The San Francisco 49ers have two first-round picks and should consider trading up for a top corner in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The 2020 NFL Draft is fast approaching this week, and the San Francisco 49ers could be very active in the first round with picks at 13 and 31 overall. Many are expecting them to trade back and acquire more picks, as they don’t pick until the fifth after the 31st pick.
However, recent reports are that the Niners could be shopping Dee Ford, Jaquiski Tartt, Kwon Alexander, and Marqise Goodwin. They might not acquire much other than mid-round picks with any of those players, but it could mean they have a plan in place for Thursday.
That plan could include a trade up in the first round. The 49ers have one of the best rosters in the NFL, even if a couple of the players above are traded. Their defensive line still has a couple of stalwarts, and Fred Warner is an ascending linebacker. We all know about how talented the offense is.
So what is the roster missing? Even with Richard Sherman and Emmanuel Mosley at corner, the secondary clearly can use an influx of talent. The Super Bowl proved that you can never have enough help in the secondary, and to prevent that from happening, adding a top talent in the draft makes a ton of sense. Let’s look at two corners the Niners could trade up for.
Jeffrey Okudah
This is the wild scenario, and is it likely? Probably not. But, if the 2020 NFL Draft reports and media mocks are telling us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.
Here’s a possible scenario where this works. If the Lions trade back with the Dolphins to the fifth pick, the 49ers could offer 13, 31, and a 2021 third to move up to the Giants pick to select Jeffrey Okudah. It’s entirely possible to see Dave Gettleman want to trade back, so it gives this scenario another little boost.
Adding Okduah would be excellent for the 49ers. His abilities in man coverage, quick change of directions skills, and recovery speed are excellent. He also times things well at the catch point and has the ball skills to create turnovers and break up passes effectively. Okudah’s a top-three player in the 2020 NFL Draft, and a corner group featuring him with Sherman and Mosley would be a big deal.
C.J. Henderson
Now we work to the more reasonable scenario. It’s been reported that a lot of teams have Florida corner C.J. Henderson ahead of Okudah in their rankings, and with more reports on this coming out, it’s looking less and less like smoke.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are likely one of the teams in on Henderson, so the San Francisco 49ers would probably need to move ahead of them for Henderson. It would likely take 13 and a 2021 second-rounder to move ahead, and the Carolina Panthers could be a likely trade partner in this scenario.
The big knock on Henderson is his ability in run support, but everything else is impressive. His cover skills are up there with Okudah, as he flips his hips well and has great reactionary skills in man coverage. Henderson is competitive at the catch point as well. His game is so well-rounded and is worth a first-round pick in this year’s draft.
If the San Francisco 49ers can land one of these two in a trade up, it would fill out the roster very nicely and bring together the secondary. Will it happen? We will find out in a short time.