The San Francisco 49ers are parting ways with former third-round pick Eli Harold. According to reports, they’re trading him to the Detroit Lions for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2020.
Harold, 24, has made 24 starts in the NFL and has never missed a game. He’s played in multiple schemes, from 3-4 outside linebacker to the strong side in a 4-3 defense. With the Lions, he’ll be in Matt Patricia’s hybrid scheme, allowing him to play multiple spots.
He was on the roster bubble in San Francisco and was in danger of being cut, so the 49ers saw it fit to acquire something in return rather than outright releasing him before Week 1. Harold started both of the 49ers’ first two preseason games this year as the coaching staff got a long look at his game.
Mark Nzeocha will help replace Harold at Sam linebacker, but in today’s NFL where nickel packages are essentially the base defense, his loss won’t be a huge blow for San Francisco.
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