49ers NFL Draft 2022 primer: Everything you need to know

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General Manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

Will John Lynch, 49ers make a trade in the NFL Draft?

Last Monday, John Lynch told reporters he expected things to be fairly quiet in Round 1 of the draft, given San Francisco doesn’t currently own a pick in the round.

Take those comments at face value, though.

Lynch has frequently made draft-day trades (or at least high-profile ones for the first round). In 2017, he traded back from No. 2 to No. 3 overall to acquire defensive end Solomon Thomas, then moved back into the first round to grab linebacker Reuben Foster. In 2020, the 49ers traded away Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to grab fellow defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw, while the 2021 trade for the third overall pick resulted in Trey Lance.

49ers to finally move Jimmy Garoppolo?

Deebo Samuel’s ascent in the news cycle has made less a story out of the presumed aggressive trade attempts to move Jimmy Garoppolo.

Regardless, the 30-year-old quarterback remains on the Niners’ roster, likely stemming from offseason shoulder surgery that dampened what was still a disappointing market for him.

However, this year’s draft class isn’t particularly great with quarterbacks, and there’s going to be an increased chance of Garoppolo potentially being moved over the course of the draft, even if it winds up being for less of a return for which San Francisco had hoped.

Will 49ers actually trade Deebo Samuel?

Samuel’s trade speculation has put the 49ers in the forefront of the news cycle the last couple of weeks, as Samuel wants out but the Niners likely wouldn’t take anything but a king’s ransom for him.

Lynch stressed his desire to retain Samuel, who is still under contract through 2022 but is seeking an extension. However, it’s possible one or more of the top-drafting teams create a bidding war for Samuel’s services, ultimately putting forth a package San Francisco simply can’t refuse.

That’s the only way Samuel winds up getting traded.