SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have been rubberneckers within the NFL Draft’s first spherical for a second straight yr. Their choose, in spite of everything, was the ultimate fee of their 2021 commerce as much as No. 3 total for Trey Lance.
Two of the 49ers’ playoff foes from final season had massive nights, because the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks every picked twice. Kansas Metropolis, the reigning Tremendous Bowl champion and this draft’s host metropolis, completed off the primary spherical with the seventh cross rusher taken (Felix Anudike-Uzomah).
Right here is extra on how Thursday night time’s first spherical impacts the 49ers, not just for the ultimate six rounds however into the season and past:
QUARTERBACK PICKS
Lance stays a 49er, though nobody anticipated a workforce to cough up a first-round choose in a commerce supply, proper?
Most quarterback-needy groups discovered their man atop the draft board: the Carolina Panthers (Bryce Younger, No. 1), the Houston Texans (C.J. Stroud, No. 2) and the Indianapolis Colts (Anthony Richardson, No. 4). The Baltimore Ravens settled their quarterback rating hours earlier than the draft when Lamar Jackson agreed to a five-year extension. Three days earlier, the New York Jets finalized their commerce for Aaron Rodgers.
These groups are out of the quarterback market, however what concerning the Titans, whose new common supervisor, Ran Carthon, got here through the 49ers’ entrance workplace? They used their first-round choose (No. 11) offensive deal with Peter Skoronski, with Kentucky quarterback Will Levis nonetheless on the board. The Titans’ second-round spot (No. 41) appears too excessive to give up for Lance.
Lance nonetheless doesn't determine to be traded for quite a lot of causes: still-untapped potential, low market worth, insurance coverage if Brock Purdy’s elbow restoration stalls, and, an $11 million cap hit if dealt earlier than June. (By the way in which, Younger was the primary participant drafted since Purdy, who was the 262nd and last choose final yr).
FRIDAY’S AGENDA
The 49ers are nonetheless slated to start their 11-pick parade on the finish of Day 2, with third-round picks Nos. 99, 101 and 102; the Raiders have the No. 100 spot. The second spherical begins at 4 p.m. PT, a number of hours after Purdy palms out burgers from a Buffalo Wild Wings meals truck in downtown Kansas Metropolis — a glamourous perk of being final draft’s Mr. Irrelevant.
Don’t sleep on @bwwings burgers. Meet me in downtown Kansas Metropolis Friday 4/28, 2-4PM the place I’ll be handing out BDubs’ burgers from their meals truck. 519 E 18th Avenue, Kansas Metropolis subsequent to Made in KC. pic.twitter.com/YbMrBLEshT
— Brock Purdy (@brockpurdy13) April 27, 2023
Saturday morning’s Day 3 picks are held within the fifth spherical (Nos. 155, 164, 173), sixth spherical (No. 216) and seventh spherical (Nos. 222, 247, 253, 255).
LEGION OF HMMM
The Seattle Seahawks, the largest menace to the 49ers’ NFC West throne, went pass-oriented with their first-round picks.
Newsflash: The 49ers averaged 180 speeding yards in sweeping the Seahawks in three conferences final yr, together with a wild-card playoff win (41-23) that did see Brock Purdy throw for 332 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Thursday, the Seahawks used the No. 5 total choose on cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the most recent piece to attempt recreating the Legion of Increase from a decade in the past. Their No. 20 choose was large receiver Jaxon Smith-Nigba, not precisely a “want choose” for an already stable corps.
Witherspoon will type a cornerback tandem with Tariq Woolen, who made the Professional Bowl as a rookie final yr. In July 2020, security Jamal Adams price them first-round picks in 2021 and ’22, plus a 2022 third-rounder, in a commerce that additionally concerned a participant swap with the Jets. Fellow security Quandre Diggs arrived in a less expensive 2019 commerce however he landed a $40 million extension final yr.
Smith-Njigba, from Ohio State, joins D.Okay. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, neither of whom had a landing catch within the common season final yr towards the 49ers, though Metcalf went off for 2 touchdowns and 136 yards within the playoff exit.
EAGLES’ REPLACEMENT
In response to the 49ers poaching Javon Hargrave in free company, the Eagles restocked their line of defense with their two first-round picks: Georgia teammates Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith.
First, they traded as much as No. 9 and took Carter, whose inventory presumably took successful due to his function (racing, reckless driving) in a deadly automobile accident in January. (Three years in the past, the 49ers used their first-round choose on defensive deal with Javon Kinlaw, hoping he may exchange DeForest Buckner, who was traded to the Colts. The Eagles absolutely hope their substitute plan works out higher.)
The reigning NFC champs added extra firepower to the NFL’s greatest cross rush by utilizing the thirtieth choose on Smith. Greatest cross rush? They'd 69 sacks final season; the 49ers had 44, together with 18 1/2 from Nick Bosa.
CARDINALS’ PICK
Earlier than analyzing the Cardinals’ commerce of the No. 3 choose, it’s extra compelling to view their collection of offensive deal with Paris Johnson Jr. He was Ohio State’s left deal with, and now he’ll be charged with blocking fellow Buckeye Nick Bosa, the reigning NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr.
Drafting Johnson looks like a shrewd transfer to guard franchise quarterback Kyler Murray, each time he returns from knee reconstruction, however Murray is just not a pocket quarterback, so he’ll be on the transfer no matter who’s blocking his blindside.
THE 12-TO-3 ASCENT
Two years in the past, the 49ers scaled the draft board to the No. 3 spot to pick out Lance. In return, the Miami Dolphins acquired first-round picks in 2021-23, and a 2022 third-rounder. Coincidentally, the 49ers have been initially to draft No. 12, which is the place the Texans have been Thursday earlier than transferring as much as No. 3 (for defensive finish Will Anderson).
It price the Texans lower than the 49ers to maneuver up, however not a lot. Houston despatched No. 12, together with No. 33 (second choose of the second spherical), and 2024 picks within the first and third rounds. The Texans acquired a 2024 fourth-rounder in return, too.
Postscript: Decide No. 29 would have been the 49ers’ had they not dealt it within the Lance commerce. That choose was shipped from Miami to Denver to New Orleans in different trades, and the Saints used it on defensive deal with Bryan Bresee.
TIGHT END POOL
Dalton Kincaid was the one tight finish chosen within the first spherical, and he didn't go till No. 25 to the Payments. It’s supposedly a deep place, and it’s one the 49ers ought to deal with, contemplating they return George Kittle with simply Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE SPREE
4 offensive tackles have been drafted in a nine-pick span as much as slot No. 16, and that's additional proof of how invaluable that place is seen. In 2018, the 49ers used their high choose at No. 9 to pick out Mike McGlinchey, who priced himself out of an extension with the 49ers (mixed with cash allotted to left deal with Trent Williams). McGlinchey left in free company final month for the Denver Broncos, and the 49ers plan to advertise Colton McKivitz (2020 fifth spherical).
The foursome taken in Thursday’s first spherical: Johnson (Cardinals, No. 6), Darnell Wright (Bears, No. 10), Skoronski (Titans, No. 11), and Broderick Jones (Steelers, No. 14).
CORNER OFFICE
Not solely did Witherspoon go No. 5 to Seattle, however fellow cornerbacks got here off the board at Nos. 16 and 17 (Emmanuel Forbes to the Commanders, Christian Gonzalez to the Patriots). Do you know the 49ers haven't spent a first-round choose on a cornerback since Mike Rumph, in 2002?
FOUR WIDE
Huge receivers didn’t come off the board till No. 20, then Nos. 21-23. The NFL Draft has by no means seen a four-pick spree like that. Prior to now 20 years, the 49ers have picked 4 large receivers within the first spherical: Rashaun Woods (2004), Michael Crabtree (2009), A.J. Jenkins (2012) and Brandon Aiyuk (2020).