5 players 49ers should put on the trade block entering 2024 NFL Draft
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have even joked about trading the other if the compensation was good enough.
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers are always open to trades, and these five players could be on the move between now and the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Two offseasons ago, San Francisco 49ers fans sat in anticipation while wondering if wide receiver Deebo Samuel would be traded during Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Samuel had previously requested a trade after entering a dispute over a contract extension, and the draft provided a perfect opportunity for the Niners' tandem of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan to do so.
Ultimately, no trade materialized. Samuel stayed put and eventually got his contract extension.
With the 2024 draft just around the corner, though, there's a chance Lynch and Shanahan look to trade players currently on the team's roster in order to gain more draft capital and to set the team up for prolonged success.
While no one on the roster is wholly off limits (Shanahan and Lynch have repeatedly said they'd be open to trading anybody if the price is right), these five players could be on the trade block if San Francisco is satisfied with the compensation in return.
49ers trade candidate No. 1: WR Brandon Aiyuk
Is there a strong chance the 49ers trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk? No. Would they prefer to lock him up on a long-term extension? Yes.
However, those negotiations appear to be going nowhere, and there's always the chance that Aiyuk prices himself out of the Niners' comfort range.
And that could entice another receiver-needy team to offer up a trade package that'd be too good for San Francisco to turn down. Considering this year's draft is supposed to be historically deep at the position, which has seemingly been the case over multiple years now, it shouldn't be overly difficult for the 49ers to identify and draft a hopeful replacement.
Lynch has shot down rumors of trade talk regarding Aiyuk already, but proverbial "smoke and mirrors" campaigns are common this time of year.
Either way, the Niners are assuredly listening to offers even if they're not actively trying to move Aiyuk.