3 trades John Lynch, 49ers could make to get into Round 1 of NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
Trade No. 3: 49ers trade Jimmy Garoppolo, use other picks to trade into Round 1
San Francisco might end up being pleased with its return from a would-be trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, one which could possibly wind up netting picks in Rounds 2, 3 and 4, provided some team is willing to offer up a significant package.
With the likelihood of that team drafting ahead of the 49ers, and John Lynch now armed with a surplus of picks on day two, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Lynch to send off the team’s own selections in Rounds 2 and 3, including a 2023 second-round selection, to the Tennessee Titans, who are armed with the No. 26 overall pick but won’t select again until the tail end of the third round.
For Lynch, whose roster is fairly well constructed but needs an influx of one or two high-caliber players in this year’s NFL Draft, going with quality over quantity would make a lot of sense.
The Titans, meanwhile, are projected to be over $7 million above the 2022 salary cap, meaning they could face some challenging roster cuts and will need to infuse some youthful talent on the roster.
That could translate into needing more picks, subsequently adding more rookie contracts.
Meanwhile, the Niners add a first-round selection to the fray, while Tennessee rearms itself with plenty of chances to land young and cheaper prospects.