49ers' Top Hypothetical Trades to Make Splash in 2023 NFL Draft
The San Francisco 49ers reside in a position where they can sit back and make a calculated move in the 2023 NFL draft.
The 49ers own 11 picks in the selection process, but the first one does not come up until No. 99.
They do not have to force a way into the first round because of the trust in their scouting staff to find more gems in the other rounds.
Kyle Shanahan's team landed Brock Purdy, Talanoa Hufanga, Elijah Mitchell and Deommodore Lenoir in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds in the 2021 and 2022 drafts.
San Francisco could be more than comfortable sticking with its picks, or making small trades, but playing it conservatively is no fun when you get deep into draft projections.
The abundance of picks at the 49ers' disposal makes them an intriguing candidate to pick up a prospect potentially in the first or second round if they believe they must have, or one that dropped further than expected.
Trade into End of First Round
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49ers general manager John Lynch should be tasked with evaluating all possibilities in the 2023 NFL draft.
The biggest splash Lynch could make is moving into the back end of the first round by packaging a handful of his selections together.
San Francisco can't offer the best possible trade package to anyone at the back end of the first round, but it does have the volume of picks to at least make other teams pick up the phone.
The four teams at the end of the first-round order are all scheduled to make three picks before the 49ers go on the clock at No. 99.
That puts the NFC West side in an incredibly difficult situation because it can't offer anything better than a third-round pick.
However, the three third-round picks and abundance of Day 3 selections could intrigue the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 30.
Philadelphia has not been shy about making trades over the last few years, and it lacks picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds.
Lynch could throw together some combination of three picks to appease the Eagles' needs and land a player that the 49ers believe is falling down the draft board.
Philadelphia might shake off any negotiations because it may have the first-round pick at a higher valuation when it comes to trade return, but that seems like the most logical spot for the 49ers to trade up into.
Projected Trade: San Francisco trades Nos. 99, 102, 155 & 216 picks to Philadelphia for No. 30 pick
Make Deal to Get into Top of Second Round
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The asking price in trade negotiations will go down once the first round ends.
The more maneuverable splash may be a trade into the top of the second round to take a player who the 49ers grade as a first-round talent.
The list of potential trade partners could be slim between Nos. 32 and 40 since all three of the 49ers' NFC West rivals pick in that range. There is one fewer pick in the first round in 2023 after the Miami Dolphins had to forfeit their selection.
Maybe there is a strategical element involved with a second-round trade in which the 49ers block one of their three divisional foes from landing a player.
Finding the right trade partner in this spot could be tough because of the needs of teams in those positions.
The Pittsburgh Steelers likely are not passing up the chance to pick at No. 32 and the Houston Texans, who pick at No. 33, do not need to fill up on more draft picks.
The Indianapolis Colts could be the 49ers' best possible trade partner. They have one pick in each of the first four rounds and then two more in the fifth round.
San Francisco could package some of its three third-round picks to give the Colts more volume, and that would the Niners ahead of the other three NFC West squads in the second-round order.
The 49ers would probably only make this move if they believe a can't miss prospect is available to start the second round, but a deal seems easier to pull off in the second round at a lower price than in the back end of the first round.
Projected Trade: San Francisco trades Nos. 99, 102 and 164 picks to Indianapolis for No. 35 pick.
Find Way into Mid-to-Late Second Round
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The 49ers can attack the draft in a measured fashion that leaves them with all sorts of possibilities as the second round rolls on.
It is not mandatory to make a splash in the first 40 picks, and if they do, they would give up at least three picks in a trade.
The trade price for any selection obviously goes down as the draft gets deeper into each round, and the 49ers could pick a perfect spot in the mid-to-late second round to make their move.
Like the other two scenarios, the 49ers would likely go after a player that unexpectedly becomes available. That is one of the main causes of trades throughout all seven rounds of the draft.
The potential sweet spot for the 49ers could be the Washington Commanders' No. 47 pick.
Washington is in a bit of a rebuilding phase as it figures out its quarterback situation, and it could use more picks to add more players to its young core.
The Commanders have one pick in every round except for the sixth, where they have two selections.
Washington could pick up an extra third-round pick or two from the 49ers in exchange for its second-round pick if the price is right.
The 49ers can sweeten a potential deal by adding at least one of their three fifth-round picks. A combination of multiple third-and-fifth-round selections will be the likely package for any move made by the Niners on draft weekend.
Projected Trade: San Francisco sends Nos. 99, 102 and 164 picks to Washington for No. 48 pick
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