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2014 NFL Draft: 49ers Moving For Mike Evans?

There are now a lot of rumors out there that the San Francisco 49ers are going to be extremely proactive when it comes to moving up and down the draft board in less than two weeks time. These “rumors” really shouldn’t be news to those of us who have followed the situation closely and practice a common-sense approach on a regular basis. 

San Francisco boasts a league high six picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming NFL draft. It does so with fewer needs than almost every other team in the league. Simply put, there is no way the 49ers and general manager Trent Baalke will be making six selections in the first two days of the draft next month. That makes no sense at all.

So what is the alternative?

Moving up for a reliable top receiver that can come in and replace either Michael Crabtree or Anquan Boldin after the 2014 season while contributing in a big way as a rookie this upcoming fall.

All the talk up to this point has been directed at Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans, who is likely to go somewhere near the top 10. The big-bodied 6’5″, 231-pound pass catcher is my 14th-ranked prospect. He’s a possession receiver that provides a consistent target for the quarterback on intermediate routes. While San Francisco might already have that in Anquan Boldin, its potential targeting of Evans could suggest that the team is attempting to find a replacement down the road.

Evans caught 69 passes for 1,394 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final season with the Aggies. Where separation might be an issue down the field, he bailed Johnny Manziel out numerous times with his ability to go up over the top of the defender to bring the ball down.

Courtesy of SB Nation: Evans would be a huge red-zone target for Colin Kaepernick.

As it relates to 2014, having the likes of Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Mike Evans and Vernon Davis on the field at the same time would be downright scary for the 49ers. It would also require them to go develop a new scheme on the offensive side of the ball. Under the leadership of Jim Harbaugh over the past three seasons, San Francisco has run the least amount of three-wide sets in the NFL. That would change with the addition of a high-profile receiver such as Evans.

Another possibility that I hear from people close to the situation in Santa Clara is that San Francisco is highly interested in the consensus No. 1 receiver in the class, Sammy Watkins. There are, however, two things really holding that idea back. Watkins is likely to go in the top three or four. This means that San Francisco would have to put around that area on draft day. Unfortunately, the price there would be extremely high.

In term of getting Evans, a lot of the talk has surrounded the Oakland Raiders at No. 5 overall. While that’s a mighty largy leap in the first round, the 2014 NFL draft is rare in that it’s so deep that trading up probably won’t cost teams as much as in previous drafts.

When the Atlanta Falcons traded up from 27th to sixth overall back in the 2011 draft to select Julio Jones, they yielded two first round picks, a second rounder and two fourth rounders to the Cleveland Browns in that deal. At that time, many suggested that Atlanta had lost its marbles and wasn’t playing with a full deck. So much for that…

Acquiring someone of Jones’ caliber would make the 49ers offense nearly unstoppable and give them someone that can go up against Richard Sherman, something that Crabtree has proven he can’t do.

According to Draft Breakdown’s trade value chart, this is what the 49ers would have to yield to Oakland in order to move up to five. Both of its seconds, two thirds and a likely first rounder next season as well as the 30th pick.

That’s not going to happen.

We all know how much 49ers general manager Trent Baalke values his picks. No player, in his mind, is worth six picks. In addition to this, teams looking to trade down in the draft are playing at a disadvantage. It’s a buyers market and likely compensation is going to suggest that, especially with how deep this class is.

A more likely scenario if a trade were to be worked out would be San Francisco’s first-round pick as well as a second, third and seventh rounder. In order to get something done, San Francisco might also have to throw in LaMichael James or a mid-round pick in 2015.

In any event, the 49ers are primed to be big players in the 2014 NFL draft, which is set to start in less than two weeks.

Photo:  Thomas Campbell, USA Today

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