One Overlooked Benefit of the 49ers Trading Back

Hint: It involves the salary cap.

Trading back with one or even both of the 49ers' first-round picks is on the table.

The reasoning behind that isn't necessarily to add more picks. The 49ers already have seven picks in the draft, which is an adequate amount. The issue lies in where the picks are. Outside of the first-round, the Niners do not select again until the fifth-round.

Day 2 isn't even currently on their radar. But obviously, they are going to look to trade into the second and third rounds. That is the main reason San Francisco will want to trade down. However, there is one overlooked benefit of doing so:

They will draft a cheaper player. 

As it stands, the 13th pick is set to cost over $16 million, with a $3 million cap hit in 2020. San Francisco's salary-cap space is tight. It's almost in a double-knot, essentially. With an extension still waiting in the wings for All-Pro tight end George Kittle, who will reset the market, the 49ers have to count their pennies.

That is why I expect the 49ers to trade down from pick 13. In fact, I believe it is more of a lock than trading down from 31. It isn't a stark difference in cost from 13 to 31, but the 49ers have to be careful here. They can get more bang for their buck on Day 2 and even Day 3, because their history has been solid there. 

As much as Paraage Marathe is a wizard when it comes to structuring deals, it would be a disservice to him to have him crunch the deals for a couple of top-dollar rookies. The issue with staying put at both picks isn't just in the short-term, but more so the long-term. 

San Francisco does not want to find themselves in the salary-cap graveyard like the Los Angeles Rams. They can add quality to their team outside of Day 1 while also protecting their salary cap.