The 49ers’ free agency moves and acquisitions filled a few of their glaring needs. It also afforded them a little more flexibility in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft.
A trade back from the No. 2 overall pick has been a popular topic since San Francisco officially landed the selection after Week 17. They’re not left with a ton of value at that spot if Nick Bosa goes No. 1 overall to the Cardinals.
Even with value playing a key role, it still seemed ill-advised to move back. They just needed the best available edge rusher. Free agency altered that thought process a bit.
Their two big moves were signing linebacker Kwon Alexander, and trading for Chiefs pass rusher Dee Ford. The latter move makes it easier for San Francisco to trade back.
The caveat in this scenario is that Bosa is the first player off the board. If he’s there at No. 2, San Francisco has to take him. Bosa going first leaves the 49ers with that value issue with the second pick. With Ford in the picture though, the need to simply grab the very best pass rusher becomes less important. If they believe they can move back and stay somewhere near the top five, that suddenly becomes a much more prudent move.
Snagging a pass rusher around the No. 5 pick still awards them a high-end prospect, but it would also fetch them a hefty return for the move. Additional draft capital this year would be key for a team working with just six picks and a bevy of roster weaknesses to bolster.
Free agency also gave the 49ers a little freedom with what positions they select through the first couple of rounds. If they’re aiming for an edge rusher early, the additions of Alexander and wide receiver Jordan Matthews let San Francisco be more precise with who they want to select with their additional picks.
Moving down and amassing more assets this year gives them additional pliability later in the draft to move up and snag a specific player they want to target.
The 49ers are far from set roster-wise. They’re still deep in the midst of a rebuild where assets who can contribute right away are key. However, free agency has afforded them the opportunity to move down in Round 1 if the top edge rusher in the class is unavailable. That same opportunity didn’t necessarily exist prior to their moves during the early stages of the 2019 league year.
If Bosa does go first overall, a trade down makes a lot of sense for San Francisco if they feel they can find a productive companion for Ford a bit further down the board. Acquiring those extra picks in a move down would also give them more ammo to move around as the draft wears on and their targets become more focused.
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