The 49ers have every reason to keep shopping after Week 8. They’ve got the draft capital to do it, too. But having the ammo doesn’t mean they should start tossing premium picks around for the wrong player.
That’s the trap here. San Francisco could use help, especially at wide receiver, but the market doesn’t have a true headliner worth emptying the chest for.
Still, Brian Thomas Jr. keeps getting floated as if he’s some kind of fix-all. He isn’t.
Thomas has 10 catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns this season, a steep drop from his rookie year, when he posted 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. The version of him that flashed last season looks like it may be gone.
Sure, there’s always the argument that a new setting could unlock him, especially in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. But he hasn’t even taken off under Liam Coen, who is one of the best offensive coaches in the NFL.
Trevor Lawrence’s play this season only sharpens that point. He has been really good and is easily a top-10 quarterback this year, so if Thomas isn’t producing, the blame lands on him.
A fifth-round pick would make sense, but that won’t be enough to pry him loose. The Jaguars want to keep him, and unless the offer jumps into high-pick territory, he’s staying right where he is.
Anything above a fifth would be an insanely bad trade.
Khalil Mack is another name the 49ers need to stay away from at the wrong price. The market shifted after the Chicago Bears landed Jeffrey Simmons from the Tennessee Titans for two first-round picks. Simmons is 29, playing at the peak of his powers, and under contract for the foreseeable future, which drags Mack’s value down.
That deal makes a first-rounder for Mack an overpay, and San Francisco should not go there. Even a second-round pick now feels too rich. The idea used to have some appeal, but the market has changed, and a first- or second-round swap for Mack would be extreme overpay territory.
The Chargers also haven’t shown any willingness to move him or anyone else, which only pushes the price higher. From a pure business standpoint, it doesn’t make sense.
Still, there’s a counterargument: the 49ers haven’t exactly nailed their first-round picks, so maybe it’s worth using that kind of asset to boost their Super Bowl chances in 2026. Even then, that would probably end up helping more than most of their recent first-round choices.
In Other News...
Ravens Just Changed The Pressure Around A Possible Mac Jones Trade
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Baltimores latest direction only adds another layer to the conversation, because the Ravens are now looking elsewhere to address their quarterback need. That takes one potential landing spot off the board and makes a Jones trade look even less likely unless the situation changes in a major way, leaving San Francisco to weigh its options with the clock ticking. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Could Catch Raiders Secondary At A Very Good Time
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Las Vegas did get some better news elsewhere on the injury front, with defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway back on the field after his own injury. Wide receiver Cody White did not practice, but the bigger issue for the Raiders is still at corner, where Porters availability could shape how much pressure the 49ers are able to put on the back end. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Must Decide How The Brandon Aiyuk Standoff Finally Ends
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For the 49ers, though, a return to the building does not automatically mean a clean ending. Kyle Shanahan has made it clear the team is operating as if the matter will not be settled right away, which leaves San Francisco weighing its next move with the trade deadline looming. Whether the answer becomes a release, a trade or some kind of reintegration, the club still has to decide how this finally closes. [Read more 🡒]