The way the 49ers have attacked CB1 under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, this move is unlikely.
Like every other team in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers have needs, but this upcoming draft presents a crucial opportunity to strengthen the depth along the roster. This doesn’t, nor shouldn’t, rule out the Niners maneuvering around — specifically up — if a prospect they covet falls in the draft. Such a move could potentially bring in a game-changing player, injecting new energy and talent into the team.
The cost to move up in the first round may not be worth the draft capital the 49ers are forced to give up. But nobody points the finger at San Francisco for Christian McCaffrey’s trade anymore. Nope. All we hear about is Trey Lance.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell went through each team to determine what they should do in the first round, and he believes the 49ers should move up for a position they haven’t drafted in the first two rounds under the Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch era.
What they should do: Trade up.
The 49ers have lost a few players this offseason, but this is still one of the deeper rosters in football. GM John Lynch also has two extra fourth-rounders and an extra sixth-rounder to play around with if he wants to make a small move up the board. After what went down in the Super Bowl, trying to jump ahead of the pack for a cornerback could make sense, although that’s not a position this regime has typically valued at a high level in the draft.
The front office has elected to go with established players like Richard Sherman and Charvarius Ward over an early-round prospect at the position. However, when it comes to CB2, the team is fine with throwing out Day 3 picks such as Ambry Thomas, Deommodore Lenoir, or Emmanuel Moseley.
There’s a stark difference in how the team approaches one cornerback spot instead of the other. Could that change in this year’s draft? Well, it’s unlikely to happen on Day 1. The top cornerbacks in the draft all figure to be gone by pick No. 25. Quinyon Mitchell, Nate Wiggins, Terrion Arnold, and Cooper Dejean are who most draft boards have as the top four. Personally, I only think Wiggins and Mitchell are worthy of a first-round pick, and the others leave a lot more to be desired than what’s being led on.
There’s a perceived drop-off after the first group of cornerbacks, and the next run may not happen until after the 49ers’ second-round pick. The majority of cornerbacks after the first round are ranked anywhere from the late 50s to the early 80s.
The 49ers are aware of the positional strengths in this draft. It’s unlikely that a Day 3 cornerback will come in and unseat Isaac Yiadom as CB2. Unless it’s Wiggins or Mitchell, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze at cornerback — and even then, trading up might still be too rich.
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