Training camp is bound to have some surprise standout players for the San Francisco 49ers.
However, that also means there will be some surprise cuts or surprising trade candidates. And I know just the player that is the perfect surprise trade candidate for the 49ers in training camp.
The 49ers surprise trade candidate is second-year linebacker Nick Martin.
Martin’s Situation
It’s not too common that a second-year player is traded. Usually, a team will just ride it out with them.
However, Martin doesn’t appear to be in favorable standing. Last year, the 49ers weren’t too fond of him. They barely cited anything positive about him, and it was tough to blame them.
He played very errantly during the preseason, which coincided with his training camp reps. He failed to crack any playing time until it was late in the regular season. It seemed he was struggling to carve out a role and get the defense down.
When he did finally manage that (lack of depth helped him too), he suffered a season-ending concussion, which lasted him just about through the end of the season. It was an unfortunate and scary scenario.
There’s not much belief in him at this point. If there were, the 49ers probably wouldn’t have drafted linebacker Jaden Dugger. Now that he’s there, he’s another threat to Martin.
Linebackers coach K.J. Wright advocated to the 49ers to draft Dugger, so he already has his position coach in his corner. He probably has defensive coordinator Raheem Morris fond of him as well.
Meanwhile, the coach who wanted Martin is the head coach of another team. A coach who is a close friend of Kyle Shanahan, and that just so happens to be holding a joint practice next month with the 49ers.
When Saleh gets a glimpse of Martin, or lack thereof, since it’s possible he doesn’t get many reps, Saleh will ask Shanahan what’s up with Martin, and that can lead to a trade discussion.
A trade the 49ers will be inclined to make. Maybe Martin will light it up during training camp and the preseason. If he does, then there’s no way the 49ers will trade him.
But the odds of that happening are extremely unlikely. Martin will either be a surprise performer in training camp or a surprise trade candidate.
I’d lean more towards the latter than the former.
Final Thoughts
Nick Martin faces an uphill battle to secure a meaningful role with the 49ers in 2026. With Jaden Dugger added to the linebacker group and limited opportunities last season, a trade could be the best outcome for both player and team. The coming training camp will be critical in determining Martin’s future in San Francisco.