The San Francisco 49ers have traded defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. As part of the deal, Buckner will put pen to paper on a lucrative multi-year extension.
Trade AND deal: Colts trade first-round pick (13th overall) to 49ers for All-Pro DT DeForest Buckner, who already has agreed to a massive contract that pays him $21 million a year and makes him the second-highest paid DT in NFL history behind only Aaron Donald, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2020
The 49ers signed fellow defensive lineman Arik Armstead to a five-year, $85 million extension earlier today, which seemed to leave little room for Buckner, causing them to trade the former No. 7 overall pick.
While Buckner is undoubtedly a game-changing player, the defensive line got crowded with the addition of Nick Bosa and the emergence of the aforementioned Armstead, causing his production to take a small dip.
The Colts’ willingness to give up the No. 13 pick is very telling. Many suspected that they would select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with eyes toward the future. But with the pick now gone, the talks of signing Philip Rivers seem to be the route they will go.
