This one has a lot of moving parts
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposed 32 wild trade proposals for each NFL team in the NFL Draft. With the San Francisco 49ers picking second, their proposal would obviously involve them moving down. Barnwell did a nice job of thinking outside of the box, though. Here’s his proposal:
49ers get: 1-6, 5-143, 2020 first-round pick, CB Janoris Jenkins
Giants get: 1-2, QB Nick Mullens, CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Jenkins, who still has two years and $22.5 million remaining on his deal. Jenkins doesn’t have the size that teams that play the Seahawks Cover 3 defense typically want from their corners, but he would be a big upgrade on Witherspoon and give the 49ers a pair of effective veteran corners alongside Richard Sherman. For the Niners, though, this trade is more about adding a juicy first-round pick in 2020 from a team that has an inflated view of its own ability to compete this season. There’s a good chance that pick will be better than the 17th selection, which the Giants hold as part of the Odell Beckham Jr. trade. It also restores a top pick to replace the 2020 second-rounder the 49ers shipped off to the Chiefs as part of the Dee Ford trade. After adding Ford, the Niners don’t have as much of a pressing need for an edge rusher; they should still be in line to add someone like Montez Sweat or Devin White to supplement their defense with the sixth pick, or they could choose to trade down again.
That’s what Barnwell had to say. First off, I disagree about edge rusher being a pressing need. Ford’s contract is up in the air after this season, and you need more than one option. It’s also tough to imagine a scenario where a linebacker is the best option when you are picking at sixth overall.
Jenkins is great, though. He has the talent to be one of the better CB’s in the league, he just plays for the Giants so nobody knows about it. Getting to upgrade at the position while adding a first round pick makes this deal easier to stomach. At six overall, you are risking that one of the top pass rushers is no longer there, but, again, with that extra first round pick, you have flexibility. The addition of Jenkins knocks cornerback off of your needs list.
Personally, I’d take DT Ed Oliver before “reaching” on a player like Sweat. That is “best player” available. Would you make this trade?
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