Prior to last year's draft, we saw both of the top two overall picks traded. The Los Angeles Rams moved up to No. 1 and selected Cal quarterback Jared Goff. The Philadelphia Eagles then leapfrogged to No. 2 and took North Dakota State signal-caller Carson Wentz.
Now the San Francisco 49ers own the second overall selection ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft. That means that the phone is bound to ring with NFL general managers inquiring about the price tag of the pick.
So if the right offer presents itself, would John Lynch be open to trading out of the No. 2 spot?
"Yes. From Day 1 – why wouldn't you be? A lot of people keep talking about (the No. 2 pick) like it's a burden," Lynch explained in a 1-on-1 interview with 49ers Studios. "It's not a burden, it's a tremendous asset, and it gives us a ton of options. We can sit pat and find a game-changing player who's going to help us win championships in San Francisco.
"It's a coveted pick, and so a lot of people want that. I think we're in a great place with that. We're being aggressive in exploring every option, and we'll continue to do that right down to draft day."
Lynch told reporters on Thursday that he's been impressed by the top quarterbacks in this year's class. The GM added on Friday that he believes this draft class has a particularly deep group of defensive backs.
San Francisco's exact list of needs going into the draft should be narrowed following free agency, which begins March 9. The 49ers will look for players to fill holes on the roster so that they can take the best player available when they go on the clock on April 27 in Philadelphia.
They have already begun that process with the addition of defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, who projects to start in 2017 on San Francisco's defensive line.
"(Taking the best player available) is a great mindset to have, but it's not always a reality when you have needs," Lynch said. "We are targeting some priorities in free agency, such that we can get to the draft and truly take the guys that we've just fallen in love with through the process."
