The 49ers badly needed pass rush help entering the 2019 offseason. Their first attempt at improving that area of the roster came in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco acquired Dee Ford in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick.
Kansas City didn’t do any maneuvering with that pick, and used it on Mississippi State linebacker Willie Gay Jr.
A host of talent the 49ers could’ve used was still available at that selection, which in hindsight might wind up making the move look worse than it was. That’ll certainly be the case if Gay turns into a Pro Bowl caliber player for the Chiefs, even though he likely wouldn’t have been San Francisco’s pick at that spot.
Ultimately the trade helped get the 49ers to the Super Bowl since Ford played such an integral role in their dominant pass rush when he was on the field in 2019. They probably wouldn’t have made a run at a championship without him, which makes the trade well worth it for the 49ers.
