San Francisco 49ers fans spent the bye week begging their team's front office to make another move as the NFL trade deadline looms and conference rivals continue to stack up talent.
While general manager John Lynch pounced on defensive tackle DeForest Buckner early, the faithful know the Niners need more.
Names like Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson and Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack continue to float, but their teams' unwillingness to move them make any thoughts of Mack or Wilson in red and gold unlikely at best. That said, Lynch and the 49ers may need to think outside the box, and luckily for them, teams at the bottom of NFL standings still have spare parts to sell.
1. Marlon Humphrey
In what has been a nightmarish season for the Baltimore Ravens, the preseason AFC North favorites look destined to offload talent after an embarrassing 33-10 loss to Jacksonville on Thursday. Now sitting at 4-5 and last in their division, the Ravens have a unique opportunity to let go of pieces who don't fit the team's future plans, none more so than cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
The 30-year-old two-time first-team all-pro is a target who would give depth to San Francisco's secondary, which could prove important for a group that has been exposed at times when not fully healthy.
While Humphrey is statistically having the worst season of his career, a change of scenery might be all he needs to return to form and intercept passes. Though he recorded four picks last season, he has yet to log one in 2026.
2. Jonathan Taylor
Potentially the biggest name in trade deadline talks but rarely attached to the 49ers, running back Jonathan Taylor would provide the spark San Francisco's offense has been searching for.
Christian McCaffrey has seen his best days as a rusher, and a potential backfield split could save his legs while letting him run more routes, thrusting him into a Wes Welker-type role.
Taylor has been the lone bright spot on a reeling Colts team, rushing for 610 yards and eight touchdowns and adding another 202 yards in the receiving game, numbers that would take the 49ers offense from great to deadly.
Potentially cheaper than a trade for Wilson, Lynch could throw a curveball and steal Taylor from running-back-needy teams.
3. Adonai Mitchell
Everyone knows the Jets are reluctant to trade their No. 1 wideout, so why not trade for his cheaper (and more productive) teammate?
Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is coming off a seven-catch, 142-yard performance last Sunday against the Raiders, pacing the Jets in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. The former Texas Longhorn's six-foot-two frame is exactly what quarterback Brock Purdy needs in his receivers, and the Jets should be inclined to move him at the right price.
4. Devaughn Vele
The Saints looked primed to take control over a weak NFC South at the beginning of the season, but a 2-5 start has them positioned to trim some fat as they look toward 2027.
While New Orleans is by no means in a rush to sell, wide receiver Devaughn Vele is a six-foot-five target on a losing team. That logic alone should be plenty for Lynch to inquire about the mammoth wideout.
5. Chase Young
Speaking of the Saints, there's real potential the 49ers could land another reunion with a defensive lineman, this time in defensive end Chase Young.
Young, whom the 49ers traded for in 2023, has racked up seven sacks in as many games for New Orleans this year, a presence in the trenches San Francisco has been missing.
By reuniting him once again with his good friend Nick Bosa, the Niners' defensive line could go from pedestrian to downright terrifying for opposing quarterbacks in just a few weeks' time.
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