Six 2024 NFL Draft prospects who could be targets in a trade up for the San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have rarely been scared to make aggressive moves under the leadership of general manager John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan.

Picking 31st in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, it may require an ambitious trade up for them to land a premium talent who can be both an immediate big-time difference-maker and a long-term asset for the franchise.

San Francisco has 10 picks at its disposal, but the conventional wisdom is there will not be 10 free places on a loaded 53-man roster. As such, the 49ers do have the capital and flexibility to make such a move, and here we look at six potential trade-up targets.

Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

Arguably the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in the entire draft, Mims made only eight starts in his career for Georgia, yet the tape from those starts was mouth-watering.

Possessing a rare blend of size and athleticism, Mims is a moving brick wall in pass protection with excellent foot speed, incredibly long arms and extremely powerful hands. Unrefined but with enticing upside in space as a run blocker, Mims' lack of experience and checkered injury history make him a colossal risk. 

Yet an aggressive move to acquire him could immediately solve the 49ers' biggest problem, the right tackle spot, and give them a potential franchise cornerstone up front.

Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

Let's, for now, stick with the policy of betting on traits.

Robinson is another athletic freak who blew up the Combine, posting an A to Z Sports athletic composite score of 96.9%. He has a lightning fast get-off and, despite lacking the desired arm length, can win by converting speed to power and by bending around the edge.

But Robinson's lack of consistent production — he had just 9.5 sacks in two seasons with Penn State — make him a gamble akin to Mims.

Robinson has been mocked to the 49ers with the 31st overall pick, most notably by NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah, but ESPN analytics rates the chances of him being available at that spot at a little over 30 percent. There's a chance, but the odds are the 49ers getting the opportunity to bet on those phenomenal traits will require a move up.

Johnny Newton, IDL, Illinois

Interior defensive line might not be seen as a top need for the 49ers, but they are showing interest in addressing the defensive tackle spot in the draft, scheduling visits with Oregon's Brandon Dorlus and Ohio State's Michael Hall Jr.

They are both likely day-two picks, but if the 49ers want to prioritize finding a long-term starter at the position after parting with Arik Armstead, then a move up for Newton, the consensus second defensive tackle on the board, could be in the offing.

ESPN rates the odds of Newton being available at 31 at just under 40 percent.

Newton had 43 pressures last season, third among FBS interior defensive linemen in the 2024 draft, winning consistently with well-refined usage of his extremely powerful hands.

Those hands are just as impactful against the run. Newton's 25 run stops were the third-most among FBS defensive tackles. While he can struggle to hold his ground against double teams, Newton is a versatile and well-rounded defender who has shown the ability to excel when aligned as a defensive end as well as on the inside. For a team that values the defensive trenches to the level of the Niners, a move for Newton would make a lot of sense.

Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon

The highest pick the 49ers have spent on an interior offensive lineman in the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch era is the second-rounder they used to acquire Aaron Banks in 2021.

While Banks has solidified his position as the starting left guard, right guard remains a long-term need. Powers-Johnson could play that role in the short-term, but the appeal behind selecting him is in landing a mainstay at the center position.

Save for the free agent signing of Weston Richburg in 2018, the 49ers haven't invested premium capital in a position of utmost importance to the Shanahan offense.

Though he isn't the archetypal Shanahan center in terms of his blocking in space in the run game, Powers-Johnson is a rock in pass protection who displays an enticing combination of aggression and awareness. He gave up just one pressure in 497 pass blocking snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus.

Still only 21, Powers-Johnson would be an extremely wise investment by a team that has long since dealt with inconsistency on the interior line. If he falls to a point where the Niners could make a small move up the board, it should be a consideration.

Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa

Regardless of whether the 49ers see DeJean as a cornerback or a safety, there's no doubt he could be a tremendous asset to San Francisco's defensive backfield.

DeJean is an outstanding zone defender whose experience at outside corner, in the slot and safety would offer the 49ers the opportunity to be much more flexible with their coverages.

A potential insurance policy at a safety position where the Niners lack depth and a possible long-term option at corner, where Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir are free agents next offseason, there are several reasons why DeJean would be a smart pick by San Francisco. 

With the odds of DeJean being available at 31 rated at a little over 30 percent by ESPN, it may well require a trade for the Niners to add a Swiss Army Knife to their secondary.

Brian Thomas Jr, WR, LSU

Right now, Thomas is probably the most unlikely trade-up candidate.

However, if the 49ers want to make a big move to secure their long-term future at the receiver position with speculation continuing to swirl around Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel a potential trade candidate next offseason, then a splash move to land a receiver with enormous upside could be in the offing.

San Francisco had a formal interview with Thomas at the Combine and, blessed with size and 4.3 speed and possessing excellent stop-start quickness that he consistently implements into his route-running, he could quickly become a huge big-play threat for the 49er offense.

Yet ESPN gives Thomas under a 20 percent chance of being on the board when the 49ers pick at 31. The opportunity cost for the 49ers to bet on his one year of outstanding production at LSU translating to the pros will likely be very high.