The 2014 NFL Draft is only a few days away, which means we are coming down the stretch of the mock draft season. It can't end soon enough, but before we go, our friends at Mocking the Draft gave us as 49ers fans a little something to chew on.
In their latest 2014 NFL mock draft, MtD had SB Nation NFL editor Ryan Van Bibber at the helm. And RVB got a little crazy with it. He had the San Francisco 49ers trade up from No. 30 to No. 8 to select LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Here are his thoughts on the move. You can also check out Dan Kadar's scouting report on Beckham:
A bold move for the 49ers, but they fit the profile of a team that would make a move like this one. The roster is overflowing with depth -- they couldn't even start most of their draft picks last year -- and the right move could be just enough to put them back into the Super Bowl. For the 49ers, a vertical threat like Beckham could be the difference that offense is looking for this season. They'd almost have to jump ahead of Detroit to get him.
The deal does not go into what it would take to move up 22 spots, although we know it would cost a pretty penny. Last year the 49ers climbed from No. 31 to No. 18 with the help of the 12th pick of the 3rd round (No. 74 overall). This year, the 49ers haul of picks include No. 30, 56, 61, 77, 94, 100, 129, 170, 242, 243 and 245. No. 100 is a comp pick that cannot be traded.
Trent Baalke acknowledged the 49ers do consider the traditional Jimmy Johnson trade value chart, but they have their own chart that some other teams use as well. If we consider just the Jimmy Johnson chart, the No. 8 pick is worth 1400 points. If the 49ers gave up their first, both seconds and No. 94 in the third, they would get to 1,376 points. Of course, the Jimmy Johnson trade chart is not the 49ers primary chart, so that's just to provide one measure of context.
At this point, it seems pretty logical that the 49ers make a move in the first round. I'd say it's just a matter of where they move, but this also could be when Trent Baalke throws us for a loop by either not moving or moving back. This is considered a deep draft, particularly at wide receiver. Some folks absolutely love Odell Beckham Jr., but is it worth unloading a bunch of picks in an otherwise deep draft? I know some are not fans of Beckham, but if the 49ers were fans and thought he could be the best wide receiver in this draft, is it worth the move?