The San Francisco 49ers are just days away from the 2026 NFL Draft, where a key decision awaits with the No. 27 pick.
Over the past few weeks, the 49ers have been busy scouring potential draftees in the first round, with visits consisting primarily of wide receivers and offensive linemen, with some other players in the mix as well.
Now, with the draft coming up, the board of needs is shaping up, with offensive line and defensive line atop the mix. Ahead of the draft, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer compiled a list of every team’s needs and thoughts heading into the draft.
For the 49ers, Breer sees the top needs as defensive line, offensive guard, offensive tackle, wide receiver, and tight end in that order. That could be how the 49ers look to address the draft from top to bottom.
“Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are both coming back from torn ACLs, and the 49ers are relying on young guys around Osa Odighizuwa. And even with new coordinator Raheem Morris coming aboard, the Niners defense is the Niners defense, and it always has relied on a dominant defensive front,” Breer wrote.
“So, finding another piece with the limited draft capital the team has—the dearth of picks could lead to some movement—is in play. Also, at some point the Niners are going to have to find and groom Trent Williams’s successor. Someone like Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor would be appealing along those lines as an athletic freak who could begin as a right tackle (his college position) with the hope he could eventually move over to take Williams’ spot.”
Both defensive line and offensive line make sense. The 49ers could use more edge depth with Bosa and Williams coming back from torn ACLs. They don’t have as much depth there after the retirement of Bryce Huff, with a lot of their pieces being more versatile players who can be both inside and outside (Williams, Keion White, Sam Okuayinonu). So, adding another edge would make a ton of sense.
As for the other side of the ball, the 49ers have been looking for a long-term option at tackle to eventually replace Trent Williams. Williams did just sign a two-year, $50 million extension, but is heading towards 40, and there aren’t many opportunities to grab tackles in the draft. Moreover, the 49ers also have a hole at left guard, which could be the ideal spot for a rookie to start before moving over to left tackle when the time comes.
But, the other piece to the puzzle is San Francisco’s overall draft capital in this class. The 49ers only have six picks: their first-round pick, their second-round pick, and four fourth-round picks, with three of them being compensatory selections.
So, Breer suggested that they could look to move back in the first round to acquire additional capital.
“With fewer picks overall than normal, trading down is something that the Niners will certainly seriously consider,” Breer added.
That could make sense, potentially for a quarterback-needy team like the Arizona Cardinals to trade up. A move back could acquire more assets in the middle rounds, where the draft has some depth, and position themselves to make moves later in the draft.
If there is a first-round caliber tackle prospect, it feels like the right opportunity to take them here in this draft. But there are a few possibilities that San Francisco could entertain in the first round.
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