The 49ers quickly went from NFC champions to being one of the most interesting teams in the 2020 NFL Draft.
After falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, San Francisco was slated to be on the clock with the No. 31 pick in the draft. But by surprising many and trading DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts, the 49ers now also own the 13th pick. While their own plans might have shifted a bit with the trade, do the 49ers now also fit in the Atlanta Falcons' reported desires?
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday the Falcons are looking to move up from No. 16 in the draft. This also wouldn't be the first time general manager Thomas Dimitroff made a splash in the draft. Does the name Julio Jones ring a bell?
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The Falcons sent a huge package to the Cleveland Browns in 2011 to select the star receiver Julio Jones. Atlanta gave away Nos. 27, 59 and 124, plus 2012 first- and fourth-round picks to get the No. 6 pick from the Browns. That's a haul.
It's clear the Falcons hope to improve upon a disappointing 7-9 season. They added running back Todd Gurley, tight end Hayden Hurst and defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. They want to win now, and went with a re-load instead of a rebuild.
No matter how bad the Falcons want to win next season, however, the 49ers would not receive a Julio Jones type package just to move up three spots in the draft. Not even close.
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The better move for the 49ers would be to take a top prospect at No. 13 and hope to move back from No. 31 to gain more picks like they did in our latest mock draft.
At No. 13, receivers like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs could be available. The 49ers also might have a chance to grab an offensive tackle like Andrew Thomas or Jedrick Wills. On defense, they can get a Buckner replacement in Javon Kinlaw or Derrick Brown. General manager John Lynch might even want to take cornerback CJ Henderson if he's there to pair with Richard Sherman.
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The draft starts in just over one week, and the 49ers currently aren't on the clock after the first round until the fifth round. By trading back from No. 31, they can gain more draft capital and still address one of their remaining needs with a lower pick. The 49ers ideally would trade back into the second and/or third rounds.
San Francisco should just take the top prospect and move back from the end of the first round. This team was minutes away from winning a Super Bowl, and a star early in the draft can push the 49ers from contenders to champions.