Will the San Francisco 49ers wheel and deal in the first round of the draft? And will they make the right picks when their turn comes? One prediction has the 49ers making a bold trade to move up to the Raiders’ spot.
The 49ers would use the earlier pick to grab Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, according to the 33rdteam.com.
“San Francisco has more needs than what we're used to seeing with this regime, but it still has more picks (11) than what they can use,” Ian Valentino wrote. “Moving some of that capital to land one of the few elite players at a position of critical need is worthwhile. Mason Graham is incredibly disruptive and might be the safest prospect in the class.”
Would DT Mason Graham be right fit for 49ers?
There’s plenty to like about the 60-foot-3, 296-pound Graham. He is projected as an eventual starter, according to nfl.com. Among his best qualities are effort, strength, and quickness.
“Graham’s first-step quickness makes interior disruption inevitable,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “He has the instant read and response to regularly beat lateral blocks. He’s stout at the point of attack with great leverage and body control but will lose some ground against double teams.”
Article Continues BelowHe also displays a lack of length, which may keep his ceiling a little lower than teams might like for this high of a pick.
“He may not dominate as a pro but his strength, body control, and quickness should allow him to play his brand of ball and become a good starter in an upfield defensive front,” Zierlein wrote.
However, this is the primary position of need for the 49ers. They need to find a plug-and-play starter to anchor their defense. And as far as the draft goes, Graham is the best option.
Trading up with the Raiders makes sense for both teams. That’s especially true if running back Ashton Jeanty falls into their laps at No. 11.
Of course, predicting trades for the NFL Draft is often little more than speculation. Nobody knows what is going on in the minds of these NFL general mangers, especially when it comes to the draft.