SANTA CLARA – The 49ers coveted the No. 2 overall draft pick so much they refused to swap it last month for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Could they instead use that pick on a draft prospect, some new hot shot to catch Jimmy Garoppolo’s passes into the next decade?
Hold on, there. Only five wide receivers have gone in the draft’s top two slots since 1970, and none in this year’s class are so highly perceived.
Maybe, just maybe, if the 49ers trade down – rather than draft a defensive lineman for the fourth time in five years with their top pick – several wide receivers might be worthy of a first-round pick later Thursday night.