The San Francisco 49ers surprised folks on Thursday when they traded up with the Kansas City Chiefs to select Stanford guard Joshua Garnett. ESPN's analysts all thought Garnett would be there for them in the second round, and most mock drafts indicated as much.
However, could it be that the 49ers were able to get the guy they wanted, while also screwing the Seattle Seahawks (h/t @PeterPanacy)? The Seahawks swapped picks with the Denver Broncos, getting the final pick of the first round. With that pick, they selected Texas A&M offensive lineman Germain Ifedi. While Ifedi played tackle in college, it sounds like scouts expect him to move to guard.
It is easy to say a player will drop to you in the second round, but maybe the Seahawks were sniffing around Garnett, and the 49ers felt they needed to make the move up. It is possible this is not true, but there is all sorts of gamesmanship going on. Anything is possible.
As for the cost? The 49ers had four picks in the 6th round, and two in the 4th. If this was the guy they wanted, I don't think it is the end of the world. Now, we actually need to see Garnett do something with this opportunity, but if it pans out, that's a pretty good deal.