Will the San Francisco 49ers be buyers, sellers or neither as the Nov. 5 trade deadline approaches?
If history is a guide, general manager John Lynch will be looking to bulk up his roster. He’s made a midseason acquisition — major and minor ones — every year since 2019, including in 2021 when his 3-4 squad acquired defensive lineman Charles Omenihu.
He’s dealt a player, too. In 2020, the 49ers traded linebacker Kwon Alexander to the New Orleans Saints a week after they got defensive end Jordan Willis in a trade from the New York Jets.
Where are the 49ers’ gluts and shortages this season? The following is a position-by-position ranking from the most loaded spots to where San Francisco needs the most help.
Cornerback
This would have been near the bottom of this list at this point last year when the 49ers were struggling to find a No. 3 cornerback. Today it’s their top spot with Deommodore Lenoir playing as well as any 49er and with rookie Renardo Green looking sharper every week. With Charvarius Ward, Isaac Yiadom, Rock Ya-Sin and Darrell Luter Jr. on the active roster and with Chase Lucas, a nickel cornerback who’s also good on special teams, on the practice squad, this is easily the deepest position on the team.
Would the 49ers consider trading Ward, which might fetch a Day 2 draft pick and save the 49ers a little more than $6 million in cap space? Doing so puts Yiadom back in the rotation and sends a signal the 49ers don’t think they have a chance in the second half of the season. Also, if the 49ers keep Ward and he departs via free agency in March, they could get a compensatory pick in 2026.
Quarterback
Joshua Dobbs showed last season that he can parachute into an NFL city and efficiently run a team’s offense. He also happens to be the 49ers’ No. 3 quarterback at the moment. Trading him to the Miami Dolphins a few weeks ago seemed like a good solution for all parties. The Dolphins run a very similar offense with all sorts of weaponry and Dobbs might have flourished. That ship, however, appears to have sailed as Miami gets ready for Tua Tagovailoa to return from last month’s concussion.
There are still two more weeks of games ahead of the trade deadline. A quarterback on a winning team could go down, sparking interest in Dobbs. If he left, the 49ers still would have three quarterbacks: Brock Purdy, Brandon Allen and rookie Tanner Mordecai, who’s on the practice squad.
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Safety
Usually when a team signs a veteran off the street a month and a half into the season it’s no big deal. Safety is the exception. The market for safeties is so soft that good ones can be found in August, September and even later as the 49ers discovered in recent years with Tashaun Gipson Sr. and Logan Ryan. Last week they added Adrian Amos, 31, to the practice squad. Amos once ran a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash — albeit in 2015 — but still looks fast on the practice field.
The team also has Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha and George Odum, and Talanoa Hufanga might be able to play with a cast on his injured wrist later this season. That points to the team’s standing pat at safety.
Guard
The 49ers like to draft college tackles and convert them to guard. That’s translated to a lot of bodies at the position. Beyond starters Aaron Banks and Dominick Puni, the team has Spencer Burford, Ben Bartch, Nick Zakelj and Jon Feliciano in reserve at the position. Feliciano has hinted on social media that he’s ready to play, though the 49ers might only activate him if there’s an injury on the offensive line. It’s hard to see the 49ers making any moves at this position.
Wide receiver
The 49ers have plenty of bodies but also a huge question mark: Who can fill the hole created by Brandon Aiyuk’s season-ending knee injury? The team hopes first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, who’s still rounding into form, can do it, and Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys ought to at least give them an indication of his potential.
Our sense is that the 49ers stand pat at this spot, especially since they believe Christian McCaffrey is arriving shortly to help boost the passing game. Still, there are several savvy veteran route runners available such as the Carolina Panthers’ Diontae Johnson, the Houston Texans’ Robert Woods and the New York Giants’ Darius Slayton if the 49ers feel they need more help.
Linebacker
There’s a precipitous drop-off from Fred Warner to the team’s next-best linebacker, and the group absolutely could use help. That help, however, is coming in the form of Dre Greenlaw (Achilles), who the 49ers think will rejoin practice sometime next month.
In the meantime? Second-year player Dee Winters might have had his best game to date Sunday and has been eating away at No. 2 linebacker De’Vondre Campbell Sr.’s snaps. The question is whether Winters can take over the No. 2 spot in any of the handful of games between now and when Greenlaw is back in the game day lineup. If so, he would be the No. 3 linebacker when Greenlaw gets back.
Running back
This spot is a lot like linebacker: Yes, the 49ers could use better depth, but they’re expecting a massive upgrade next month in McCaffrey. If he has a setback in his return from Achilles tendonitis, the 49ers could — and should — make an addition at this spot. Perhaps someone like the Panthers’ Miles Sanders, an accomplished receiver out of the backfield, would be a good fit.
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Center
There are three players at this spot: starter Jake Brendel, backup Zakelj and practice squadder Drake Nugent, an undrafted rookie. Feliciano also was practicing at center when he was injured early on in training camp. It’s not exceptional depth, but the trade market isn’t teeming with centers and it’s hard to see the 49ers finding a true upgrade.
Tight end
The 49ers are fine at tight end … as long as George Kittle is healthy. And his health has been precarious in 2024. He missed Week 3 with a hamstring strain and has been on the injury report for rib (weeks 5 and 6) and foot (Week 8) issues as well. (He returned to practice Thursday and was limited.)
The 49ers found a good, low-cost No. 2 tight end in free agency in Eric Saubert and they get a lot of tight end-like snaps from fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Still, Kittle leads the team in receiving yards (404) and touchdowns (5), and the 49ers couldn’t come close to replicating his production with what they have. If the 49ers wanted to upgrade their depth for this year and next, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Evan Engram, the Cleveland Browns’ David Njoku and the New England Patriots’ Hunter Henry could be available in a trade.
Defensive tackle
Javon Hargrave’s triceps injury dealt the 49ers a big blow, and the three next-best defensive tackles — Maliek Collins, Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens — have been on the injury report in recent weeks. Still, the team bulked up the position earlier this week by promoting rookie Evan Anderson from the practice squad, and the defensive tackles ought to benefit from the upcoming bye as much as any group.
One trade candidate who makes sense: Dalvin Tomlinson, who played alongside Elliott last season with the Browns and who’s familiar with the aggressive, up-field defensive line style the 49ers use.
Defensive end
The position might make the most sense for a trade considering the intersection of need and available players. Until Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) returns, the only two defensive ends behind Nick Bosa and 32-year-old Leonard Floyd are neophytes Sam Okuayinonu and Robert Beal Jr. Both have potential, but they’d be overmatched if either of the starters went down with injury. Gross-Matos also is likely to split time between defensive tackle and defensive end when he’s back.
Meanwhile, there could be all sorts of possibilities on the trade market from longtime veterans like Za’Darius Smith (Browns), Calais Campbell (Miami Dolphins) and Jadeveon Clowney (Panthers) to younger players like Azeez Ojulari (Giants) and Joshua Uche (Patriots).
The 49ers could even pick up a former player. Arden Key (Tennessee Titans) could be available. Heck, with the New Orleans Saints at 2-5, the 49ers could deal a compensatory third-round pick for Chase Young for the second straight season.
Offensive tackle
The 49ers are wafer-thin at the position. After starters Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz, Jaylon Moore is the only true tackle on the 53-man roster. If two tackles got hurt in a game, guard Spencer Burford would have to fill in at one of the spots. (The team also has Chris Hubbard on the practice squad.)
The problem is that there aren’t a lot of tackles available. That’s the root issue for why the 49ers are so threadbare at the position and why teams are loath to part ways with tackles. Perhaps Lynch should place a call to Jaguars counterpart Trent Baalke and inquire about Cam Robinson or Walker Little.
(Top photos of Arden Key and Walker Little: Andy Lyons / Getty Images and Peter van den Berg / Imagn Images)
