49ers Trade Up For Running Back Trey Sermon in Round 3

The 49ers want to give their rookie quarterback Trey Lance as much support as possible.

First, they spent their second-round pick on guard Aaron Banks. Now, they've traded two fourth-round picks -- Nos. 117 and 121 -- to the Rams in order to move up for pick No. 88.

And the 49ers have used that pick to take Ohio State running back Trey Sermon.

Which means the 49ers used their first-three picks on offensive players. And Sermon might be the best one right now. He's ready to play. Last season at Ohio State, he rushed 116 times for 870 yards (a whopping 7.5 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. But he caught only 12 passes for 85 yards, so he's not much of a receiver out of the backfield.

Still, Sermon is tremendously dangerous as a runner. He pretty much singlehandedly dragged Ohio State past Northwestern last season when he rushed for 331 yards on 29 carries. Without that performance, Ohio State almost certainly would not have made the college football playoff.

The 49ers' additions of Sermon, Banks and Lance should greatly enhance a running game that ranked just 15th in yards last season. Next season, the 49ers running game could be elite, meaning Lance might not have to throw much.

But they 49ers will have to defend, and they currently have a paper-thin secondary. If Jason Verrett were to get injured, and he has a long history of injuries, the 49ers' starting corners will be Emmanuel Moseley and Dontae Johnson.

Not good.

The 49ers have yet to address their defense in this draft. Stay tuned. They pick again at No. 102.