Niner Noise
FanSided

5 NFC West players 49ers would love to steal for 2022 playoff push

By Peter Panacy

Tyler Lockett #16 of the Seattle Seahawks tries to break a tackle from Tramaine Brock #26 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Tyler Lockett #16 of the Seattle Seahawks tries to break a tackle from Tramaine Brock #26 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

The 49ers can only dream, but if they did, stealing these five NFC West rival players would certainly put them over the hump in the playoff picture.

Many years ago when I was playing little league baseball, our team advanced to the Tournament of Champions, and part of the reward for doing so was our team (the Cardinals) was able to select one kid from another squad as a temporary addition to our squad for the tournament.

He was a pitcher, a good one. And we won two games in the tournament before being eliminated, him getting the start in one of those games.

At any rate, the San Francisco 49ers won’t be “stealing” any players from within the NFC West before a (hopeful) push deep into the 2022 postseason. And at the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff picture, it’s not even guaranteed the Niners will get in.

But, if San Francisco was somehow able to choose from any divisional rival’s top players, it would surely want to pluck away these five to help get into the playoffs and hopefully make it all the way through with a Super Bowl victory.

49ers NFC West Player to Steal No. 5: Rams DT Aaron Donald

Let’s not kid ourselves here. All 31 other teams across the league would trip over themselves if Los Angeles Rams perennial Pro Bowl and All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald was suddenly made available at any point.

He won’t be. But a team like the 49ers can certainly wish he was.

The Niners have admirably gotten by with the inside of their defensive line this season despite losing second-year defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to a season-ending knee injury early in the year. Truth be told, though, San Francisco’s D-line hasn’t quite been the same since now-Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was traded away early in 2020, opening up the door for Kinlaw, who has yet to come close to filling Buckner’s void.

Donald, with his 12 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss, would be the kind of massive upgrade needed to revert the 49ers’ D-line back into one of the NFL’s most formidable units.

And paired with EDGE Nick Bosa, the Niners would have no trouble recording sack after sack en route into the postseason.