The World Cup is rolling along, and one of the many discussions revolves around reassigning one player in the Cup to any other team. While I do enjoy watching the World Cup every four year, I don’t follow soccer super close otherwise. That being said, this spurred an idea that I think makes for some fun offseason discussion:
If you could select any one player in the NFL for the 49ers roster, who would it be?
I don’t see this being as simple as, bring in Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady or whomever and be done with it. I’d like people to factor in the current state of the 49ers roster, where there are some holes and where they are already better off.
It’s probably a pretty short list for most people. Aaron Donald is tops for most. He is due a new contract soon, but salary cap space is not a concern. Imagine pairing Donald with DeForest Buckner? Talk about an embarrassment of riches in the defensive interior!
If you think the 49ers are building something on the defensive interior, and want to look elsewhere, maybe edge rusher Khalil Mack or Von Miller is your choice. The 49ers did not choose to make a big ticket upgrade for their pass rush, signing Jerry Attaochu. They have some intriguing talent rushing the passer, but nothing close to a sure thing. Mack or Miller would add crazy heft to the group.
If you’d prefer the offense, maybe Julio Jones or Antonio Brown is the guy you want. The 49ers have a solid wide receiver depth chart, but imagine adding Jones or Brown to this group? They’ve invested heavily in Jimmy Garoppolo, so it would make sense to boost his choice of weapons
When I first thought to do this post, I figured there might be a bunch of names to consider, but in reality, it’s a pretty short list. Donald is arguably the best player in the NFL, but given the 49ers lack of depth at the pass rusher positions, I’m kind of inclined to go with Mack.
Who would your choice be?