49ers 2021 NFL Draft live tracker, reactions and updates

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Ohio State Buckeyes running back Trey Sermon (8) Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images /

812. . Running Back. Buckeyes . Trey Sermon. 88. player

Round 3, Pick No. 88 Overall: RB Trey Sermon, Ohio State

Despite signing running back Wayne Gallman to a crop that includes Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr., it made more than enough sense for Kyle Shanahan to find a long-term player to develop as a would-be replacement for the other two, who’ll both be free agents in 2022.

So, while the 49ers held the No. 102 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Shanahan and John Lynch clearly didn’t think Ohio State running back Trey Sermon would last towards the end of Round 3, trading up to the No. 88 overall spot in a deal with the Los Angeles Rams, who were short on draft picks this year anyway.

LA gets San Francisco’s two fourth-round picks, Nos. 117 and 121, with one of those being the pick acquired from Las Vegas while still keeping No. 102 overall.

That might be a gamble within the NFC West the Niners are willing to take. Especially for Sermon.

While the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Sermon might not have the elite breakaway speed, his one-cut ability and big-bodied physicality makes for a tough tackle. And during the three years Sermon spent at Oklahoma before transferring to Ohio State, he also displayed the ability to be a legitimate pass-catching threat, which certainly could be something Shanahan looks to rekindle again.