The San Francisco 49ers have a whopping 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. While that is tied for the most in the league, the team is reportedly looking to add more after losing a ton of talent in the offseason.
ESPN's Adam Schefter provided the latest insight on teams' plans heading into the draft. He noted that the 49ers are looking to trade their first-round pick with the aim of moving back and adding more draft capital.
NFL insider reports 49ers are among teams most interested in trading their first-round pick https://t.co/K16Y6GI7Qq
— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) April 21, 2025
49ers Among Many Teams Looking to Trade Down in the 2025 NFL Draft
There is, however, one big obstacle standing in GM John Lynch's way. There are simply too many teams trying to trade down, and not enough looking to trade up.
According to Schefter, the Jaguars and the Panthers, who are picking before San Francisco, are also trying to trade down. Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Minnesota are other teams reportedly willing to move back.
On the other hand, Schefter was only able to identify one team trying to trade up: the Denver Broncos. They currently have the 20th-overall pick in the draft, but it looks like they will have their pick of the litter among teams picking before them for a potential draft-day trade.
Outside of Denver, it doesn't look like there will be much of an opportunity for the 49ers to change where they are picking.
This draft class is considered to be a relatively weak one, without too many elite QB prospects. This complicates matters as teams feel like they can draft the player they are looking for later in the draft without using a premium first-round pick.
The 49ers have a ton of needs in the trenches after losing several key starters this offseason. San Francisco has been one of the better teams in the league in drafting and developing players over the last decade, so it makes sense that Lynch would want to throw as many darts as possible to land true difference-makers. Whether he will be able to do so remains to be seen.