49ers trade rumors: ESPN builds a 49ers trade sending Trey Lance to the Vikings

With the NFL Draft inching closer, and trade rumors swirling, Bill Barnwell built a potential Trey Lance trade.

• By
  
  Marc Delucchi
  
• on April 19, 2023 11:30 am

It would not be NFL Draft season if a flurry of rumors were not flying around the San Francisco 49ers. After Deebo Samuel was at the center of speculation last year, it’s young quarterback Trey Lance who is now at the center of trade talks. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell released a mock draft with a potential trade for every pick in the first round, and no

Barnwell has the Niners parting with Lance, all three of their third-round picks, and a sixth-round pick for the 21st overall selection and quarterback Nick Mullens.

The deal would consolidate the Niners minimal draft capital and put an immense amount of pressure on Sam Darnold and Brock Purdy, but it would also give San Francisco a first-round pick.

If they are confident that a duo of Darnold and Mullens can hold things down until Purdy returns, AND are confident that Purdy can quickly return to form from a massive injury.

According to Chase Stuart’s trade chart, the one Barnwell used in his analysis of the mock trades, this deal values Lance as worth the 39th overall pick, a high second-rounder. It would be an undeniably disappointing return for a player the 49ers invested three first-round picks to acquire who only appeared in eight games with the team.

However, Barnwell rightfully points out that the Niners’ erratic handling of the quarterback position has done them no favors in helping maximize Lance’s trade value.

This deal values Lance as being worth the 39th pick in a typical draft, which is probably fair given what little we know about him after his first two seasons. Nothing about how the Niners have handled his situation suggests they still value him like the player they gave up three first-round picks to acquire.

A potential reunion with quarterback Nick Mullens would add an interesting wrinkle to this potential trade, giving the Niners a second veteran quarterback to fill in while Purdy rehabs from UCL surgery. Mullens, of course, spent the first three seasons of his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the 49ers.

How would you feel about the 49ers making this trade? Let us know in the comments.

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