4 trades 49ers could make that would shake up 2022 NFL Draft

The 49ers aren’t picking in the 2022 NFL Draft until late in Round 2, but John Lynch could sure shake things up with one of these four moves.

A year ago, the San Francisco 49ers dominated the headlines by aggressively trading up from the No. 12 overall spot in the 2021 NFL Draft to No. 3 overall, creating all kinds of speculation surrounding which quarterback they’d take in their newly acquired spot.

That chatter didn’t die down until the Niners finally made their move, grabbing quarterback Trey Lance as the presumed future starter for the franchise.

One of the assets San Francisco used, of course, was its 2022 first-round pick, meaning general manager John Lynch won’t be active on day one of the draft this year.

Unless he gets bold again, somehow figuring out a way to trade back into Round 1.

There’s certainly a chance for that to happen, particularly if Lynch moves some massive assets around in an attempt to shake up the draft one more time.

Here are four crazy 49ers trade scenarios that would certainly capture headlines in the 2022 NFL Draft.

49ers NFL Draft trade No. 4: LB Dre Greenlaw to Jets

The Niners have a bit of an excess at linebacker with Fred Warner cemented as the No. 1 option, then Azeez Al-Shaair and Dre Greenlaw vying for the No. 2 backer behind Warner.

Al-Shaair helped make Greenlaw somewhat expendable last year, though, as the latter missed all but three regular-season games because of a groin injury. With it seemingly unlikely San Francisco signs Greenlaw to a second contract after his rookie deal expires after 2022, the thought of moving him makes a lot of sense.

And what better way than reuniting Greenlaw with his former defensive coordinator, now-New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh?

The Jets defense was a mess last season, ranking dead last in the league in both points and yards allowed. While their top picks in the NFL Draft are likely to be spent either on edge rushers or defensive backs, perhaps an offensive lineman or wide receiver, they’ll need to address that second level.

Greenlaw for New York’s third-round pick straight up would be too good a steal from the 49ers’ vantage point, but tossing in the Niners’ own fifth-round pick would be much more workable for both parties.

The Niners clear some excess and turn that Round 5 pick into an early Round 3 selection. Good move.