Tuesday at 1:00 PM Pacific Time is when the NFL trade deadline is set to occur. If the 49ers actively sought to improve a team that has now dropped three straight games, that would make a lot of sense.
Randy Gregory, a pass rusher, appeared to be the ideal on-the-margins addition for the 49ers, a team full of extremely great players. San Francisco is 0-3 since acquiring him in a trade with the Broncos, and their defense has failed to produce significant stops.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a single clear solution for the 49ers. They’re disorganized in a few places. They’ll need to set priorities before the deadline because it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to iron out all of their problems. When they head into their Week 9 bye, we would prioritize the trade markets as follows:
Cornerback
Another quality cornerback might help the 49ers with many of their present problems. Their defense is having trouble in part because their pass pressure constantly arrives at the quarterback one or two steps late. The impact of their secondary on the team’s expensive defensive line would be enormous if they could make a signal caller pause for even a split second longer. Since all three of their starting CBs are not inherently awful, maybe a strategy tweak can help. The coaching staff may have to look for assistance on the trade market if they are unable to recognize that scheme adjustment.
Defensive tackle
The 49ers should make the move if they can find a reasonably priced, capable defensive lineman who can stop runs. Everybody else in the front seven is finding it difficult to stay ahead of them as they have had trouble getting push inside against the run. RBs are making their way into the second level without getting touched too frequently, and blockers are making their way there. There would be no need for a new DT to rush the passer. All they would have to do is be part of the mix to prevent teams from going to second or third and short.
Offensive line
Some of the offensive line shortcomings of the 49ers have been made clear by Trent Williams’ absence. Although Jaylon Moore has performed admirably in his place, Williams’ injury has been a major factor in San Francisco’s offensive problems ever since. Both improving the depth and searching for a possible replacement on the right side would be beneficial. Finding a better starting candidate at even one of those spots—right tackle Colton McKivitz or right guard Spencer Burford—would be beneficial for the line as a whole in 2023.
Wide receiver
Quarterback Brock Purdy completed thirty throws in the 49ers’ Week 8 loss. WR Brandon Aiyuk, TE George Kittle, and RB Christian McCaffrey received 27 of those 30 throws. The remaining three targets were split between RB Elijah Mitchell (on a broken play that was intended to be a handoff) and WR Ray-Ray McCloud (two, one coming in garbage time on the game’s last play). To lessen the risk of injury to either Deebo Samuel or Aiyuk, the 49ers might want to acquire another reliable pass-catcher. When Aiyuk was down in Week 3, rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell saw extensive action. On Sunday, WR Jauan Jennings ran 33 routes with 0 targets. Even though Purdy may be the cause of this distribution issue, it’s clear that San Francisco’s offense would benefit from the addition of a capable pass catcher.
Edge rusher
The 49ers are overawed by pass rushers, so this one falls further on the list. Although they are all very fine athletes, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Randy Gregory, Clelin Ferrell, and Arik Armstead haven’t consistently been able to get to the quarterback. Bringing on a new player doesn’t always make their defensive problems go away. However, greater pass rush assistance is always a good thing. It wouldn’t be surprising if they tried to optimize a cheap, underutilized player from another club, much like Jordan Willis or Charles Omenihu did.
