Andrew Buller-Russ
In less than a week, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch will be busy injecting his roster with youth through the 2026 NFL Draft. But the 49ers only have six selections, with no third-round picks, and zero selections after the fourth round. San Francisco also doesn’t pick until No. 27.
Yet, Lynch will have options to add to his draft capital. That could include considering a trade down. Or, possibly trading one of the players on their roster, such as Brandon Aiyuk, or a recent draft pick.
Recently, ESPN’s 49ers insider Nick Wagoner reported that San Francisco may be open to dealing cornerback Renardo Green, the 64th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While other teams may be inquiring about the 25-year-old cornerback, San Francisco may still believe in his long-term prospects.
“One name that got connected to the trade market in free agency this year for the San Francisco 49ers is cornerback Renardo Green,” Wagoner said on ESPN.com. “But despite potential trade talk coming from the outside, both Shanahan and general manager John Lynch said there was nothing to it. The team wasn’t looking to trade Green, and they still believe he has a bright future in San Francisco. It is worth noting Green is entering a pivotal third year. He’s a former second-round pick, so after this season would be his first opportunity to potentially sign a contract extension. He’s going to need to have a bounce-back year, with fewer mental errors, for the Niners to want to keep him around long term.”
The 49ers could use more playmakers in the secondary, yet they may have one lying in the weeds in Green. Many players take a third-year leap after two full offseasons in the NFL. Perhaps Green is in line for a similar boost in production under 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris too. Based on Wagoner’s report, the 49ers plan to find out, barring a trade offer too good to refuse.
