As I write this, I should be seething. I'm based in the United Kingdom, and it's 4 a.m.
I've sat up all night to watch the San Francisco 49ers make a pick, and they didn't. First, they moved back from 27 to 30 with the Miami Dolphins, picking up a third-rounder (No. 90 overall) in the process. Then, they moved out of the first round entirely, moving back to No. 33 with the New York Jets for the benefit of a fifth-rounder (No. 179 overall).
Three hours wasted? Sleeping pattern destroyed? For nothing?
Eh, not so.
It turns out the Niners might've actually done quite a good job in the first round. Not content with seeing division rivals, the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams, make some baffling picks (I'm still chuckling openly at quarterback Ty Simpson going to LA), the 49ers spun a web of lies and smokescreens that allowed them to move into a strong position for Day 2 of the draft.
To be honest, the draft is deep, but not exactly star-studded. Moving down six picks from Nos. 27 to 33 doesn't feel like it will hurt San Francisco much, considering the dearth of actual top options at the pick. From a personal point of view, once Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman went off the board to the Chicago Bears (the only time I let my composure slip all night), I didn't think there was much on the board worthy of a first-rounder.
Picking at the top of the second round reduces the financial cost, but also allows for more chips in the sport's ultimate poker game.
More interesting, though, is just how the 49ers managed to do it. In a draft no one seemed to want to move up in, the Niners managed to cause arguably two teams to panic and press the button to jump above them: the New England Patriots and Houston Texans.
The Texans' trade-up was perhaps the most surprising, as they seemed to reach very early for Keylan Rutledge, a talented guard, but one most had mocked for Day 2. Some even had him going at the 49ers' original pick on Day 2, No. 58 overall. I don't know for sure that the Texans thought San Francisco would take him, but general manager John Lynch has certainly made a lot of noise about solidifying left guard, where Rutledge likely would've landed.
The definite, though, was causing New England to leapfrog them at No. 28 to take Utah tackle Caleb Lomu.
Lomu has probably been the name connected the strongest with the 49ers in recent weeks, particularly in the midst of Trent Williams' contract dispute. The prevailing wisdom was that he would operate at guard, before moving to tackle to take over from Williams.
In truth, I'm not sure that was ever the case.
Lomu seems a very raw prospect, likely wouldn't have added much initial impact, and the 49ers, much to my oft-repeated disdain, don't really value offensive line in the first round.
I don't believe the Niners wanted him.
In this case, I agreed with them. I wasn't sold on Lomu, nor many of the other top tackles in the draft. I might have moved for Monroe Freeling, but I appreciate that was probably a bit out of the 49ers' range.
In any case, they obviously made the Patriots and Texans believe enough that their interest in linemen was there to be able to weaponise it against them, helping move back and accumulate more picks. Coupling that with the strange nights for the Rams and Cardinals, plus an underwhelming Seattle Seahawks pick, has me feeling the Niners are counting cards at the table going in to Day 2 of the draft.
Now, all Lynch has to do is nail Day 2. But we'll get to that some other time.
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