FanPost

Trading to #2

With the mock draft season about to get started, I wanted to put to rest a trend that is sure to come up over the next few months - Teams DO NOT trade into the top 5 for a Defensive Player. It DOES NOT (except once) happen.

We are not trading up to #1 for Bosa (or Allen). No team is going to trade up with us to select any of the three Williams.

Teams only trade up to #2 for QBs, that is all. Even in years with weak QB classes, when Clowney and Garrett went #1, no one traded up for them.

To prove my point, let's now look at the past couple drafts to see trades into the Top 5:

2018: Jets traded up to #3 for a QB. (Note, the Browns picked a defensive player at 4, but that trade was over a year old.)

2017: Bears traded up to #2 for a QB. Titans traded up to #5 for a WR.

2016: Trades to picks 1 and 2. Two QBs were taken with the top 2 picks. (Other notable trades: Titans traded up to 8 to get a Tackle, and Bears traded up to 9 to get a LB).

2015: No trades in the top 5. The first trade was that Chargers swapping first round picks (15 and 17) with the 49ers to get Gordon.

2014: Bills traded to #4 to grab Watkins. Browns and Vikings swapped picks 7 and 8, a CB and LB were taken.

2013: Dolphins traded up to #3 to grab Dion Jordan (Whoops). Also Rams traded up to #8 for Austin.

2012: Crazy year, picks 2 - 7 were all traded at some point. Probably the most relevant example is that Browns and Vikings swapped picks 3 and 4. Jags and Buc also traded picks 5 and 7. But no D player was taken in the Top 5.

2011: Nothing in top 5, but this is the year that Falcons traded up 20 picks to #6 to grab Jones.

If we are going to trade back from #2, it would be with a team trading up to grab Haskins. However, considering the first 3 teams picking don't need a QB (possibly even top 5), I doubt that will even happen.

Unfortunately, the #2 pick just doesn't have the value this year compared to what is has had in the past. I am sure the team will field some crappy offers for the pick by teams just wanting first picks of players, but I believe we are staying put.

Thanks for reading, go Niners!

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.