Why the 49ers Should Trade Up in Round 1 of the NFL Draft

They're trying to win a Super Bowl with one of the oldest cores of players in the NFL. They need to add someone who will make an immediate impact, not someone who requires time and development.

The 49ers currently own pick no. 31 in the upcoming NFL Draft. The last time they owned the 31st pick, they traded up to no. 25 and took Brandon Aiyuk. So that trade worked out.

Should the 49ers trade up again this year?

Doing so could backfire because the 49ers will have 39 unrestricted free agents next offseason. They need to replenish their roster with young talent now. But Covid and the NIL have incentivized college football players to stay in school longer, so it seems there are fewer talented players in the Draft these days than a few years ago.

Maybe that's why the 49ers last two drafts have been so abysmal. Brock Purdy and Ji'Ayir Brown are the only good players they've taken. To be fair, the 49ers didn't have first-round picks the past two years -- they were drafting late. And it's hard to find talent late in drafts these days.

This year, the 49ers have a first-round pick and a second-round pick. Why not package them together and move up as far as they can in Round 1? They're trying to win a Super Bowl with one of the oldest cores of players in the NFL. They need to add someone who will make an immediate impact, not someone who requires time and development.

If the 49ers could trade up into the teens and draft their starting right tackle and eventual replacement for Trent Williams at left tackle, why not do that? Or if they could find a dominant tight end who could play alongside George Kittle and eventually replace him, why not do that?

Trading up makes all the sense in the world.