SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ What the 49ers will do in the NFL draft can sometimes be predictable _ like taking star pass rusher Nick Bosa with the second-overall pick last year. Or the team can surprise, like in 2018, using the No. 9 choice on tackle Mike McGlinchey despite already having Trent Brown and more pressing needs on defense.
But what about 2020, when a sudden vault to Super Bowl contention has dramatically changed the franchise trajectory?
There's no obvious plan of attack for coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch as they prepare for their fourth draft with San Francisco. The only prediction most observers feel confident making: The club will trade back from pick No. 31 for multiple selections later.
That's what perennial contenders like the Patriots and Seahawks have done in the past, which appears prudent given the 49ers traded away their second-, third- and fourth-round picks for veterans Dee Ford and Emmanuel Sanders over the last year. Replacing Sanders is one of San Francisco's top mandates in the draft since he joined the New Orleans Saints via free agency.
Perhaps that's the plan with the No. 13 pick acquired from the Indianapolis Colts in the trade for star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. This class of receivers is widely considered the best in years _ perhaps ever _ and features three players that could be available for the 49ers, including CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III. But the class is also deep enough that players with first-round talent could slip to Day 2, where Shanahan has found wideouts in the last two drafts.
That depth at receiver could allow San Francisco to go a different direction with its first pick.
Losing Buckner means there's a void in the middle of the defensive line. Adding another offensive tackle, like the team did with McGlinchey two years ago, is justifiable with the end of Joe Staley's career looming. Perhaps adding a cornerback is in the cards, with Richard Sherman entering the final year of his contract while neither Ahkello Witherspoon or Emmanuel Moseley have cemented a starting role on the opposite side (and are also entering contract years).
Let's go through recent history to see if there are any clues to unearth from Shanahan and Lynch ahead of the draft beginning April 23.
