5 bold predictions for 49ers 2022 offseason

49ers bold prediction No. 5: John Lynch trades up in 2022 NFL Draft

Wait, what? Why would the 49ers trade up in the 2022 NFL Draft? Especially after trading off so many assets to grab Trey Lance a year ago?

For starters, one of our bold predictions accounts for the Niners trading away Jimmy Garoppolo, which would give John Lynch a speculated two second-round picks, Nos. 52 (from Pittsburgh) and 61.

While there’s no exact formula for trading up or down and netting an appropriate return, those two second-round picks could potentially be enough for Lynch to get back into Round 1, albeit towards the very tail end.

It might be an effective strategy, though.

For starters, having that first-round player would give San Francisco a fifth-year option on said player, increasing the likelihood of player retention. And with the 49ers already boasting a fairly well-set roster anyway, the 2022 offseason might be focusing more on the quality of players instead of just pure quantity.

Two OK prospects in Round 2 might not be as valuable as one high-level first-round prospect in this case.

To go bold, we suggest Lynch uses those two picks to get back into Round 1.