2014 NFL Draft: Analyzing the 49ers draft day trades

Entering day two of the NFL Draft, the 49ers held five selections in the second and third rounds. With that ammunition at their disposal, they were perhaps the league's most active team. When the dust finally settled, general manager and practicing draft ninja Trent Baalke had made five different trades, including three that came in fast and furious towards the end of the second round. With the help of Chase Stuart's draft pick value calculator, let's break down each of those trades.

49ers get: WR Stevie Johnson

Bills get: 2015 conditional fourth-round pick

Before the clock even started on the first pick of the second round Baalke made his biggest move of the day, buying low on former Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft. I'll have some more in-depth analysis of Johnson later this week, but he's an obvious upgrade at the no. 3 spot on the depth chart and at 27-years old he still has a few of his prime years left. As Fooch broke down shortly after the trade, the Bills are going to absorb a sizable chunk of his 2014 salary and even if San Francisco chooses not to renegotiate the deal, his cap numbers in 2015 and 2016 are very reasonable.

49ers get: 63rd and 171st overall picks in this year's draft, 2015 fourth-round pick

Broncos get: 56th and 242nd picks in this year's drafts

And just like that, Baalke recoups the lost fourth-round pick from the Johnson trade, adding Denver's 2015 fourth rounder (which should fall roughly in the same range as San Francisco's original fourth-round pick would have) as a part of a package to move down seven spots at the end of the second round. Chase Stuart estimates that future fourth-round selection would be roughly equivalent to 151st pick in this year's draft. Using that estimation, the 49ers received 141 cents on the dollar in a haul that is roughly equivalent to gaining the 31st overall selection in the draft.

49ers get: 57th pick in this year's draft
Dolphins get: 63rd and 171st overall picks in this year's draft

Just moments later, Baalke flipped the two picks in this year's draft he just received from the Broncos to move right back up to the 57th selection where the team chose running back Carlos Hyde from Ohio State. Quick recap so far: via three trades the 49ers acquire Stevie Johnson for what amounts to a seventh-round pick and moving down one slot in the second round where they selected the player they would've selected anyway. Because those are things that should happen.

49ers get: 70th and 150th picks in this year's draft

Jaguars get: 61st pick in this year's draft

Four picks later Baalke was back at it, receiving 121 cents on the dollar from the Jaguars to move down from the late second round into the early third round. The 70th overall pick turned out to be USC center Marcus Martin, a player most draftniks considered to the be the best center in the draft and someone who could very likely earn the starting center role by the start of the season.

With the 150th pick, Baalke selected DE/OLB Aaron Lynch from South Florida. In the fifth round, Lynch is a low-risk, high-reward proposition and exactly the type of player the 49ers can afford to take when other teams simply don't have the luxury. Many considered Lynch to be a first round talent, but fell due to some work ethic and character questions. If the coaching staff can develop him and get the most of that talent, he could be one of the steals of the draft. If those concerns prove to be too much of an issue, San Francisco can cut ties at virtually no cost.

49ers get: 106th and 180th picks in this year's draft

Browns get: 94th pick in this year's draft

Baalke went back to the well one final time, adding even more value to this draft by receiving 112 cents on the dollar from the Browns to move back from the late-third round to the early-fourth round. It's not a coincidence that year after year we see talent-rich teams like the 49ers and Patriots move back to accumulate additional picks while talent-deprived teams like the Jaguars and Browns forfeit picks to move up.

San Francisco would go on to select wide receiver and return man Bruce Ellington out of South Carolina with the 106th overall pick. Matt Waldman, prospect aficionado writing for Football Outsiders among other places, describes Ellington as a "Swiss Army knife equipped with a butane lighter that doubles as a jet pack." I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty damn exciting. At the 180th overall selection, the 49ers chose SMU cornerback Kenneth Acker, who was the last of three cornerbacks selected by San Francisco on day three.

49ers net gain: 57th, 70th, 106th, 150th and 180th picks in this year's draft, 2015 fourth-round pick, WR Stevie Johnson

49ers net loss: 56th, 61st and 94th picks in this year's draft

Put everything together and Baalke was able to get about 122 cents on the dollar plus Stevie Johnson via five trades on the second day of the draft. In terms of pure points on the draft value chart, Baalke added value roughly equal to the third overall selection in the draft. All in a day's work for the draft ninja, I suppose.