49ers 7-Round Mock Draft: The final countdown starts with a trade

In two days, we will find out how the 49ers view their roster. We will get some form of closure on the Brandon Aiyuk saga. Will they move up? Down? Hold firm at 31? Answers are coming.

Here is what I think the 49ers will do over this weekend.

TRADE DOWN WITH COMMANDERS

49ers trade to Commanders:
Round 1, Pick 31
Round 3, Pick 94
Round 4, Pick 124

Commanders trade to 49ers:
Round 2, Pick 36
Round 3, Pick 78
Round 5, Pick 100

The Commanders are the most logical trade down candidate. They have an abundance of picks in areas that makes sense for the 49ers to want to move up. These front offices know each other astoundingly well.

Adam Peters is running the show in Washington along with the help of Martin Mayhew. Peters was Lynch's right-hand man with the 49ers during his seven-year stint. Mayhew was Lynch's veteran when Lynch got drafted. He and Peters held the same title of vice president of player personnel in San Francisco from 2019-20.

The concern here is that the Commanders could be after the same player the 49ers are. Given how tightly these two front offices shared time, they should know exactly who the other is after. A real I-know-that-he-knows-but-does-he-know-that-I-know-type situation.

But at this stage, I'm not projected Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton to be available, nor any of the top seven tackles (though the 49ers could be iffy on the likes of Amarius Mims or Tyler Guyton, despite their pedigree). Unless Cooper DeJean falls here, I can't see the 49ers taking a corner in the first round, for the first time in more than two decades.

Per a couple modern trade models, the 49ers get a bit more value here, as they should, than the Commanders. San Francisco also jettisons the cursed Trey Lance pick at 124 overall.

Round 2, Pick 36: Roger Rosengarten, T, Washington

This is too early for Rosengarten in my view. But he and Kingsley Suamataia feel like the two guys after the top seven who the 49ers (and potentially Commanders) will really like.

Rosengarten's problem is weight. His lower half is way too skinny. He can get bullied easily by power rushers, and has very little anchor. You are not wrong to be having Mike McGlinchey flashbacks.

But Rosengarten has learned to work around that lack of anchor with good technique and has supreme athleticism to be a dominant run blocker. He can absolutely fly off the ball . He just needs to be on a hyper-aggressive weight training program and force-fed protein smoothies.

He measured at 6’5 3/8” 308 pounds. He needs another 10 pounds, at least, to build up that lower half. And that will take a year. But in a pinch, he should be a capable swing tackle his first season. I view Rosengarten as a third-round talent, but all indications he will be long gone by then.

Also, for anyone who does not believe the 49ers have any interest in a tackle, you are delusional. They spent the ninth overall pick on Mike McGlinchey. Trent Williams is making top-of-market money. This team, aside from Aaron Banks' selection, hasn't valued guards highly, but they sure as hell invest in tackles, and they don't have anything behind the 36-year-old, didn't-look-great-in-the-Super-Bowl Hall of Famer on the left side.

They could very much use a tackle, but if they don't address it here, I expect it will be Penn State's Caedan Wallace at the end of the third round.

TRADE UP WITH DOLPHINS

49ers trade to Dolphins:
Round 2, Pick 63
Round 4, Pick 135

Dolphins trade to 49ers:
Round 2, Pick 55

Round 2, Pick 55: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida

Most of the picks in this draft are purely based on what I think the 49ers will do. This one makes more sense if they trade one of their wide receivers, which I think would be a dumb proposition, especially if it's Brandon Aiyuk.

The trade above is a loser for the 49ers, but they still keep 132, and aren't going to want to take all 10 of their selections. But Ricky Pearsall is worth losing a bit in the trade value chart, depending on which one you use.

He can separate against man, line up anywhere as a receiver, and has supreme athleticism . While he's limited a bit by a lack of wingspan, he has plenty of catch radius, as evidenced by his one-handed catch of the year. I am fully sold on Pearsall as an NFL player, and he gives the 49ers an easy out next season with Samuel. You won't find a better player at this point in the draft. Go get Pearsall.

Round 3, Pick 78: Ruke Ohrorhoro, DT, Clemson

This is the first repeat pick of the draft. Maybe the 49ers want more of a pure gap-plugger, or someone with a larger frame. They can find that in the likes of Clemson's Tyler Davis, or Florida State's Fabian Lovett.

But this would be immense value for a supremely athletic three-technique. Maybe that's overkill with Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins. But I've seen enough to believe in Ohrohroro as a semi-capable run defender, and someone who will be cresting while both of those players are on the descent of their career pathways. He is consistently disruptive in all facets of the game.

TRADE UP + DOWN WITH FALCONS

49ers trade to Falcons:
Round 3, Pick 100
Round 4, Pick 176
Round 7, Pick 251

Falcons trade to 49ers:
Round 4, Pick 109
Round 5, Pick 143

This is the final, and most deranged trade thus far. But with 135 gone, the 49ers have a bit of a wait until pick 176, and then three late-round picks, which Lynch sounded less than stoked about.

For the Falcons, this is sweet. It allows them to make the final pick of the second day, and pick up a pick, however late, in round seven. Their final pick is currently slated for pick 197.

Round 4, Pick 109: Tanor Bortolini, C/G, Wisconsin

Bortolini is perhaps my favorite player in the draft, and another repeat. He or Arkansas' Beaux Limmer would be excellent fits for the 49ers with any of these following three picks, but the calculus here is that center could sneak off the board a bit quicker than the positions at the next two picks.

Bortolini has exceptional athleticism for the position, and executed both at guard and center for Wisconsin. He moves to the second level and deals damage consistently, with the sort of pulling speed that leads to chunk plays. He would likely start at right guard immediately, then move to center in a year.

Round 4, Pick 132: Brennan Jackson, DE, Washington State

Few prospects are as athletic and as prolific on the defensive end as Jackson. He converts speed to power on his rushes at an astounding level, and has high athletic upside that shows up on tape.

While his rushes can be a bit chaotic, leaving him vulnerable to giving up the edge on clear passing downs, he has enough play strength and size to project as a capable 5-technique. Oh, and he had 8.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for a loss his final season, and 20.5 and 35.5, respectively, over his career. That's legitimate, high-level production.

Round 5, Pick 143: Renardo Green, CB, Florida State

This is another draft favorite of mine. He is an absolute tactician, and as well-prepared of a corner as there is in this draft, perhaps besides Kamari Lassiter of Georgia.

Green's slight frame is a knock on him, but he was outstanding against some of the best receivers in the draft, and might start day one for you on the outside. He has enough athleticism and size to compete against anyone. He has no consistent grade. He could be a late round two selection, or available in round five. I don't think he should be here, but it's possible.

If it's not him, Decamerion Richardson could be the selection here. He needs some work, but is a surprisingly good tackler with outrageous speed and length to make up for the nuances of outside corner play he needs to learn.

Round 6, Pick 211: Sione Vaki, S, Utah

I am not a fan of Vaki. He takes horrendous pursuit angles, whiffs on tackles, and looks like he is ripe to give up some home-run plays with regularity. He is undersized, too. His tape upsets me, personally.

But he has explosion as an athlete , above-average speed (questionable horizontal movement skills), and appears to be a 49ers favorite. He is probably one of those "Gold Helmet" players they seem to fetishize over, whatever in the world that title represents.

Let me be clear: I don't think this is a good selection, but I do think this is one they will make. If you're going to take a safety after Day 3, it should be Wake Forest's Malik Mustapha. I would much, much rather take Temple linebacker Jordan Magee here, if he's available. He has elite speed and movement skills, and could play anywhere from outside linebacker, safety, or nickel. His 14 tackles for a loss were 24th in the country.

Round 6, Pick 215: Blake Watson, RB, Memphis

This is the Elijah Mitchell replacement you've been looking for. There are actually plenty in this draft. Kimani Vidal is probably the best option, but he should realistically be off the board by the fifth round. George Holani of Boise State is a bigger prospect, and probably more well-rounded than Watson.

But Watson, who is small, at a tick under 5'10" and 200 pounds, has outstanding acceleration, 4.4 speed and explosion. Equally as important, he has rare patience. He waits for a hole, then tears through it. His 1,152 rushing yards, 6 yards-per-carry average and 14 touchdowns were no fluke. He also had 380 receiving yards and 3 receiving TDs. He'd be a great fit to replace Mitchell, and perform as a potential kick returner.