49ers made right move by not trading back into Round 1 of the NFL Draft

There is, understandably, some frustration at the San Francisco 49ers not moving back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Having already selected versatile defensive lineman Mykel Williams, many observers thought that as the first round concluded, the Niners might jump back into the round, particularly as players like linebacker Jihaad Campbell, cornerback Will Johnson, and edge rusher Mike Green remained on the board.

The fact that Campbell would eventually go to the rival Philadelphia Eagles at the 31st pick probably only increased that frustration.

However, it did make logical sense for San Francisco to stand pat, and here's why.

Good players available early on Day 2 (and some teams will be out of the running for them)

Don't forget, the 49ers still own an early pick on Day 2, and picking at No. 43 overall will make Friday's wait a relatively short one.

They won't be short of options either.

The aforementioned Johnson and Green will still be there to kick off the round, while some other intriguing options like safety Nick Emmanwori and linebacker Carson Schwesinger may also await at potential positions of need for San Francisco.

What's more, most of the teams picking in front of the Niners are unlikely to value some of those players at the same level as San Francisco might. Most of the teams picking ahead of the 49ers are starved of playmaking talent, and/or fortification on their offensive or defensive lines. While the Niners could use some of the latter, they aren't short of the former, so players like running backs Treveyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, as well as wide receiver Luther Burden Jr., could be useful to the 49ers if they go in front of the 43rd overall pick.

The fact that highly touted quarterback Shadeur Sanders also sits there undrafted at this time should also mean that at least one other player the 49ers are unlikely to have any interest in will go before they step up to pick.

There are other quarterbacks, too, like Alabama's Jalen Milroe and Louisville's Tyler Shough, who might be options ahead of San Francisco's first second-round pick.

It should certainly narrow down the gap between the 49ers and a player they truly want in the second round, and that brings me to the second reason for standing pat.

Trade-up costs drop precipitously after Round 1

While having multiple first-round picks plays well in the media and sells some tickets, it's costly to get back in the first round, as the Atlanta Falcons proved on Thursday night.

Giving up future first-rounders should certainly never be in the Niners' plans, and honestly, with the team in desperate need of an infusion of youth across the whole roster, neither should giving up too many picks to move up.

Fortunately, now that we are indeed on the precipice of Round 2, the trade-up cost will continue to shrink. Not only will the number of places required for a move get smaller (necessitating a less drastic move up), but there's less of a premium placed on high picks in the second round than there are late picks in the first round.

Early-to-mid Round 2 prospects may be the draft's sweet spot

That's hard enough to understand anyway. Is the gap between someone picked at, say, pick No. 28, versus No. 38, so high as to warrant such a high price tag? But in this draft, it may be even more so.

We've all heard the narrative for several weeks now: The 2025 draft is short on star talent but long on depth. With that in mind, picking at the top-to-middle of the second round might actually be the sweet spot for landing talent versus value.

When you have picks like the Seattle Seahawks' first-round selection of offensive lineman Grey Zabel at No. 18 overall, you're looking at a draft where the general consensus around the league is that the talent is there, but it's not necessarily worth moving up in pursuit of. Zabel is a great player, but it's hard to see a scenario in the most recent drafts where he would have gone so high.

Valuing your picks and getting the best return on them, especially when every salary cap dollar is precious, is important.

All in all, it would've been a flashy and exciting move to pick up a second player in the first round on Thursday. But it's been a while since the 49ers did anything flashy under general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Maybe that's OK.

With 10 picks to spend and a lot of holes to fill, if they can just find enough solid contributors and maybe one or two stars -- like in Bill Walsh's most famous draft -- that ought to be enough to satisfy Niners fans.