The 49ers and New England Patriots already made one franchise-altering trade with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo going to San Francisco on Halloween in 2017. Perhaps the 49ers can return the favor.
In NBC Sports' Peter King's latest NFL mock draft before Round 1 kicks off Thursday night, the two teams make a wild trade that sees Alabama star QB Tua Tagovailoa wind up with New England. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday morning that 49ers general manager John Lynch is fielding calls on picks 13 and 31 to acquire more draft capital. King clearly has heard the same message.
The 49ers would receive the Patriots' No. 23 pick this year and their first-round pick next year in this scenario. Would the 49ers trade back with both Alabama receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs still on the board? That would be a tough pill for fans to swallow.
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San Francisco then would take Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones in this scenario at No 23. Lynch could have his eyes on a handful of offensive linemen with Joe Staley's future up in the air.
Jones, 6-foot-5 and 319 pounds, still is considered a raw prospect despite being a redshirt senior. He is seen as more advanced as a run blocker than a pass blocker right now, too.
The former basketball player is in the second tier of offensive tackles, but he has plenty of potential.
King then has the 49ers trading the No. 31 overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys, however, he doesn't say what San Francisco would receive in return.
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What we do know is the 49ers would be trading back twice, selecting Jones and seeing the Pats add Tua in this world. That's not exactly ideal, though, Lynch certainly would get more draft picks.