Nick Bosa falling to the 49ers has officially made the transition from dream scenario to likely scenario for San Francisco. It’s no longer noteworthy when a mock draft plays out that way. Todd McShay and Mel Kiper both have the Ohio State edge rusher going to the 49ers with the No. 2 pick, but there is an interesting tidbit in each of their analyses in a dueling mock draft that goes beyond Bosa.
Both McShay and Kiper hint strongly that a trade back is a possibility for San Francisco even if Bosa is on the board.
This is a little bit of a departure from conventional thinking. Given the 49ers’ need at edge rusher and Bosa’s status as the top player at that position, it seems like an ideal scenario where a team gets the best player available while addressing their top need.
Kiper brings up a situation where a team trades up specifically for Bosa, whereas McShay doesn’t offer an explanation other than a possible trade back for San Francisco.
Nobody in the 49ers’ organization has been secretive about their willingness to trade back. It just seemed like that would only play out if Bosa went first overall. That leaves the 49ers in a position to trade out with all the quarterbacks on the board and a host of teams in the top 10 who might want to snag a signal caller.
Moving back would give San Francisco some additional draft capital in a year where they only hold six picks going in, including none in Round 5 or 7.
The scenario where they move back with Bosa still on the board means they either don’t think they need an edge rusher in the first round, or they’re eyeing one they believe can be as good as Bosa further down the board. General manager John Lynch has said the team will go after the best player available instead of picking for need.
Trading down with Bosa on the board is a risky proposition that diminishes the 49ers’ margin for error. Passing on what appears to be an All-Pro caliber player means they have to find multiple Year 1 contributors with the picks they acquire.
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