Might the San Francisco 49ers be in the mix for a blockbuster Day 2 trade? NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said Friday on Good Morning Football that he believes there is certainly still a possibility.
With Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft closing with a run of pass catchers, the 49ers added to their WR room by selecting Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall 31st overall on Thursday night. The selection raised eyebrows as it comes with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a one-time teammate of Pearsall at Arizona State, looking for a contract extension and mentioned in trade rumors. Deebo Samuel's name has now also been bandied about in trade rumblings.
Following Pearsall's selection, 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed they have received trade offers, but like their WR room as it is -- though the door is hardly shut. Pelissero underscored Friday that the Niners will always answer the phone, and it's always possible that things could change regarding trading away Aiyuk or Samuel.
"We're continuing to have positive talks with B.A., and we are really efforting to get something done with him," Lynch said on Thursday night, via team transcript. "And we're excited about continuing down that path. And Brandon being a part of this team. Deebo is a part of this team and a big part of this team. So, like I said, we feel great about that group and we feel like we just made it better with another really good addition to it who complements the group real well."
Lynch and Shanahan didn't shy away from admitting that they're going to listen to offers, however.
"Never close the door on a trade," Lynch said. "I mean, we'll always listen and we have. But we like our group as it stands."
Added Shanahan when asked if it was unlikely the Niners would trade Aiyuk now that the first round was over: "I thought it was unlikely going into it, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen. So, I mean, you listen to everything. Everything's about trying to improve our team as much as we can for 2024 without ... jeopardizing 2025 as much as possible. So, that's everything you look into and whenever that opportunity comes, whichever way, if you can improve your team, you do that. It's sometimes, it's hard to picture improving your team though without him."
San Francisco enters Day 2 of the draft with only two picks (Nos. 63 and 94 overall).
Here's what else we're monitoring on Friday ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft's second and third rounds in Detroit:
- More QBs to come? Following a record-tying six quarterbacks selected in the first round on Thursday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero expects the signal-caller selections to slow on Day 2. Pelissero said Friday on Good Morning Football that although South Carolina's Spencer Rattler was seen as a prospective pick in the third or fourth round, he could jump up to the second round. However, after Rattler and Tulane's Michael Pratt, he doesn't foresee there being any other Day 2 QBs. Beyond Rattler and Pratt, Tennessee's Joe Milton IIIwould likely be next in line. As for prospective Day 2 QB suitors, the Las Vegas Raiders are still in the market, with the New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks also remaining candidates.
- Getting ready for more receivers to go off the board. While the run on quarterbacks might subside to start Day 2, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero believes teams such as the Buffalo Bills (No. 33), New England Patriots (No. 34) and Los Angeles Chargers (No. 37) are candidates to take wide receivers early in the second round. The next wideouts off the board could be Florida State's Keon Coleman and Georgia's Ladd McConkey, Pelissero added.
- Will the Bills trade down again? Though the Buffalo Bills are still in need of a wide receiver, they're fielding trade calls for the opening pick of the second round (No. 33 overall), NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Buffalo has a few players who are under consideration for the taking, Rapoport added, but the calls are coming and the Bills answered in the first round more than once. The Bills traded down from No. 28 to No. 32 with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night and then sent the 32nd pick to the Carolina Panthers. The Chiefs took wide receiver Xavier Worthy, and the Panthers pounced on wideout Xavier Legette. Will the Bills stay at the top of Round 2, or will they go?
- Is it RB time yet? Unsurprisingly, zero running backs were selected in the first round on Thursday, but Pelissero believes they could start going in the middle to end of the second round on Friday. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' squad needs a back and has left no mystery that his franchise is enamored with Texas running back Jonathon Brooks. Dallas is scheduled to be back on the clock with the 56th overall pick (No. 24 in the second round). However, Pelissero believes USC running back MarShawn Lloyd might well be the first running back off the board in the 2024 draft (and on Friday).
