2014 NFL mock draft: Where does a trade up fit in for the 49ers

NFL mock drafts generally stay away from mocking in trades. People will try and mix them in, but it is usually not a regular thing. We don't know exactly who is willing to move where, so it ends up being guess-work, at best. That being said, it still provides some interesting discussion fodder.

Recently, @TrentaSaru on Twitter passed along this 2014 NFL mock draft from NFL Draft Insiders. It's a lesser known site, but as we've seen with the major sites, the more renowned you are, the crazier the mock can sometimes seem. Our NN Mock Draft Database features some lesser known sites, but is mostly more well known folks. I figured for today, I'd take a look at this under the radar site.

They decided to mock in some trades, including one involving the 49ers. Trent has the 49ers trading up with the New York Jets at No. 18. If that sounds familiar, it's because the 49ers also moved up to No. 18 last year, packaging in their third round pick to climb from No. 30 and draft Eric Reid. Trent has them moving up to No. 18 this year to boost the secondary again, drafting cornerback Justin Gilbert:

The 49ers lost Tarell Brown to the team across the bay and released Carlos Rogers to save money. Needless to say they are lacking at CB. And Gilbert has the size, speed and covering ability to be a staple in their secondary for years to come.

The 49ers are in a unique situation with their roster. One could argue they could go into the 2014 season with the roster as is, and potentially compete for a championship. That's not to say the roster is perfect, but they have enough talent to do some big things. That means they can use the draft to add depth, and find guys who can be long-term contributors.

If they drafted Gilbert, he would move right into a position of competition. The 49ers starting cornerbacks right now are Tramaine Brock and Chris Culliver. Eric Wright, Chris Cook, Perrish Cox, Darryl Morris and Dax Swanson are all competing behind them. Wright and Cox would seemingly lead in the battle for the nickel slot, but that's merely because they have the experience with the team. Morris and Cook will compete as well, but the addition of a guy like Gilbert, or any of the other top corners in this draft, opens the door for extensive third DB competition.

As for the trade itself, we can't really assess it without knowing what other picks were given up, but we know the 49ers have the ammunition to move almost anywhere they want in the first round. I don't expect a climb to the top few picks, but whether it be the Jets, or another team, I would not be at all surprised to see the 49ers climb into the middle of the first round. And it doesn't necessarily have to be with a team currently in the middle of the first. A team like the Raiders, in need of lots of talent, might trade down once into the teens, and then potentially be open to another trade down with the 49ers.