With the No. 13 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the 49ers can go several ways. Despite falling just short in Super Bowl LIV, they have big needs at receiver, cornerback, defensive line and even offensive line.
General manager John Lynch will have to react in real-time to what teams ahead of San Francisco decide to do when the draft begins Thursday. NBC Sports' Rich Eisen believes the 49ers will try to make quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo a very happy man.
"I think they're gonna go first overall pick with one of these dynamite receivers," Eisen said to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco on the latest episode of The 49ers Insider Podcast. "It's just gonna be too good for them to pass up and place in the system and plug it into the Shanahan, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Garoppolo running-game system and just go to work."
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That's the dream scenario for many 49ers fans. Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb, along with Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs of Alabama, are considered the top wideouts in a loaded draft class. Either one of the three could take Garoppolo to the next level in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Ruggs said Tuesday night on the "PTFPM Podcast" that the 49ers are one of the teams that have been "constantly" calling him before the draft. The speedy receiver who ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine landed with the Niners in Matt Maiocco's seven-round mock draft without trades.
But the New York Jets reportedly "love" Ruggs and they decided to take him with the No. 11 pick in mine and Josh Schrock's final mock draft. The Denver Broncos also trade up to No. 10 and take Jeudy in our mock, which leaves the Raiders making Lamb their man.
That leaves the 49ers with all three of the top receivers off the board. In this scenario, they look at a possible DeForest Buckner replacement and go with South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw with their top pick.
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[RELATED: Maiocco's 49ers mock draft if team makes multiple trades]
Just like we did in our mock, Eisen has the 49ers trading back from their second first-round pick at No. 31 overall.
"And then maybe trade that second one out for somebody leaping back into the first round for somebody who they want a fifth-year of contractual control for and supplement the rest of that," Eisen said. "I think that's what they'll probably do."
The options are endless and Lynch certainly will have a lot of decisions to make in the coming days.
Programming note: Don't miss NBC Sports Bay Area's coverage of the 2020 NFL Draft! Stream "NBC Sports On the Clock: NFL Mock Draft" on the MyTeams app and on NBCSportsBayArea.com on Wednesday at 2 p.m. to get all of the latest information on the 49ers and Raiders.