NEWSLETTER
Up. Down. Side to side. The NFL Draft day trade chatter is everywhere right now.
Next up: The San Francisco 49ers.
Owners of the No. 31 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, you would expect for it to cost a pretty penny for San Fran to move up into the top 10. But it sounds like the Niners are willing to do so. At a minimum, it seems as if they are open to having discussions that could include parting ways with one of their best players in order to make the move up the board.
Another bit of scoopage from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who hears the 49ers have had trade talks with teams — including one that has a top-10 pick — and are apparently willing to part with wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel to make it happen:
It is absolutely flooring to see the 49ers reportedly put Deebo and Aiyuk on the trade block. All to trade into the top-10? On the one hand, I get it. You have to give something to get something in trades. But I did not see the San Francisco 49ers as a team angling to trade so they can pick in the top 10.
There is a part of me that sees this and immediately thinks of it as a response to rumors of the Los Angeles Rams wanting to trade up and get into the top 10. Nothing like a game of chicken between two division rivals hours before the NFL Draft to really get the juices flowing.
I’d joke about wanting the Bears to get in on the 49ers trade action, but…
If the Chicago Bears are open for business, then maybe they should field a phone call from the San Francisco 49ers. But even I can’t fully get a grip on what a Bears-Niners trade could conceivably look like. All I know is that it would take an impact player of the magnitude of Deebo or Aiyuk to move me out of the No. 9 pick.
Would Chicago want to trade for the cost certainty of Deebo Samuel’s contract? The way receiver contracts are trending, that one will be team-friendly in no time. Could they try to land Brandon Aiyuk, keep him on the fifth-year option, and then negotiate an extension? Or perhaps use an acquisition of a receiver to leverage an extension from Keenan Allen or DJ Moore? Don’t mind me. I’m just thinking out loud. The NFL Draft is getting weird … and so am I!
In my head, I still struggle to figure out who the Niners would target in a trade up from where they are at No. 31. There figure to still be good players available with the second-to-last pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The chatter around trade-ups seems to be surrounding making a move for a wide receiver or offensive tackle. But the depth at both of those positions hints at quality players being on the board when it is the 49ers turn to pick. Could they seek a defensive standout? Perhaps an upgrade along the offensive line? The Niners wouldn’t make a move for a quarterback … would they?
