You could also be in the boat where you don’t want to see the 49ers trade up
In our Golden Nuggets Monday morning, we highlighted a mock draft from Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network that had the San Francisco 49ers trading up for a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft:
TRADE: San Francisco trades 2021 1st & 2nd round picks, 2022 1st, 2nd & 3rd round picks & 2023 3rd round pick to New York (Jets) for No. 2 overall
That is rich, but it’s also what might be necessary to make the jump from picking in the teens to jumping up to No. 2 to select a quarterback. If you want the 49ers to go get their guy, this might be what it’ll take.
I think fans overvalue draft picks. Always have and always will. Fans were upset last draft when the 49ers used a fourth-round pick to move up and select Brandon Aiyuk. This came a year after selecting a punter in the fourth round and four years of Kentavius Street, Joe Williams, Rashard Robinson, and Blake Bell as selections in the fourth round.
The point is that most draft picks are closer to a crapshoot, and we see time and time again that the teams who receive a lot of picks in trades don’t always end up winning. We’re still in December. Nobody knows what the 49ers are going to do in the NFL Draft—not even the 49ers.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell took a stab at a potential trade scenario as well for the 49ers:
49ers receive: 2021 1st-round pick (No. 2 overall), 2021 4th-round pick
Jets receive: 2021 1st-round pick (No. 14 overall), 2021 2nd-round pick (46th overall), 2022 1st-round pick, 2022 3rd-round pick, Jalen Hurd
Barnwell had the 49ers trading Jimmy Garoppolo to the Patriots for a fifth-round pick. He also said this:
“For the 49ers, this would be a deal they would make if they fell in love with one of the other quarterbacks in this class — Justin Fields, Zach Wilson or Trey Lance. General manager John Lynch would be beating out teams like the Panthers, who could draft a signal-caller at No. 4, or the Broncos and Bears, who could try to trade up. The 49ers could rightfully suggest that a stable, solid quarterback is all they need to make it back to the Super Bowl. Going with a cheaper option under center would free up $20 million or so in cap space, which would allow the Niners to retain more of their pending free agents, a group that includes left tackle Trent Williams and defensive backs Jaquiski Tartt, and Richard Sherman.”
Jimmy’s contract and how successful Kyle Shanahan feels he could be with a rookie quarterback will determine if the 49ers roll into 2021 with a rookie or not. If Shanahan believes he can get the same production with a rookie, $20+ million could go a long, long way in surrounding the rookie with a top-flight defense and perhaps a veteran center who would take the pressure off whoever the rookie is.
Parting ways with a future first-round draft pick doesn’t bother me much if it’s for a quarterback that can change your organization for the next decade. Giving up your first, second, and third, for the next two years is rich and might be too steep for some.
Would you make either deal or do you feel like the 49ers would be better suited to stay put?
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