2011 NFL Draft: San Francisco 49ers Eyeing Chicago's 29th Pick?

The Chicago Bears' general manager, Jerry Angelo, stated that the Bears would consider trading down if the price was right.

This year is unique, as far as draft day trades are concerned. Players cannot be involved in trades as long as the lockout is intact and talks are not set to resume until May.

49ers-should-trade-up-just-not-in-the-1st-round">This article goes deep into what it would take for the 49ers to trade up to the Patriots' pick in the early 2nd round. The math is similar, given that the Chicago pick at 29 is not far from the Pats' 33rd overall pick.

While many teams are going to be gunning for New Englands' 33rd pick to get a jump on the competition in the pursuit of a 2nd tier quarterback, the 49ers have the ammunition to jump even further up the board, all the way into the 2nd round.

All indications are that the 49ers are going to take a shot at a quarterback --not named Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert-- in the first three rounds.

If the 49ers decide to pursue a guy like Jake Locker, they might have to part ways with more than one of their league high 12 draft picks.

If the 49ers decide that they are going to wait until the middle rounds to explore quarterback options they find comparable to what they would get by trading up, they may still find trading into the 29th slot to be feasible.

The 49ers have glaring holes at cornerback, quarterback, defensive tackle and pass rusher. If they find that Georgia outside linebacker Justin Houston is available at 29, for example, they may want to make a play for him.

A lot of what they are going to target after the first round is largely predicated off of their 7th overall pick. If they draft Prince Amukamara or Patrick Peterson, they won't be looking at corners until deep in the draft, if at all.

If they fail to draft a corner in the first round, they may consider trading up into the late first round to draft a corner who could be in the starting lineup on opening day. Brandon Harris from Miami and Jimmy Smith from Colorado are two intriguing prospects who could slip into the back of the first round. Both are great values here and would spark the interest of Vic Fangio.

Brooks Reed is another guy who the 49ers could see as a potential 2011 starter. He fits the Clay Matthews mold and could be the double digit sack pass rusher that the 49ers so desperately need.

There are many possible scenarios in which the 49ers would seek out a pick in the early 2nd round or the late first round. It is going to be nearly impossible for them to sign 12 picks, so as the Bears go on the clock, don't be surprised to find the 49ers jump into the picture.