With the NFL Draft being the world's largest televised poker game, you occasionally get some interesting "all-in" type moves.
The San Francisco 49ers are no stranger to this, given their love of a draft-day trade, particularly under head coach Kyle Shanahan and general managerJohn Lynch.
In their seven-year tenure, they have:
- Traded down one spot with the Chicago Bears in 2017 (to draft defensive end Solomon Thomas, while the Bears moved up for... erm, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky - no winners there)
- Traded back into the same first round in 2017 for linebacker Reuben Foster
- Acquired an extra first-round pick in 2020 by trading defensive tackleDeForest Buckner (some of the fanbase has never got over that one)
- Then promptly traded that further down one spot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to draft defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw
- Before trading up (again), moving the second first-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings to acquire wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk
- Finally, and perhaps most infamously, trading a boatload of picks to the Miami Dolphins in 2021 to draft Trey Lance (that went well... no sarcasm detected)
All of this is to say that the Niners certainly don't seem adverse to the odd crazy move when it comes to the first round of the draft.
So, let's get our thinking caps on and come up with five insane scenarios for San Francisco in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Proceed with caution and an open mind.
49ers trade up for TE Brock Bowers
This thought is the product of an early-afternoon chat between myself and resident Niner Noise draft guru Jeremy Wohlfart, and oddly enough, it has it's roots in the Lance trade of 2021.
Some of our more fanciful followers were entertaining the possibility that Shanahan might have in fact moved up not for a quarterback, but to add another offensive weapon. That being then-Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
This probably wasn't particularly likely, but the same logic applies now as then: George Kittle can't go on forever (and has a large contract to boot), so why not fill the tight end void with a true playmaker and potential superstar?
Throw in the uncertainty over Aiyuk (more of him shortly), and adding another offensive weapon to the Swiss Army knife skil set that Shanahan has at his disposal might be an easy one to countenance.
Tight end Brock Bowers would likely have to pass the New YorkJets at No. 10 overall before this would even be possible, but that's not a wild thought given some of the needs they have and the teams in front of them have also.
If Bowers was to fall far enough, could he prove a useful addition?
49ers trade Brandon Aiyuk, select two offensive linemen
OK, maybe I'm having a little post-Mike Singletary PTSD here, but it wouldn't be the first time the 49ers have selected two offensive linemen in the first round of the draft.
With the now-denied rumours that Brandon Aiyuk has requested a trade, could moving him to the Buffalo Bills (No. 28 overall) or the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 20 overall) allow the Niners to pick up two starting-calibre offensive linemen in the first round of the draft?
There's certainly enough potential room for improvement on the line, with some suggesting both guard positions as well as right tackle as being in need of updates. We also can't forget the ever-increasing looming need to replace Trent Williams.
It would be unorthodox and somewhat surprising, and potentially put the team one weapon down going into 2024, but there's an argument that the Kyle Shanahan system maybe doesn't need two top-end, highly paid receivers, given it's capacity to scheme players open.
On the other hand, one thing that definitely does need to improve is San Francisco's blocking, with the team ranking in the 20s in both run and pass win rate, according to ESPN.
Given the plethora of available linemen in a deep draft, could grabbing, say, offensive linemen Amarius Mims and Graham Barton be something the 49ers consider to set up the line's next generation?
Trade Brandon Aiyuk, and trade up for his replacement
Keeping in mind that same trade rumour, could the Niners make the same trade pre-draft and then package those picks for a receiver?
There's a couple of reasons why this might make sense: One, to replace Brandon Aiyuk himself, but two, with a long-term focus on the position as well. I looked in a previous article at the 49ers growing needs at receiver, but to summarise, it boils down to both short- and long-term issues.
For starters, fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel's contract is beginning to look like an albatross and will likely need to be at least restructured if not outright shed off the roster at the end of 2024. Couple that with wideout Jauan Jennings' current one-year pact with the team, and if for some reason an Aiyuk deal doesn't or can't get done, then the talent and depth at the position could start looking pretty thin very quickly.
Outside of Aiyuk, Samuel, and Jennings, the only player with any real future hope is Ronnie Bell, and even he had an up-and-down rookie year. There's certainly nothing to rely on in the receiver pipeline behind the big three. Has anyone even seen Danny Gray?
It's also not as outlandish as it might seem, given the 49ers currently hold 10 picks in this year's draft. Even a cursory glance at the roster would probably tell you that 10 rookies aren't likely to make the 53-man roster, especially given the Niners being smack in the middle of a contending window.
Hell, at the time of writing, there's only 15 spots on the 90-man roster!
So, why hang on to those picks when they could be packaged to add something that could bring some punch to the roster right now? Two late firsts plus one of the team's many, many mid-round picks could be packaged to a take a swing at a Brian Thomas Jr. for instance.
Regardless, given the six or seven Round 1-level pass catchers available this year, it might even be a good year to do it.
49ers draft a receiver in Round 1 without trades
This would involve ignoring some glaring needs, not least along the offensive line and possibly in the defensive backfield, but given the reasoning outlined, previously, could this interest San Francisco?
There's certainly some interesting value to be had at the back end of Round 1, even if it does depend on your evaluation of the top receivers available. By the time the 49ers step up to the podium at No. 31 overall, a number of potential pass catchers could still be available.
Perhaps the most intriguing of these is Texas wideout Adonai Mitchell, who's huge frame and run-after-the-catch ability would seem to fit like a glove in the Kyle Shanahan offense. I doubt the Niners would be too happy seeing him fall to a team after them, especially not the team after them in the draft order, the current "final boss" for the San Francisco, the Kansas City Chiefs.
It's a luxury for sure, but with the 49ers on the cusp of a title, does yet one more incredible playmaker -- also solving a potential long term issue -- appeal?
49ers trade out of Round 1 entirely
OK, so this is the dullest option on the list, and it would certainly annoy me, given it'll probably be about 4 a.m. UK time when the trade's announced.
Still, by this point, I'm used to staying up for the 49ers to disappoint me.
But this actually makes some sense, too, even if it does fly in the face of some points I've made elsewhere in this article.
Perhaps 10 rookies won't make the Niners roster in 2024, but looking ahead to a likely cap-crunched future, with deals for quarterback Brock Purdy and (hopefully) Brandon Aiyuk still to bite, as well as previously signed extensions like that of defensive end Nick Bosa still to have a big cap impact, would it make sense for San Francisco to pick up some picks in future drafts?
The 49ers certainly have to replenish the cupboard in a cost-effective way, and there's not many better ways to do that the the slot-based contracts of the NFL Draft.
Moreover, once you're picking at the back end of the round, is there really much difference between taking the 31st player on your board and, say, the 38th? There'd be associated cap relief, of course. And if you've the option to pick up, for instance, a second- or a third-round pick next year, it might actually turn out to be better value.
Compared to the rest of the list, it's definitely not exciting, but it would certainly be unexpected, especially given the likely draft targets for San Francisco.
What crazy move would you like to see from the 49ers in the draft?