, subsequently landing defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.
Then, later in the same round, the Niners moved up from No. 31 overall to No. 25 overall to select wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Along with other first-round trades in Lynch’s tenure in San Francisco, it’s pretty safe to guess the SF 49ers will be in play to move away from their current top pick in this year’s draft, No. 12 overall.
Whether or not it would be an aggressive trade-up to get within the top five selections, a more modest move to get in the top 10, or perhaps dropping down in the order to maximize a selection of a first-round prospect while adding more draft capital is anyone’s guess.
As such, that leaves plenty of speculation what Lynch could do for a first-round trade this April, and here are four possible scenarios where the Niners move out of the No. 12 overall selection.
No. 4: SF 49ers move down in Round 1 so Washington gets a quarterback
It’s looking more and more like San Francisco will stick with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021, and the top-heavy element of the prospective quarterbacking draft class this year could make the No. 12 overall pick a sought-after commodity for some names who potentially drop (NDSU’s Trey Lance) or rise (Alabama’s Mac Jones).
The Washington Football Team endured a revolving door of quarterbacks last season, and this position is a clear one of need heading into 2021. Especially in the wake of parting ways with their former first-round pick, Dwayne Haskins.
Washington has more than enough draft capital to move up from No. 19 overall. And according to Over the Cap’s draft pick-value trade chart, it would be a little steep just to send off a first- and second-round pick to San Francisco to move up to No. 12.
Swapping fourth-round selections helps balance the deal out a bit better in a more realistic deal.
By doing so, the Football Team would leapfrog another QB-seeking team, the New England Patriots (No. 15 overall) and have an inside shot at a player like Lance or Jones.