The San Francisco 49ers acquired the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft from the Miami Dolphins on Friday.
The Dolphins secured the 49ers’ first-round pick (12th overall) in 2021 as well as first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. They also received a third-round selection in 2022.
That 12th overall pick didn’t stay with the Dolphins for long. Miami sent it, along with the 123rd overall pick and a 2022 first-round selection, to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the Nos. 6 and 156 overall picks in 2021.
The Dolphins initially acquired the third overall pick as part of the trade that sent left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Houston Texans in September 2019.
While Miami has Tua Tagovailoa as its starting quarterback, the trade now puts the 49ers in play to land one of the top-tier QBs of the draft. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence is the presumptive No. 1 pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the New York Jets (at No. 2) will have a choice between BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance or Alabama’s Mac Jones.
San Francisco general manager John Lynch was on hand Friday for Wilson’s pro day.
ESPN reported that the 49ers plan to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the fold.
Garoppolo, 29, was acquired in a trade from the New England Patriots in October 2017 and guided the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance following the 2019 season. Garoppolo signed a five-year, $137.5 million contract extension with the 49ers on Feb. 8, 2018, and his cap hit this season is $26.4 million.
The Dolphins’ decision to secure the sixth overall pick keeps them in play to land a coveted wide receiver such as Alabama’s DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle or LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase. Miami could also be in line to select an offensive lineman to protect Tagovailoa.
Philadelphia’s decision to trade away the sixth overall pick likely means it will stay with second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts as the starter.
Hurts, 22, completed 52.0 percent of his passes (77 of 148) for 1,061 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed 63 times for 354 yards with three scores.
The Eagles dealt quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round pick this year and a conditional second-round pick in 2022. The conditional pick could become a first-round selection should Wentz play 75 percent of the offensive snaps, or 70 percent of the snaps and the Colts make the playoffs.
Veteran Joe Flacco signed a contract with the Eagles this week.
The 2021 NFL Draft begins on April 29.
