The San Francisco 49ers are looking like a team that will trade up in the NFL draft this year and names like Mike Evans, Odell Beckham and Brandin Cooks have come up as potential targets for the Niners and that comes as the team has been shopping running back LaMichael James and head coach Jim Harbaugh or GM Trent Baalke could pull the trigger on a move during the first round on Thursday night.
The 49ers have long been mentioned as a team that could trade up in the draft this year and that is for two reasons: one, because the team always seems to do that and two, the team has 12 draft picks coming into the event this year. The 49ers traded up for Eric Reid last year and before that Harbaugh jumped up to get quarterback Colin Kaepernick and they could pull a similar move this season, as wide receiver is considered a prime need for the Niners heading into the spring.
The team has Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree coming back and Vernon Davis is an excellent receiving tight end, but the offense could use more depth at the position after losing Mario Manningham to the Giants in free agency. The 49ers ranked 30th in the league in passing yards per game last season and with Boldin getting older and Crabtree just a year removed from serious surgery, Harbaugh wants to add another weapon for Kaepernick.
The early talk about the 49ers had Mike Evans as a target, but as the draft gets closer it looks like Evans is a lock for the top 10 and that is too far for the Niners to jump up, even with 11 picks to trade (one is compensatory and can't be traded). Evans had another great season at Texas A&M and he averaged 20 yards per catch on 69 receptions and he has ideal size and above average speed coming out of college. If Evans is off the board in the top 10, the Niners will look at Beckham and Cooks, who both have very good speed and were productive last year for LSU and Oregon State, respectively. The 49ers have two second round picks and two third round picks to trade and they could use those to get into the 12 to 20 to range, which includes teams like the Giants, Cowboys and Dolphins.
Beckham has been moving up draft boards for teams and he had 1152 yards and 59 receptions last season with eight touchdowns and along with Jarvis Landry the duo set a number of school records. Beckham measured up with 4.43 speed and at his size he could be the perfect slot option alongside big receivers like Boldin and Crabtree. Cooks is another player that fits the mold and he has similar size compared to DeSean Jackson, who the Niners reportedly were interested in before he signed with the Redskins. Cooks had 1730 yards and 16 touchdowns on 128 catches last season and he too could fit into that slot position for Harbaugh.
If the team trades up, the Niners could use a deal for James to add back a draft pick or two in the later rounds or even next year. Harbaugh hoarding the picks gives the 49ers flexibility to move up in the first round this year.
