The 49ers will enter the 2020 NFL draft with only one pick in the first four rounds, and five picks over the final three rounds. It’s a pretty stark departure from years past where San Francisco typically went into drafts loaded with picks.
So where did all their picks go? And how did they get a couple of extra late-round picks? Here’s a quick refresher on where the 49ers’ 2020 draft picks went, and how they scooped up a couple additional selections.
Traded picks
Round 2, Pick 63: Traded to Chiefs
This one was actually traded prior to last year’s draft when the 49ers sent the selection to Kansas City in exchange for edge rusher Dee Ford. San Francisco then signed Ford to a five-year, $85 million deal with $33.35 million guaranteed.
While Ford dealt with injuries all year that forced him out of five games and limited him in several others, he still racked up 6.5 sacks and elevated the 49ers pass rush to an elite level when he was on the field. A healthy version of Ford in 2020 makes him well worth a second-round pick.
Round 3, Pick 95 and Round 4, Pick 127: Traded to Broncos
Acquiring Emmanuel Sanders was perhaps the move that ultimately put the 49ers into the Super Bowl. In order to snag the veteran receiver from the Broncos, they had to give up their third and fourth-round picks in 2019.
While it looks bleak in regards to draft capital, Sanders was a much-needed piece on a shallow 49ers receiving corps. He quickly became a go-to target for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and nearly gave them a late lead in the Super Bowl by winning on a deep post in the waning minutes.
Sanders is a free agent in 2020 and may wind up signing elsewhere, but trading for him pushed the 49ers over the hump and into the Super Bowl where they had a real shot to win it. That’s a trade every team would make every year.