The San Francisco 49ers had a rough 2024 National Football League season, thanks in large part to injuries.
San Francisco had high expectations after losing the Super Bowl the year before to the Kansas City Chiefs. The offseason has been rough because a few key pieces have left the franchise in free agency or the trade market. It feels like the 49ers' roster is starting to get older and more expensive. Because of this, the 49ers need to maximize the 2025 NFL Draft if they want to reopen their championship window.
Because of this, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox suggested a mock trade with the Chiefs to land the No. 31 pick in the first round of Thursday's draft.
"49ers Get: 2025 1st-round pick (No. 31)," Knox said. "Chiefs Get: 2025 2nd-round pick (No. 43), 2025 3rd-round pick (No. 100), 2025 5th-round pick (No. 147). While the San Francisco 49ers aren't fully rebuilding, they are experiencing a bit of a roster reset. San Francisco traded wide receiver Deebo Samuel early in the offseason and lost standout players like Dre Greenlaw, Leonard Floyd and Talanoa Hufanga in free agency. While the 49ers could use their cache of draft capital to reload, it's hard to envision them using all 11 selections they currently possess.
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"Packaging a few picks to move back into the first round would make a ton of sense. While other teams could trade into the bottom of the first round to secure a quarterback, San Francisco may simply want the fifth-year option and/or to get in front of the NFC rival Eagles. In this scenario, the 49ers deal with the Chiefs to address their need for a second edge-rusher. The B/R Scouting Department recently mocked Tennessee sack artist James Pearce Jr. to Philadelphia at No. 32."
Making two first-round picks could be a good way to turn things around quickly. But, this is just hypothetical at this moment. We don't have to wait too much longer to see if the 49ers will make any type of deal, though, with the draft beginning on Thursday.
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