Bills-49ers trade proposal gives Buffalo much-needed safety help, includes pick swap

The Buffalo Bills have more issues on defense than we can count and that's why general manager Brandon Beane has to be active before the Nov. 4 trade deadline passes.

Safety is one of the problem positions. Taylor Rapp is the team's best player at the position, but his play hasn't been up to snuff in 2025. Cole Bishop has been even worse, and the Bills' depth has taken a hit after Damar Hamlin was placed on Injured Reserve.

The problem for the Bills making the kind of significant trade they need to adequately address the position is Buffalo has limited cap space to work with, so chances are if any move comes to help safety, it'll be a small one.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell has suggested exactly that type of trade for the Bills. He proposes a deal with the San Francisco 49ers that would send safety Jason Pinnock to Buffalo for a pick swap.

Bills get: S Jason Pinnock, 2027 seventh-round pick

49ers get: 2027 sixth-round pick

"Pinnock's not going to transform the Bills' defense, but he has been passable as a center fielder as a pro and would offer the Bills some depth," Barnwell wrote. "The 49ers would add a little bit of draft capital with this deal, something they could use to address one of the eight or nine positions on their roster that have been riddled with injuries this season as part of another deal."

Oct 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) reaches for the end zone pylon as Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp (9) defends but was ruled out of bounds | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Pinnock began the year as a starter, but he lost his job last week with the return of Malik Mustapha, and the Niners also prefer Marques Sigle and Ji'Ayir Brown over him, making Pinnock expendable.

Through six games this season, Pinncok has posted Pro Football Focus grades of 63.1 in the pass-rush, 53.6 in run defense and 57.9 in coverage.

Nothing great there, but to compare, those grades are all superior to Rapp's, and Pinnock's 66.9 tackling grade is much better than Bishop's 49.9.

Now, nobody is saying Pinnock is going to cure all the ills the Bills have at safety, but he does offer another option that is worth exploring for the cheap cost of a late-round pick swap.

Sep 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele (14) reacts to scoring a touchdown against San Francisco 49ers safety Jason Pinnock (25) | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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