The San Francisco 49ers have to fill some holes on their roster at wide receiver and cornerback. They could do both via the NFL draft, but ESPN's Bill Barnwell offered a wild way they could potentially fill both holes with one pick.
Barnwell authored an all-trade mock draft where he offers up trade ideas at each pick.
The 49ers get involved early with the New England Patriots at the No. 4 overall selection. In Barnwell's hypothetical trade, San Francisco deals wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the No. 11 overall pick to the Patriots in exchange for the No. 4 overall pick and guard Cole Strange. With the fourth pick, the 49ers select University of Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter.
Via ESPN:
In this scenario, the 49ers could draft Hunter, who would appeal to both Shanahan, an offensive mastermind, and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Remember that Saleh turned around his Jets defense by drafting Sauce Gardner, who was an instant superstar corner after being taken with the No. 4 pick in 2022. Hunter would fill a huge hole for the 49ers, a position we've seen the franchise previously prioritize with free agent signings such as Richard Sherman and Charvarius Ward.
It's an out-of-the-box idea that's all but certain not to happen, but it's fun!
Hunter is adamant he'll be able to pull off the type of full-time two-way work he did in college. And it isn't just a gimmick. He's outstanding at both positions and would likely be the top player at either position in this year's draft, but the ability to play him either way makes him incredibly appealing to any team. For San Francisco in particular he could take on a full-time starting CB role while also working in as a third receiver alongside Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall (with the potential for any additional work he can handle at the NFL level).
Alas, the odds Aiyuk are traded are slim-to-none since dealing him comes with a gargantuan cost attached April 1 when his $22.855 million option is due. Still, it's a fun trade to think about. Good work by Barnwell.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers select Travis Hunter after trade up in ESPN all-trade mock draft
