The San Francisco 49ers are rolling, having extended their winning streak to four games to kick off the new season. However, there is no denying that room for improvement is always welcome. Given how many injuries the team has already endured in such a short time, general manager John Lynch should have his eyes on the road ahead - the road being the impending trade deadline on November 10.
San Francisco has holes, and the only way to fill them may be via the trade market. Granted, many of the aforementioned injuries are not season-long, and those players will return, but a few sneaky trades from their GM, and the 49ers could go from a Super Bowl contender to a Super Bowl favorite.
Lynch has made splashes in the past, most notably when he went out and acquired running back Christian McCaffrey, and now is the time to capitalize on yet another golden opportunity. With his franchise quarterback, Brock Purdy, playing better than anyone in the league, this may be the 49ers' best chance at winning a Super Bowl. But they can't get complacent. Here are five sneaky moves John Lynch could realistically make to take full advantage of the opportunity.
5. Daron Payne
Defensive tackle Alfred Collins is actually one of the few players the 49ers have lost for the year. Rookie Gracen Halton has stepped up, and Osa Odighizuwa is in peak form, but the position is shallow and arguably San Francisco's most vulnerable.
With Washington slipping to 1-3, they are looking to be a prime candidate to sell at the deadline. Jayden Daniels is hurt, and it might make sense to punt the rest of the season and look toward 2027.
Collins is a run-blocker, and Payne has proven to be of a similar makeup. He could easily step up and fill the hole left by the Niners' second-year big man. Given that he is in the final year of his four-year extension, he is a prime candidate to be moved before the deadline.
4. Quentin Johnston
Two words: field stretcher.
Yes, Johnston has been nothing short of a disappointment thus far in his career. Plagued by drops in his first two years, Johnston finally showed what he is capable of at the start of last season, logging 22 catches for 337 yards and four scores. However, despite the early explosion, his production trailed off, as wideouts Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen began to siphon his volume.
Thus far in 2026, Johnston has done virtually nothing, but neither has anyone else on the Chargers offense. At 0-4 and having just lost their two best offensive lineman, they would be foolish not to pull the plug on this year, and Johnston could elicit some extra draft capital in return.
The 49ers have lost both of their field stretchers over the first four weeks. De'Zhaun Stribling is out for at least ten weeks, and Demarcus Robinson's return is up in the air. Johnston could thrive with a quarterback such as Brock Purdy, who excels at throwing the deep ball. Given that the Niners haven't allowed a sack this season, he would have time to run go routes and catch some bombs. He has already proven he has the talent to stick in the NFL; he just needs to find the right fit.
3. Za'Darius Smith
The Falcons just won on Monday Night Football, so a trade for their edge rusher seems a bit more of a stretch than it did a week ago. However, the core of this team is young and built for the future. Smith, who is 34 years old and on a one-year contract, is likely not part of that picture.
Nick Bosa is injured and presumably coming back later in the year, but in his two games played, he failed to record a sack. Only Keion White has more than one sack on the season so far, so the 49ers would greatly benefit by adding pressure on the quarterback. Their secondary has been playing tight coverage all year, and San Francisco is just an extra body or two away from dominating on the front lines.
2. Khalil Mack
Speaking of front lines, Mack is another pass rusher who could give the 49ers the defensive boost to take them from good to great. Mack already has three sacks this year for a plummeting Chargers team, and he is also on a one-year deal.
The 49ers certainly have the cap space to take on his $18 million contract, and adding the Pro-Bowler would be a complete game-changer in the NFC West. The Rams have Myles Garrett, and the Seahawks' biggest advantage over the divisional frontrunners is their defense. If the 49ers were to bolster their pass rush and give Bosa a running mate for when he returns, the red and gold would become an even more formidable opponent than they already are.
1. Maxx Crosby
Are the Las Vegas Raiders 3-1? Yes. Are the Las Vegas Raiders good? Undecided, but probably not.
Though the Raiders are off to a hot start, it's important to note that their three wins have come against the Dolphins, Jets, and Saints, who have a combined 2-10 record through the first four weeks.
If things go south (and there's a good chance they will, given the rest of their schedule), Maxx Crosby could easily find himself back on the market. Trading for Crosby would be the kind of blockbuster move that would put a competitive team like San Francisco over the top. Not only would they have the league's most efficient offense, but they would be pairing it with the league's most complete defense as well. Opposing teams would cower in fear at a tandem of Nick Bosa and Maxx Crosby. Quarterbacks wouldn't stand a chance.
The 49ers have the cap space and draft capital to make this work, and the Raiders, having just drafted Fernando Mendoza first overall, are in clear rebuild mode. Crosby is 29 years old and probably doesn't wish to be part of a multi-year franchise overhaul. Though talks have cooled down since the summer, Crosby to the Niners still feels like a match made in Heaven.
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