The draft creeps closer and closer by the day, and with this, more and more speculation about what teams are going to do with their picks will come up. The 49ers don’t have many pressing needs going into next season, cornerback would generally be seen as the biggest need. With few other big needs, center, wide-receiver, and kicker summing them up, it’s time to look forward at a prospect that likely won’t be available when the 49ers are picking in the late 20’s or, hopefully, at 32.

Not really a position of need, but I could see the 49ers trading up for Louis Nix III. Nix is a very big, very powerful nose-tackle who is incredibly fast off the snap for his size. Nix can blow up plays throughout the game and constantly demands double teams. He isn’t likely to be available in the late 20’s because any team in the league could use a man of his specialties, so a trade up would be needed to add the big man to the middle of the defense.

Nix is a natural fit at nose-tackle due to his size and power. The fact that he spent a lot of time playing it at Notre Dame is icing on the cake. He won’t have to make a position change going into the next level and he won’t have an incredible amount of competition for the starting spot. Glenn Dorsey is set to have his cap number almost double going into next season and although he has played well, he hasn’t been dominant. Adding Nix could due to wonders for the 49ers run defense which hasn’t allowed an individual 100 yard rusher yet this year. Plugging Nix into the middle would put the 49ers in that dominant rush defense category. Reminiscent of their 2011 rushing defense, which didn’t give up a touchdown run until week 16.

Now most people will suggest a trade up for a wide-receiver, especially since Anquan Boldin is set to be a free agent. The pedestrian play of the other wide-receivers under contract calls for alarm as well, but this draft is very deep at wide-receiver and an incredibly talented player will be found in the second or third rounds where the 49ers have four selections combined.

Nix could be the guy here and trading up wouldn’t cost too much either. Moving up ten spots would likely cost the team’s earlier third round pick, and with the amount of great players on the roster the team isn’t likely to use all their picks this year. A trade up will happen, and more than likely a trade back into the 2015 draft will happen as well. The 49ers are built for the long haul right now, adding Nix is more of a luxury move, and it’s one the 49ers can definitely afford to do.