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NFL draft: 8 trade ideas for 49ers

The 49ers already shook up the 2021 NFL draft when they moved up to the No. 3 overall pick. That shouldn’t be the extent of their dealings though.

They own nine picks and have a good mix of needs and draft capital that should allow them to move up and down the board multiple times.

It’ll be interesting to see exactly how aggressive they plan on being after their hyper-aggressive jump up to the top three, but their history since general manager John Lynch took over indicates they won’t hesitate to trade up for a player they value.

Whether it’s trading up or trading back, here are some trade ideas for the 49ers:

Small trade back in Round 2

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San Francisco is in a spot where they can move back a couple spots in the second round and still feel good about the prospects still available. Moving down a few spots Round 2 while recouping an additional early Day 3 or late Day 2 pick would be a worthwhile move to help strengthen their draft capital. Trade: Patriots get: No. 43 49ers get: Nos. 46 and 122

Trade back into Round 1

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This ultra-aggressive move would be tough for the 49ers to justify given their pick distribution in next year's draft. They're already without a first-round pick and a jump up into the first round this year would either leave them without any second, third or fourth-round picks this year, or require a pick from next year's already-thinning war chest. If there's a player they love at the end of Round 1 that won't be there by 43 though, it's a deal they might be willing to swing. Trade 1: Buccaneers get: Nos. 43, 92 and 117 49ers get: Nos. 32 and 217 Trade 2: Buccaneers get: Nos. 43, 102, 2022 third-round pick 49ers get: No. 32

Trade up in Round 2

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A thin defensive end class and a cornerback class that falls off some after Round 1 could spark a move up in Round 2 from San Francisco. The full jump back into Round 1 might be hard to swing, but it's not crazy to think the 49ers might identify a player in the top 40 that they're willing to move up for. Trade: Broncos get: Nos. 43, 172 and 194 49ers get: No. 40

Big trade back in Round 2

(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)

It'll be interesting to see what the 49ers might do if a team deep in the second round calls about a trade. After picking third, going 50 or more picks between selections would be rough. However, if the trade package is there and there's not a player they're enamored with at No. 43, a big trade back could net a nice return that potentially recoups a 2022 pick. Trade: Saints get: No. 43 49ers get: Nos. 60, 105, 2022 third-round pick

Trade up in Round 3

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While San Francisco holds nine picks in this year's draft, only two are slated for the top 100. They could easily gather another top 100 pick without unloading too much capital. Using some of their later-round picks as sweeteners to facilitate a move up in Round 3 would be a prudent use of resources to help scoop more quality prospects. Trade Browns get: Nos. 102, 155 and 180 49ers get: No. 91

Use those Round 5 picks

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A trio of Round 5 selections makes it easy to see how the 49ers might aim to maneuver up the board late on Day 2, or perhaps early on Day 3. While the club may want to maximize their number of picks in this year's draft, it would behoove them to use some of their capital to try and find more quality players earlier on than the fifth round. Trade: Vikings get: Nos. 155, 172 and a 2022 sixth-round pick 49ers get: No. 125

Just in case ...

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The 49ers seem intent on keeping Jimmy Garoppolo as their starting quarterback in 2021. However, reports have surfaced that they're aiming to recoup a first-round pick to trade him. It's hard to believe that happens in this year's draft, but just in case, there's one offer that would be impossible for them to pass up. If the Bears have tried moving up for a quarterback and they couldn't make a deal happen, and they don't love any of the Day 2 signal callers, they may hit the panic button to try and pry Garoppolo away from the 49ers. It's unlikely, but never say never. Trade: Bears get: Jimmy Garoppolo 49ers get: No. 20

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