SF 49ers: 3 trade-downs John Lynch may engineer for NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: SF 49ers move down one spot with LA Chargers
Moving down a single spot in the NFL Draft doesn’t appear overly sexy or exciting. But there’s a precedent.
Last year, John Lynch and the SF 49ers moved back from No. 13 overall to No. 14 overall in a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, allowing the Bucs to grab Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs while the Niners got their guy in defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.
Additionally, San Francisco picked up Tampa Bay’s fourth-round selection in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
While teams typically trade up for quarterbacks, last year’s Buccaneers squad showed the value offensive linemen can play, both in terms of NFL Draft needs and importance in creating a Super Bowl roster.
The LA Chargers, meanwhile, boasted one of the league’s worst offensive lines in football last year. With a second-year quarterback, Justin Herbert, needing protection in 2021 and beyond, the SF 49ers, too, could dangle the pick to LA and prompt the idea other teams are looking at some of the higher elite-level linemen who could easily go within pick Nos. 10 and 15.
True, the Niners may have their own O-line needs, particularly if left tackle Trent Williams walks in free agency.
But if Williams stays or San Francisco has other contingency plans, trying to get the Chargers to bite on their O-line woes could be a great way to add some mid-round draft capital.