If one was to take a look around at all the projections for the San Francisco 49ers' biggest offseason needs, it'd be hard to find lists that left out wide receivers.
It's sensible.
Brandon Aiyuk is as good as gone after his AWOL fiasco, and fan-favorite Jauan Jennings is ticketed for free agency, effectively leaving the oft-injured Ricky Pearsall and journeyman Demarcus Robinson as the lone two established wideouts on the roster entering 2026.
Plus, with tight end George Kittle poised to miss a significant chunk of the upcoming season because of an Achilles tear suffered in the playoffs, the arsenal of weapons for quarterback Brock Purdy is poised to be awfully thin.
Good thing this year's draft is chocked full of receiving talent.
49ers will have no shortage of WRs to target in 2026 NFL Draft
ESPN's Matt Miller provided some relief to Niners fans who are wondering how the franchise will address their wide receiver shortages:
There's been a lot of talk about this draft class being down...but the WR talent is really, really deep. We're gonna see a ton of wide outs in the top 75 picks
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 10, 2026
Indeed, there are plenty of mocks out there suggesting general manager John Lynch would go with a wideout at No. 27 overall, and it wouldn't be shocking to see San Francisco double-dip at the position within their first four or five picks, not unlike what it did for the defensive line by selecting Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins and even C.J. West a year ago.
Indeed, according to CBS Sports, the top-10 wide receivers are certainly enticing:
Overall Rank | Name | School | Height/Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
3 | Jordyn Tyson | Arizona State | 6-foot-2/200 pounds |
4 | Carnell Tate | Ohio State | 6-foot-3/195 pounds |
18 | Makai Lemon | USC | 5-foot-11/195 pounds |
21 | KC Concepcion | Texas A&M | 5-foot-11/190 pounds |
30 | Omar Cooper Jr. | Indiana | 6-foot-0/204 pounds |
37 | Denzel Boston | Washington | 6-foot-4/210 pounds |
38 | Chris Brazzell II | Tennessee | 6-foot-5/200 pounds |
60 | Ja'Kobi Lane | USC | 6-foot-4/200 pounds |
61 | Brenen Thompson | Mississippi State | 5-foot-9/170 pounds |
67 | Eric Rivers | Georgia Tech | 5-foot-11/180 pounds |
The 49ers should have no shortage of options in Round 1, and if they opt to address another need, it wouldn't be shocking to see a wideout picked in Round 2.
And then again in subsequent rounds, too.
Big picture, and thankfully in light of the Niners' shortages at the position, it's good to know this year's draft doesn't hurt for quality pass catchers who can immediately make an impact.
Because San Francisco will need at least one, preferably two.