SF 49ers mock NFL Draft after would-be trade for Deshaun Watson

What would a Deshaun Watson-led SF 49ers team look like? And what would the Niners do in the NFL Draft if they acquired him?

Is Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson the next blockbuster move the SF 49ers make? According to recent reports, the Niners are content with Jimmy Garoppolo, although they’d bite on a “big swing.”

Perhaps Watson is that kind of swing. This is a tough question because, well, the answer is a lot more complicated than you may think.

San Francisco would obviously love to have someone of Watson’s talent on the roster, but the price to acquire him from Houston is probably a little bit outside of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s comfort level.

But, hey, this is a hypothetical situation. So let’s have fun with it.

We’ll not only explore a potential blockbuster deal for Watson but also simulate an SF 49ers 2021 mock NFL Draft to have a good idea of what the Niners would look like after a deal of this magnitude.

Let’s take a look at what a hypothetical trade situation may look like first.

An SF 49ers deal some may feel uncomfortable with

It’s no secret the Texans are basically asking for a king’s ransom if anyone wants to pry Watson from them, and who can blame Houston? How often, if ever, are 25-year-old superstar quarterbacks available via trade?

Watson is an absolute gamechanger and has all the tools of a franchise playmaker, so it shouldn’t be expected he comes cheap. Still, a lot of fans seem to be divided in the Twitter world about a Watson deal and are very passionate about the fact they wouldn’t want to see a team like San Francisco give anything too lucrative to acquire him

But why not?

Well, some people seem to forget Watson literally has the ability to carry a sub-par team to the playoffs, so let’s dive into what a deal would probably look like.

If I was the Texans front office, here’s what I would expect, at the very least:

The worst part is I don’t even think this would be enough. I’m sure the Texans would demand a premium player like linebacker Fred Warner or defensive end Nick Bosa or even both, but I’ll try to pretend the Niners get to keep their young, high-value assets.

Now that the team has acquired Watson, it’s time to look at what the SF 49ers would do in the draft, and what their roster would look like going into the 2021 NFL season. Of course, it’s widely known the team has some needs in both the secondary and the offensive line, so let’s see what they can do about that come draft time.