The San Francisco 49ers are in a unique position. They've shot out to an undefeated start and currently sit atop the NFC, but their roster is still full of holes on both sides of the ball. I mean, Brandin Cooks has become an important member of the offense in the year 2026.
Naturally, that combination of success and need has created endless trade chatter ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline. The question doesn't seem to be about if the Niners will make a move, but rather for whom.
Former Niner and current Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has been a popular pick. San Francisco could use some help on the interior, Indy is positioned for a fire sale after letting Chris Ballard go, and the nostalgia of the long-awaited reunion would make football fans across the globe feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
But Buckner isn't the Colts defensive tackle the 49ers should be targeting. Grover Stewart, while a more boring option, is the better choice.
Trading for DeForest Buckner is a luxury the 49ers can't afford
Let's put nostalgia aside and look at this from the cold, calculated mind of an NFL general manager. Buckner is a 32-year-old defender on an expiring contract whose primary skill isn't what the 49ers need on their interior.
The Colts defensive tackle is still one of the best in business, and he has been since his days in San Francisco in the late 2010s. But at this point in his career, he's more of a three-technique gap-shooter than he is a run-stuffer. The 49ers already have that archetype in Gracen Halton and Osa Odighizuwa.
Alfred Collins was meant to be their nose tackle, but he's out for the season with a torn patellar tendon.
Buckner would take snaps away from Halton and Odighizuwa instead of complementing chat they already bring to the table.
On top of the schematic question marks, the veteran's looming contract extension makes this deal a no-go. He would likely need to be paid north of $20 million per year, and the 49ers just don't have that kind of room in 2027.
If you're giving away a mid-round pick for a player on an expiring deal in the middle of the season, you're going to pay him. The Niners can't afford to do so with Buckner.
A Grover Stewart-49ers trade makes too much sense to ignore
Instead of making a splash trade for Buckner, San Francisco should consider adding his less-famous teammate. Stewart fits what the 49ers need; he's a gap-plugger who can command double teams and free up lanes for the linebackers behind him. He's produced at least 22 run stops in each of the last six seasons, something no 49ers defensive tackle came close to doing in 2025.
He carries some of the same issues that Buckner does: he's 33 years old and on an expiring contract. But for the cost of a late-round pick swap, those issues become much less of a deterrent.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell is on the Stewart-to-San-Fran train. He proposed a deal that would send the veteran defensive tackle and a seventh-round pick to the 49ers for a sixth-round pick. Barnwell said, "Stewart isn't the most exciting addition, but he's the sort of player the Niners need."
At that price, this deal should be a no-brainer for general manager John Lynch. He could aid his banged-up defensive front immediately without risking his long-term plans.
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