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The 2026 NFL Draft is a wrap, and the San Francisco 49ers are now getting things set up for their undrafted free agents.
For lack of a better word, the 49ers’ draft has been “interesting” to say the least. Many players were picked ahead of where numerous consensus big boards had them going. The proverbial reaches have been getting mixed reviews from fans and analysts alike.
“Depends on whose consensus,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said when asked about the strategy in his recap of Day 3. “We have consensus in this building. That’s the consensus I care about.”
So there you have it: fans may be wondering about the reaches and these players going early, but Lynch—and Kyle Shanahan, by extension—seem confident in what they’re doing. One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of our draft crushes don’t pan out. In 2019, N’Keal Harry was a wide receiver many hoped would go to the 49ers; instead, he was selected by the New England Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft. In that same draft, the 49ers took Deebo Samuel a round later. Harry is playing in the CFL, while Samuel has been a wrecking ball in the league.
Another point to think of here is that some of these picks were picks the 49ers didn’t think would be around when they picked again. Sure, they could trade back in and up to snag someone, but who knows what a trade partner might ask for, and the 49ers started the draft with six picks. That’s not much ammo to move up.
So if you think their first pick, wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, is a reach, perhaps another team was waiting to reach on him also. If you watched his tape, you’d know he fits the part on the 49ers’ offense. Or maybe this is another A.J. Jenkins — the infamous 49ers 2012 first-round pick — in the making. We’ll have to see.
Overall, this draft class has a ton of potential, but there’s not much here for me to say I’m skeptical or optimistic about. This is a group that feels more lukewarm, and I need to see how it plays out. Remember, this is coming from a guy who thought Jake Moody would change the 49ers’ future at kicker, and that didn’t exactly go the way I expected. Furthermore, it’s been documented that next year’s draft is going to be rather deep; this year’s draft had a thin talent pool—the 49ers weren’t the only team trying to find diamonds.
But what do you think? Fill out our survey below, and we’ll take a look at the results on Monday.
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About the Author: Insidethe49
