The San Francisco 49ers have surprised the rest of the NFL on Friday when they managed to land the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft from Miami Dolphins.
The 49ers paid a steep price to get to No.3, sending No.12 in this year’s draft, first-rounders in 2022 and 2023, and a third-round selection to Miami. The Dolphins got this pick from Houston Texans in a Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills trade.
According to multiple reports, the 49ers were trying to move up in the draft for a while and had discussions with Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons (No.4), and Cincinnati Bengals (No.5).
While the immediate reaction was that San Francisco wants to get their quarterback of the future with this trade and target the likes of BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields., sources close to the organization say this doesn’t have to be the case. The 49ers are reportedly determined to evaluate all options before making their final decision and might be open to taking a potential star playmaker on offense or defense.
The Miami Dolphins weren’t done making moves. They immediately took San Francisco’s pick and swapped it for a higher one in a deal with Philadelphia Eagles. The trade included Miami receiving No.6 and No.156 pick in 2021 while sending to Philly this year’s No.12 and No.123 selections and first-rounder in 2022.
They are expected to use the No.6 pick to add help for their second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. This could include wideouts like Ja’Marr Chase and Devonta Smith or offensive tackle Penei Sewell.
