The San Francisco 49ers added a second first-round pick in next week's NFL draft by trading their second- and third-round picks to Denver on Wednesday for the 22nd overall selection.

The 49ers, who already have the No. 6 pick after last season's 4-12 finish, sent the 37th and 68th overall choices to the Broncos, giving San Francisco two first-round picks for the first time since 2000.

The move also might be a prelude to a gambit to move up again in the draft. Two players coveted by the 49ers — Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk and North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams — are likely to be gone before San Francisco's first-round picks.

Hawk traveled to Santa Clara to meet with 49ers officials two weeks ago.

The 49ers still have 10 overall picks in the draft, including an extra pick in the sixth round and two more in the seventh. Their next pick after the first-rounders is the 84th overall, acquired in a trade with Washington for receiver Brandon Lloyd.

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"We feel like we acquired more value by making the trade for this pick," 49ers coach Mike Nolan said. "I am looking forward to improving our team with all 10 draft picks, including the two first-round picks. We will continue to build this team through the draft."

The first-rounder traded by the Broncos was their second in that round. They also have No. 15, obtained from Atlanta in a three-way deal with the New York Jets that sent defensive end John Abraham to the Falcons.

SHORT A GIANT AGAIN: The New York Giants added depth at linebacker, signing Brandon Short on Wednesday. Short spent the first four years of his career with the Giants before playing the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Short was a fourth-round draft choice of the Giants in 2000, and was a reserve on New York's NFC Championship team as a rookie. He was a starter in each of the next three seasons before joining the Panthers as a free agent prior to the 2004 season. In two years in Carolina, he played in 32 games with 17 starts.

ALSO: The Detroit Lions signed defensive tackles Damian Gregory and Cleveland Pinkney, and wide receiver Brett Fischer to one-year deals on Wednesday. Gregory and Pinkney both played under Detroit's new head coach, Rod Marinelli, when he was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive line coach . . . The Dallas Cowboys have signed safety Marcus Coleman to a one-year deal. Coleman, a 10-year veteran, started 11 games last season at free safety for Houston . . . Vikings safety Willie Offord was charged with drunken driving after being stopped early Tuesday for speeding and failing to signal when he changed lanes.

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