Grading the Trade: San Francisco 49ers pulled off two trades that should set the stage for their entire 2026 NFL Draft class

The San Francisco 49ers and general manager John Lynch pulled off not one, but two trades on opening night of the 2026 NFL Draft. They left without any players, but they may have set themselves up for success the rest of the way.

The San Francisco 49ers started out with pick 27 in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night, but two trades later found themselves leaving without selecting any players through the first 32 picks.

How should 49ers fans actually feel about that?

General manager John Lynch pushed through two trades that added value and more picks later in the 2026 NFL Draft, but were they actually “wins” for the 49ers?

First, San Francisco traded down to pick 30 with the Miami Dolphins. Then three picks later they traded down to pick 33 (into the second round) with the New York Jets. Let’s dive into each trade to see where the 49ers truly stand.

Trade 1: Miami Dolphins

First off, if the 49ers were willing to trade, it’s clear (and confirmed via sourcing and team pressers after the first round) that San Francisco missed out on a few target players they were hoping would make it to pick 27.

That was likely the primary driving force for the initial move down by San Francisco. However, when they did move, general manager Lynch made sure that the Dolphins had to pay.

What’s “market”? There are a number of NFL Draft trade charts that can help gauge “fair” value. The Rich Hill chart (similar to the ancient Jimmy Johnson chart) is a bit more old school, but has real NFL trades baked into it that guide normal trade value. Then there’s the Fitzgerald-Spielberger (and its similar cousin chart, the Harvard model). That one is far more analytics-based, mapped to optimize for on-field value versus rookie contract cost. Both charts, and even augmented versions that blend the two, agree. The 49ers won this one.

49ers sent: Pick 27, Pick 138
Dolphins sent: Pick 30, Pick 90

Rich Hill chart: 49ers gained 4% in value
Fitzgerald-Spielberger chart: 49ers gained 8% in value
A to Z Sports chart: 49ers gained 9% in value

It wasn’t a massive win, but if the 49ers didn’t see a huge edge in selecting any one player left on the board, adding value and more picks is a great thing.

Grade: B-