If the 49ers are interested in moving up in the NFL Draft, it’ll be for these prospects
We’ve examined the scenarios of the San Francisco 49ers picking at 11 and trading back, depending on how the board falls.
It only makes sense that the next scenario we explore is the most fun: the idea of the 49ers trading up in next week’s draft.
Two slots make sense for John Lynch, depending on whether Lynch and the 49ers want to take a swing at one of the two top prospects in this draft or if they want to ensure they get one of the top players at a position of need.
With Cam Ward proclaiming Treylon Burks a top-four wide receiver in the league this week, I think it’s safe to say it’s a certainty the Titans make him the first overall selection. That allows Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter to drop to the third pick. That might be enough to get Lynch to pick up the phone and see what it would take to move up and swap with the Giants to get the player that falls to three.
With Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen’s seats on fire, it would make sense for the Giants to select a quarterback, but after Ward, no quarterbacks in this draft scream top-three pick. Maybe the Giants fall back to 11 to not only get either Jaxson Dart or Shedeur Sanders (if we want to get weird, perhaps even Tyler Shough) while collecting a future first-round pick as a preservation attempt for Daboll and Schoen.
In this hypothetical, the best-case scenario for the 49ers is that Cleveland goes with the two-way star Hunter, allowing San Francisco to nab Carter and finally find a long-term solution across Nick Bosa. Carter turned plenty of heads with his 2024 performance at Penn State, finishing with 12.5 sacks, 66 pressures, and 23.5 tackles for loss. His impact in both the pass and run game would greatly help a 49ers defense that struggled and is looking for a reinvigoration under Robert Saleh.
If Cleveland decides to pair Carter with their all–pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett, Hunter would not be a bad consolation, especially for Kyle Shanahan. While he won a Heisman because of his two-way play, there are questions about whether Hunter can do the same at the NFL level. Everything about Hunter screams top-level cornerback: his length, ball skills, and athleticism, to name a few. Not only would he shore up a 49ers cornerback room that already includes Deommore Lenoir and Renardo Green, but Hunter would offer Shanahan a unique and potentially elite weapon to use, even if it’s for just 15-20 snaps per game.
If San Francisco doesn’t want to lose future picks to move up to three, the next potential move-up spot would be with Carolina at eight. The Panthers have more than one need, and with Carolina scheduled to make nine picks, they could be in the market to move back a few picks to gain more picks.
However, the only way a small move up like this makes sense for the 49ers is if a top player at a position of need is still available when the Panthers are on the clock. That list would likely include Mason Graham, Will Campbell, or Armand Membou.
Jalon Walker could also be a fascinating move-up target. While there are concerns about Walker’s size, his versatility and upside are intriguing enough that he’s expected to be among the first ten selected. His versatility alone could prove to be beneficial in Saleh’s defense if he pans out.
There’s always a risk involved when trading up (see the 49ers 2021 draft), but given the right player, a move-up might be a necessary risk for a 49ers team needing to find an impact player or two in the draft.