Tyrone Tracy

Carolina used the capital to select Xavier Legette and add a fifth-round depth piece, beginning a post-Burns rebuild

San Francisco's trade for Christian McCaffrey became one of the clearest modern examples of a running back being worth the price. The 49ers paid a strong draft-pick package, but McCaffrey immediately became the engine of Kyle Shanahan's offense. Carolina received volume, yet San Francisco acquired the player who changed its ceiling. The deal worked because the player, coach, scheme, and roster timeline all matched.