5 players John Lynch, 49ers would absolutely trade for in 2022

49ers trade target No. 1: Wide receiver Calvin Ridley, Falcons

The 49ers don’t necessarily have to reinforce their wide receiver room this offseason, but finding additional weapons to support Trey Lance would nevertheless be a wise move on the part of John Lynch.

True, Deebo Samul and Brandon Aiyuk have already locked down the top two spots on the depth chart here, but the middle and back ends of the wide receiver room are still lacking to a large degree.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley stepped away from football to focus on mental health after just five games played in 2021. And while he might not be truly an alpha No. 1 wide receiver on a good offense, he’s still a quality complementary piece, his best season coming in 2020 with 1,374 receiving yards amid a bad Atlanta offense.

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The Falcons, looking to potentially turn a lot of pages in the upcoming years, might see Ridley as a commodity in need of a new change of scenery. Added with the fact he stepped away from football for a while, it’s possible a Ridley trade winds up being more of a salary dump than anything else.

Should Lynch target Ridley, 27 years old, the Niners would have to absorb $11.1 million in his fully guaranteed fifth-year option.

It might be a lot for a player who hasn’t shown any signs of returning. But if Ridley is committed, there’s no doubt he’d make San Francisco’s receiving corps a dominant trio with Samuel and Aiyuk already in tow.