Will the San Francisco 49ers Commerce for Julio Jones?

The San Francisco 49ers must find a way to get Julio Jones.

With the loss of Kendrick Bourne to the free agency, the 49ers wide reception room in Santa Clara currently consists of Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and 10 other players. Of the 10 other players, only two – Mohamed Sanu and Richie James Jr. – have been somewhat productive in the past two seasons. In total, the group of 10 teamed up for 1,661 yards and five touchdowns at 151 receptions.

By comparison, Julio Jones has 2,165 yards and nine touchdowns from 150 receptions in the same two seasons.

According to reports, the Hawks were initially looking for a first-round draft pick in exchange for Jones but would now be ready to move the veteran receiver for a second-round pick.

The 49ers don’t have a first-round pick in the next two drafts as part of the cost of the rise and draft of Trey Lance, but that shouldn’t stop them from offering Atlanta their second-round pick and the deal with them in 2022 to sweeten the balance for the third round in the 2023 draft. There is no player the 49ers could take at the end of the second round that could give them the productivity they would get from Jones, a future Hall of Famer.

The addition of Jones could help the 49ers meet two of the biggest needs in their passing game: a downfield threat to Brandon Aiyuk and the third receiver.

With Jones on the roster, the 49ers could put Deebo Samuel in the role of third-wide receiver. This move would allow Samuel to still distinguish himself as the gadget player he has been so effective with since joining the 49ers as the second round selection in the 2019 draft. Samuel is the size and tracking ability Kyle Shanahan has been looking for. With no other sane player of this type of roster, Samuel’s move to that role could make the 49ers’ offensive more explosive than during a run to the Super Bowl in 2019, when they ended up with the second highest percentage of explosive games on the NFL.