San Francisco 49ers: Round 1 big board for 2021 NFL Draft

Tier 2: Top prospects 49ers aggressively trade up for

The second tier of San Francisco’s big-board players is a bit trickier than either the first or third tiers.

This group generally would consist of those likely to be selected in the top 10. But for whatever the reasons, those players end up slipping to a point where the 49ers would be potentially willing to act boldly and move up from the second round, perhaps even into the middle of Round 1.

And remember, future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers could have been the No. 1 overall player selected in 2005 (let’s not remember that too much) but fell all the way to No. 24 overall that year.

Weird things can happen.

This tier won’t necessarily be fully off the board between pick Nos. 6 and 10, and it’s feasible one or two of them slip into the teens. Perhaps later.

A couple of wide receivers are listed here, Ja’Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith, in addition to the prolific prospects like Penei Sewell and Kyle Pitts. And while it’s not too likely Kyle Shanahan wants to aggressively trade up to grab a player like Chase or Smith, both would be awfully enticing to see in the 49ers offense.

Slater, too, was someone who was regularly mocked to the Niners before they re-signed left tackle Trent Williams. But with right tackle Mike McGlinchey’s long-term status still up in the air, it wouldn’t be completely out of the realm of possibility to see some offensive line movement.

Just how early it happens remains the key question.

At any rate, each one of these players would have to fall in the draft order considerably before San Francisco would ponder aggressively trading up into what would likely be a pick in the late teens.