The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly looking to move the 13th overall pick, and have received several inquiries for the selection.
The San Francisco 49ers traded All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for the 13th-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they don’t appear to want to keep it.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the 49ers have received “multiple inquires” for No. 13 and are open to trading the pick.
That the Niners are open for business is not exactly a surprise.
Though San Francisco has a pair of first-rounders – the 49ers also own No. 31 overall – after day one general manager John Lynch is not scheduled to send in another pick until the fifth round.
Given the depth of this draft class, the Niners would be wise to try to move back to ensure they have some stake in day two.
Lynch alluded they would attempt to do as much when talking to the media ahead of the draft.
Per 49ers.com, Lynch said:
“I’m comfortable saying that there are scenarios where we are going to be open at both of those picks to moving back. We have two firsts, and then we don’t have a pick until the fifth, where we have two picks, and then a sixth and two sevenths. So, with those picks, there’s a big gap in there. So maybe you don’t want 10 (picks), but a couple more might be nice just to close that gap.”
Lynch added that there may be scenarios where they stay at No. 13 if a “foundational player” akin to Buckner is still on the board. He estimated there are six players he considers foundational in this draft.
The report from Schefter indicates the 49ers perhaps don’t expect there to be such a player on the board by the time they are on the clock. With the expected run on tackles and top defensive players such as Jeffrey Okudah and Isaiah Simmons expected to come off the board early, that assessment may prove correct.
San Francisco already has one of the top rosters in the NFL but, in a draft with this level of talent, the Niners are employing an astute strategy by looking to move back to give themselves more shots to stack their deck further.