5 last-minute deals that could help 49ers at NFL trade deadline

49ers trade target No. 2: EDGE Montez Sweat, Commanders

It does seem as if Washington is undergoing a fire sale in the imminent future, as there have been plenty of players reportedly on the trade block.

So, if the Niners can't pick up someone like Curtis Samuel to help the offense, grabbing someone on the defensive side should be a priority.

The Commanders apparently have two of their edge rushers, Chase Young and Montez Sweat, available for a trade. While both are pending free agents after this season, and they're also both looking for long-term contracts, San Francisco can hope a short-term rental would help open up the sack numbers that have largely been absent for much of the year.

Sweat, selected in the same year as the 49ers' top pass-rusher, Nick Bosa, is the better of the two choices, given Young's injury history and the fact the former has 6.5 sacks on the seasons already.

There's likely a budding market for Sweat, and the Niners would have to be judicious in deciding both trade packages and potential extensions.

But there's no doubting he'd help a struggling San Francisco pass rush.