49ers NFL Draft: John Lynch trades, shores up O-line with Aaron Banks

The San Francisco 49ers made a trade and drafted a starting-caliber offensive lineman in the process.

49ers general manager John Lynch made his first draft-day move of the 2021 NFL Draft, trading back with the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round.

The Raiders sent picks No. 48 and 121 in this year’s draft in exchange for San Francisco’s pick No. 43 and their seventh-round selection, No. 230. ESPN’s Adam Schefter had the move first:

With their new second-round pick, the 49ers selected Notre Dame offensive lineman Aaron Banks, a multi-year starter along the Irish’s offensive line, most recently at left guard.

Banks is a big kid at 6-foot-5 and 338 pounds, who shows excellent ability to use his size to create space in the running game and pass protects effectively from the interior. In a division like the NFC West, which features one of the league’s fiercest interior pass rushers in the form of Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, it will be vital for Banks to display these traits from the outset.

Given his draft position, it seems likely that Banks will get an opportunity to take over the starting right guard position, between centers Alex Mack and right tackle Mike McGlinchey, a fellow Notre Dame alum.

Of great importance, Banks only allowed two sacks during his career in South Bend, IN.

The 49ers are looking to build their offensive line for the long term, having picked up McGlinchey’s 5th-year option and locking in left tackle Trent Williams to an extension over the offseason. Banks will have a chance to be another anchor on the 49ers’ offensive line for years to come.

On top of that, Lynch moved back just five spots in the second round, while turning a late seventh-round selection into another fourth-round pick, which could be used as a trade piece later in the draft, since the Niners now own picks 117 and 121 in that round.

The 49ers didn’t get a perfect prospect in the second round, but Banks should be able to slide into the starting lineup to start the 2021 season.