The San Francisco 49ers are looking to trade up in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft on Thursday, according to Yahoo! Sports.
With an abundance of draft picks and the sour taste of a Super Bowl loss still in their mouth, the 49ers are in the position to be aggressive and make a splash in this year's draft with their 13 picks.
Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports writes:
"It's believed by at least one GM that the Niners are interested in moving up to the 13th or 14th overall pick. There is no way that the 49ers can keep more than five or six new draft picks with the way the team is structured right now. Expect GM Trent Baalke to either trade up or trade out picks in the future."
San Francisco's picks, which include the 31st overall pick and two second-round picks, can entice a trade with a team needing to rebuild. The New York Jets, for example, might look to trade their 13th overall pick for additional draft choices as they look to rebuild multiple holes in their team. The Carolina Panthers, also coming off a losing season, could look to deepen their pocket of picks this year too.
Don't be surprised if the Niners trade away some of their picks too, in order to begin stocking up for the 2014 NFL draft, much like how the New England Patriots do.
It's unknown whom exactly the 49ers might target. They could look to improve the offensive line to better protect mobile quarterback Colin Kaepernick, or they could look to strengthen their defensive line and groom a replacement for veteran Justin Smith. Their secondary, despite recently signing cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, could also be a target for improvement.
The 49ers' front office accumulated picks between last year's draft and this offseason from trades. If they're able improve their team even marginally in Thursday night's draft, look for another deep run in the playoffs.
