49ers, Eagles Trades With Dolphins Shake Up 2021 NFL Draft Picks: The Miami Dolphins have traded the No. 3 overall selection in the upcoming NFL Draft to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the No. 12 pick, a 2021 third-round pick and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Then, the Dolphins went ahead and swapped picks with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Dolphins now own the No. 6 overall pick and No. 156 in exchange for No. 12 (the pick Miami acquired from San Fran), No. 123 and a 2022 first-round pick.
Here’s a recap on the massive NFL Draft trade, an aftershock trade with the Philadelphia Eagles and an outlook on what these trades mean for each team.
- Check out the rest of our 2021 NFL Draft Guide, including prospect profiles and more.
- Read Marcus Mosher’s recent three-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft.
49ers, Eagles Trade With Dolphins & Shake Up 2021 NFL Draft Picks
Now, the San Francisco 49ers have some options. They could trade Jimmy Garoppolo and draft Zach Wilson, Justin Fields or Trey Lance — or the surging Mac Jones — at No. 3 overall. Remember, the Jets own the No. 2 overall selection and could elect to draft a quarterback and move on from Sam Darnold.
Working with a great offensive mind like Kyle Shanahan could work wonders for Wilson or Fields, but it all depends on what the Jets do with the slot above.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers just extended left tackle Trent Williams, which likely means they would not trade two future first-rounders for Oregon’s Penei Sewell. They also employ George Kittle, which takes them out of the running for Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. Would Shanahan really want the first wideout off the board that badly? Probably not.
It’s probably safe to guess a quarterback is the reason behind this trade.
Despite NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport stating that the Niners believe Garoppolo is the guy to lead them to a playoff run, a team rarely trades two future first-round picks without having an eye on a specific player.
After Trevor Lawrence, it’s going to be a full-on crapshoot of teams trying to address their needs at QB. The 49ers are now apart of that party, regardless of what they say.
Blockbuster. Trades.@Marcus_Mosher breaks down the wild day in the #NFL involving the #Dolphins, #49ers and #Eagles. pic.twitter.com/wUZjEeZeGe
— The Game Day NFL (@TheGameDayNFL) March 26, 2021
Miami Dolphins Trade
On the surface, after trading with the Niners, the Dolphins have virtually turned Laremy Tunsil into four first-round picks and a third — not a bad job at all.
After following up the trade-down with another trade back up the 2021 NFL Draft board, the Dolphins are back in the top 10 with No. 6 overall and could look to add a big-time playmaker to pair with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Miami could draft Pitts or have its pick among Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle.
Philadelphia Eagles Trade
After failing to acquire a first-round pick in exchange for Carson Wentz, the Eagles elected to trade back with Miami. Philadelphia reportedly tried to trade up to No. 3 overall, but only if they could snag Wilson.
Despite having Jalen Hurts in-house, the Eagles seem desperate about landing a quarterback, and they just added an additional draft pick in 2022 by trading back in failure to do so.
However, with No. 12, perhaps they could hope Trey Lance slides a bit. Maybe they could settle for Alabama’s Mac Jones.
If they elect to roll the dice and let Hurts be the main starter this season, finding some play-making help to replace often-injured and now-departed Alshon Jeffrey and DeSean Jackson would be beneficial. Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle or even Pitts — to pair with Dallas Goedert in the event of a Zach Ertz trade — look like logical options.
