It became clear after Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons that the San Francisco 49ers needed to trade for a defensive lineman.
Sure enough, they wound up reuniting with DeForest Buckner, acquiring him from the Indianapolis Colts after sending him there over six years ago. It was a perfect trade for the 49ers.
A no-brainer to make. Buckner will immediately give them a significant boost to their pass rush that they’ve been desperately needing. However, that’s not the best part about trading for Buckner.
They can still make another big-time trade. All they did was give up a 2027 fourth-round pick for Buckner. That’s nothing. It was one of the easiest trades the 49ers have made under this regime.
Of course, a big reason they acquired Buckner cheaply is that he’s on an expiring contract. Usually, the return value on a player diminishes when they’re in the last year of their deal.
That’s because the acquiring team will need to account for a potential contract extension. It’s unclear if the 49ers will extend Buckner, but they used his situation to their advantage.
In fact, I think it’s very likely the 49ers will do it. Maybe they won’t pull the trigger on another trade this week, but I bet it will happen before they play the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9.
Khalil Mack is the first player who comes to mind. The 49ers could use another edge rusher, especially since they can’t rely on Nick Bosa. There’s no telling when he’ll return.
And when he does, can anyone feel confident he won’t get hurt again? The answer is absolutely not, making a trade for Mack or another edge rusher glaringly obvious.
The 49ers could also look at a wide receiver. But I’m not so sure they will be as willing as they would be for a defensive lineman. There aren’t great options on the market.
Wide receiver Garrett Wilson is one player who has been attached to the 49ers, but there hasn’t been a report that the Jets will move on from him. It’s all conjecture.
But if Wilson were available, that would be an awesome trade for the 49ers to make. They have the draft capital for it. It would certainly make them strongly consider it.
Otherwise, they should continue to look at defensive options for a blockbuster move. Regardless, they have the ammo to pull it off thanks to the bargain they got Buckner for.
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