San Francisco moved from No. 34 to No. 31 and selected Reuben…
San Francisco moved from No. 34 to No. 31 and selected Reuben Foster. Foster flashed starter-level talent but his 49ers tenure ended after two seasons and did not become the durable linebacker cornerstone the move-up was designed to secure. The 49ers therefore received real short-term ability without enough longevity to justify the concentrated draft investment.
San Francisco 49ers Received
- pick 2017 first round pick (#31- Reuben Foster )
Seattle Seahawks Received
- pick 2017 second round pick (#34, subsequently traded to Jacksonville)
- pick 2017 fourth round pick (#111- Tedric Thompson )
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
San Francisco sent picks Nos. 34 and 111 to Seattle to move up three spots to No. 31 in the 2017 draft. The 49ers selected linebacker Reuben Foster. Seattle kept No. 111 and used it on safety Tedric Thompson, then traded No. 34 to Jacksonville for picks Nos. 35 and 187, which became Malik McDowell and Mike Tyson.
San Francisco 49ers Return
Foster showed why San Francisco targeted him. He flashed high-level linebacker ability and contributed when available, but his 49ers tenure lasted only two seasons and ended before he became the durable defensive cornerstone the trade-up was meant to secure. The move therefore produced meaningful short-term talent without sustained value.
Seattle Seahawks Return
Seattle spread its return across several assets. Thompson became the useful part of the package, giving the Seahawks multi-season secondary service. McDowell, selected after the trade down from No. 34, never played a regular-season game for Seattle, and Tyson did not become an important Seahawks contributor. The package was imperfect, but Seattle still extracted a longer usable roster return through Thompson while retaining additional draft flexibility.
Value in Hindsight
Neither club turned the trade into a major long-term win. San Francisco got the most talented individual player, but Foster's short tenure limited the payoff. Seattle's downstream branch included a major miss in McDowell, yet Thompson supplied more durable service and the Seahawks obtained multiple opportunities from the original No. 31 selection. That gives Seattle the better overall return without making the deal a landslide.
Final Verdict
Seattle wins. The Seahawks earn B- and San Francisco earns C-. The grades reward Seattle's broader, more durable return while accounting for the missed picks, and they penalize San Francisco for a targeted move-up that did not produce lasting cornerstone value.