The chances the 49ers actually use the 31st pick in this year’s draft are extremely slim. While San Francisco could surely use a player that comes available late in the first round, their lack of draft capital (no picks in Rounds 2, 3 or 4) makes a trade back seem all but inevitable.
Doug Farrar anticipated a trade by the 49ers in his post-combine mock draft on Touchdown Wire. While most mocks have San Francisco taking a safety with their first-round pick, Farrar puts a realistic trade in play.
The 49ers move back in the draft while the Indianapolis Colts move up for Nevada quarterback Jordan Love.
That’s the exact type of move the 49ers would greatly benefit from. A team looking for a young quarterback to develop and moving into the back of the first round to ensure a fifth year option on the rookie contract.
Farrar doesn’t offer a specific trade, but we consulted the DraftTek trade value chart to try and map out what a deal might look like between the 49ers and Colts.
Indianapolis has a pair of second-round picks. The 49ers’ starting price would likely be both of those for the 31st pick and one of San Francisco’s fifth-round choices.
Depending on what the trade market looks like and how badly the 49ers want to get out of the first round, the No. 34 selection, the Colts’ third-round pick – No. 75, and perhaps a future Day 2 pick may also get the job done.
While the nuts and bolts of the deal are hard to pin down exactly, that’s the type of move the 49ers would ideally make. They can stay early in the second round while also scooping up additional picks to help them maneuver around the board later in the draft. San Francisco’s list of needs isn’t deep, so a scenario where they can move around and target specific players rather than just hoarding maximum picks would be ideal.
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