There have been a lot of trade rumors surrounding the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.
Primarily, these rumors have surrounded star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract and wants to become one of tthe highest-paid players at his position in the league. Talks between the two sides seemingly aren’t going swimmingly.
Meanwhile, general manager John Lynch and Co. have a whopping 10 picks in the annual event. It’s highly unlikely that 10 rookies are going to make this stacked roster, potentially leading to a trade up from the 31st pick in the draft.
Despite their standing as the Super Bowl favorites for next season, the 49ers have holes on both sides of the ball. Could they move up and target a specific need? It’s been bandied about recently. Here, we look at three potential 49ers trades in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Related: San Francisco 49ers team needs in 2024 NFL Draft
San Francisco 49ers trade up for offensive line help
San Francisco will likely exhaust multiple picks on the offensive line during the draft. Guard is a need with Spencer Burford having struggled a season ago. But we don’t expect a trade up in that regard. Rather, offensive tackle would be the focal point for Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Right tackle Colton McKivitz yielded nine sacks and 47 QB pressures ago. That’s not going to cut it in front of franchise quarterback Brock Purdy. Meanwhile, future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams is set to enter his age-37 season. He’s not long for that job and has contemplated retirement in the recent past.
- Potential 49ers trade: San Francisco moves up to the 19th selection in the draft with the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. The team yields its second-round pick in this deal while adding Alabama offensive tackle J.C. Latham to the mix.
Related: 2024 NFL Draft big board
San Francisco 49ers trade down, add more assets to the mix
This would not necessarily be for the 49ers to add more picks to the mix in the draft. They have enough. Rather, it would be to take advantage of teams selecting in Round 2 who want that valuable fifth-year option on rookie contracts. This is especially true if a quarterback like Bo Nix (Auburn) or Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) is available.
A trade of this ilk would give Lynch flexibility to move up the board throughout the remainder of the draft, targeting need and value in the process. The general manager could also use the assets to acquire a veteran during the draft itself. It would be an ideal scenario given how Lynch has navigated the draft for San Francisco since joining the organization back in 2017.
- Potential 49ers trade: San Francisco sends the 31st pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for the 44th pick, a fourth-round pick and fifth-round pick. Raiders nab Michael Penix Jr., 49ers add a 2025 fourth-round pick, too.
Related: 2024 San Francisco 49ers mock draft
San Francisco 49ers trade Brandon Aiyuk during NFL Draft
The least likely of these scenarios, it’s still a possibility that Aiyuk and the 49ers are so far apart that they pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade. This would not be ideal for San Francisco short-term given Aiyuk’s importance to the team and its championship window being open.
But it could very well be similar to when the 49ers moved star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was also entering the final year of his rookie deal and wanted a huge pay day. Indianapolis gave it to Buckner.
- Potential 49ers trade: San Francisco deals Brandon Aiyuk to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 17th pick, a fourth-round selection and a 2025 mid-round pick. The 49ers then target an offensive lineman such as Olu Fashanu (Penn State), Amarius Mims (Georgia) or the aforementioned Latham. At 31, the 49ers look into an Aiyuk replacement in that of LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. or Adonai Mitchell out of Texas.