49ers' Top 2022 NFL Draft Targets Amid Deebo Samuel Trade Rumors

If San Francisco 49ers are barely mentioned on Thursday night when the NFL draft starts, it will probably be good news for the franchise. 

As it stands, the team doesn't have a first-round pick after trading it away as part of the package to land Trey Lance last year. That means San Francisco isn't scheduled to be on the clock until the 61st pick sometime Friday night. 

However, the Deebo Samuel trade rumors make it possible the Niners end up getting involved on Thursday. 

The wide receiver told Jeff Darlington of ESPN that he has requested a trade from San Francisco. With one year left on his rookie contract, the draft would be an opportune time to make a move happen if the Niners are inclined to get an immediate pick for their playmaker. 

Thus far, that doesn't appear to be the case. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, 49ers general manager John Lynch said the team "can't ever imagine wanting to move on from" Samuel. However, Ian Rapoport noted the Jets, Packers, Chiefs and Lions are all teams that should be considered in the trade market for the 26-year-old. 

The common factor among those teams is that they all have a first-round pick. So here's a look at the top targets the 49ers should be looking at in the draft, including one if they get a first-round pick in a Samuel trade. 

WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas

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If the 49ers feel their only option is to trade Samuel, the dream scenario is to at least get the No. 10 pick from the New York Jets.

What feels more likely is that one of these teams would be willing to part with a selection in the back half of the first round as part of a package for the 2021 All-Pro. 

If that's the case, the Niners would do well to target Treylon Burks (scouting report).

Since Samuel's breakout season, there's a tendency to see him in every prospect with some versatility. But there's some validity to the comparison with Burks. 

They are built similarly. Samuel has a running back build at 5'11" and 214 pounds, while the Arkansas product is just a bit bigger at 6'2" and 225 pounds. 

Like Samuel, Burks has shown a bit of potential as a runner in college. He had 38 career carries and 222 yards across three years at Arkansas, and the 49ers star had 154 yards on 25 carries at South Carolina. 

Burks has won at Arkansas with his physicality and toughness after the catch. If the 49ers have to part ways with Samuel, it would help to get a prospect who could be employed in a similar way. 

S Nick Cross, Maryland

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The 49ers need to find an immediate contributor in the back half of the second round. With no first-round pick at this point, finding at least one starter in the draft would be a huge bonus. 

With that in mind, it would make sense for the team to select a safety with its first pick. 

The fact that San Francisco has yet to re-sign Jaquiski Tartt says something about how it views him at this point. Drafting Nick Cross (scouting report) out of Maryland would give the Niners a running mate for Jimmie Ward on the back end of the defense that would make bringing Tartt back irrelevant. 

B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings praised Cross' ability to defend the run:

"Cross does his best work when playing the run. He makes quick reads and triggers downhill at full speed. He does a great job of filling running lanes with great angles and getting the ball-carrier down on the ground. Whether he breaks down or he runs through at full speed, he does a great job of not letting the ball-carrier leak for extra yards."

His athleticism should give evaluators confidence that he will improve in coverage. He carries the 12th-highest relative athletic score of any safety prospect since 1987, per Kent Lee Platte of Pro Football Network. 

Cross' speed gives him the kind of range that can't be taught with pure technique. He has the raw tools to be honed into an elite coverage safety with time. 

IOL Dylan Parham, Memphis

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If there's an area of this roster that should be a real concern for the 49ers, it's the interior of the offensive line. 

With Laken Tomlinson departing in free agency, the Niners' most likely left guard is 2021 second-round pick Aaron Banks. At center, Alex Mack is 36 years old, and right guard Daniel Brunskill finished ranked 57th among qualifying guards at Pro Football Focus. 

San Francisco should be in the market for anyone with the long-term potential to start at any of those three spots. 

It just so happens that Dylan Parham (scouting report) profiles as a great fit within the 49ers' zone-heavy scheme. At 6'2" and 311 pounds, he doesn't bring great size, but his athleticism makes up for that. He earned a 9.0 relative athletic score with a 4.93 40-yard dash and 1.66 10-yard split, per Kent Lee Platte of Pro Football Network. 

B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn noted in his report that the 22-year-old may eventually have to kick inside to center due to his frame. That would actually be a great scenario for the San Francisco as he could compete for one of the guard spots as a rookie while serving as the eventual replacement for Mack.