Thankfully, the San Francisco 49ers solved many of their offseason roster needs via free agency and trades, highlighted by the blockbuster deals that brought aboard wide receiver Mike Evans and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa.
But there's still plenty of room and need for adding talent, especially of the cost-controlled variety.
Armed with the 27th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, what was the first of six scheduled selections before trading down with the Miami Dolphins to No. 30 overall, general manager John Lynch didn't have a swarm of assets at his disposal to land prospects. And the draft board could've gone one of several different ways long before the Niners' number was called for the first time.
Including yet another first-round trade down that put Lynch and Co. in the No. 33 overall spot, kicking off Round 2 while adding a late-round pick in addition.
Nevertheless, it's a critical draft for San Francisco, especially with an aging roster core and several remaining needs.
For fans itching to see what the 49ers do, Niner Noise has you covered right here.
49ers NFL Draft tracker: Table of contents
Draft pick tracker
Pick | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
No. 33 | WR De'Zhaun Stribling | Ole Miss |
No. 70 | DE Romello Height | Texas Tech |
No. 90 | RB Kaelon Black | Indiana |
No. 107 | DT Gracen Halton | Oklahoma |
No. 127 | OT Carver Willis | Washington |
No. 139 | CB Ephesians Prysock | Washington |
No. 154 | DE Jaden Duggar | Louisiana |
No. 179 | OT Enrique Cruz Jr. | Kansas |
49ers draft snapshot
- Current draft picks: Nos. 33, 70, 90, 107,127, 139 (comp), 154, 179
- Primary needs: Defensive end, offensive guard, safety, offensive tackle
- Last updated: Saturday, April 25 at 6:47 p.m. ET
Finally extending Trent Williams resolved any immediate needs at left tackle, but a long-term heir still has to be a priority. Potentially, an option would be to grab Williams' successor and bump him inside to left guard where no clear-cut starter has been established.
But that doesn't overtake the need for an outside pass-rusher, especially after the Niners logged a league-low 20 sacks in 2025 before losing Bryce Huff to retirement.
Yet the first pick, taking place after Round 1 concluded, was a wide receiver: De'Zhaun Stribling, who might not have been a first-round talent, and some may even question whether he was worth a day-two pick, too. However, given the need for long-term talent at the position, it makes some sense.
Getting a speed rusher in Romello Height helps with the pass rush, although he'll need to beef up to be a more prominent contributor, while Kaelon Black should immediately boost the depth chart at running back behind Christian McCaffrey.
Gracen Halton should help shore up what was a shoddy run defense a year ago, while Ephesians Prysock shouldn't have any trouble making the 53-man roster as a key backup right away. And Enrique Cruz Jr. is the likely swing tackle right out of the gate, potentially emerging as a long-term upgrade over right tackle Colton McKivitz.
Updated 49ers depth chart
Offense
- QB: Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke, Adrian Martinez
- FB: Kyle Juszczyk
- RB: Christian McCaffrey, Jordan James, Patrick Taylor Jr., Kaelon Black, Isaac Guerendo
- WR: Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk, De'Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, Malik Turner, Junior Bergen
- TE: George Kittle, Jake Tonges, Luke Farrell, Brayden Willis
- OL: Trent Williams, Robert Jones, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz, Vederian Lowe, Brett Toth, Drake Nugent, Carver Willis, Brandon Parker, Austen Pleasants, Enrique Cruz Jr., Connor Colby, Nick Zakelj
Defense
- DE: Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Keion White, Sam Okuayinonu, Romello Height, Jayden Duggar, Cameron Sample
- DT: Osa Odighizuwa, Alfred Collins, C.J. West, Gracen Halton, Sebastian Valdez, Evan Anderson
- LB: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Dee Winters, Tatum Bethune, Luke Gifford, Jalen Graham, Nick Martin
- CB: Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Nate Hobbs, Ephesians Prysock, Siran Neal, Darrell Luter Jr.
- S: Ji'Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha, Marques Sigle, Darrick Forrest
Read more: Full 2026 NFL Draft tracker: Picks, analysis and more
Tracking the NFC West rivals
Seattle Seahawks
- Round 1, No. 32 overall: RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
- Round 2, No. 64 overall: DB Bud Clark, TCU
- Round 3, No. 99 overall: CB Julian Neal, Arkansas
- Round 5, No. 148 overall: OG Beau Stephens, Iowa
- Round 6, No. 199 overall: WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas
- Round 6, No. 236 overall: CB Andre Fuller, Toledo
- Round 7, No. 255 overall: CB Michael Dansby, Arizona
Armed with only four picks, the Super Bowl-champion Seahawks don't have any glaring needs that need to be resolved immediately. Perhaps the offensive line could stand for some upgrades, and losing Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III in free agency stings a bit. The hope is Price alleviates that.
Yet the Hawks remain loaded on both sides of the ball, meaning they can reach on luxury selections at will.
Los Angeles Rams
- Round 1, No. 13 overall: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
- Round 2, No. 61 overall: TE Max Klare, Ohio State
- Round 3, No. 93 overall: OL Keagen Trost, Missouri
- Round 6, No. 197 overall: WR CJ Daniels, Miami
- Round 7, No. 232 overall: DL Tim Keenan III, Alabama
Les Snead has little issue trading away top draft capital, and the Rams have to be stoked about landing cornerback Trent McDuffie at the cost of a late first-rounder, particularly after last year's blockbuster deal netted them the 13th overall pick from the Atlanta Falcons.
Similar to Seattle, L.A. doesn't have a ton of needs, boasts a young and elite defense and has one of the best offensive weapons in wide receiver Puka Nacua.
Now, it's only a matter of maximizing quarterback Matthew Stafford's window as best possible with Simpson as his protege.
Arizona Cardinals
- Round 1, No. 3 overall: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
- Round 2, No. 34 overall: OG Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
- Round 3, No. 65 overall: QB Carson Beck, Miami
- Round 4, No. 104 overall: DT Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana
- Round 5, No. 143 overall: WR Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech
- Round 6, No. 183 overall: LB Karson Sharar, Iowa
- Round 7, No. 217 overall: OT Jayden Williams, Ole Miss
The Cardinals are (again) in rebuild mode, this time under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, who'll unquestionably bring over some Niners trends from his days working on Shanahan's offense. Heck, Arizona already inked one of San Francisco's former receiving stars, Kendrick Bourne, in free agency.
The post-Kyler Murray era will be an interesting one to watch, though, particularly with Jeremiyah Love emerging as a franchise centerpiece, now running behind Chase Bisontis.
And if Carson Beck turns into anything...
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