Perhaps the San Francisco 49ers wanted everyone to believe they were taking an offensive lineman early in the 2026 NFL Draft.
If it was a smokescreen, it certainly worked. Several promising linemen went early in the draft, particularly late in Round 1 and then again in Round 2. Meanwhile, the Niners weren't strangers to trading down, doing so twice in the first round and then again on day two of the draft, stockpiling additional capital for the third and final day.
And that's when San Francisco finally addressed its O-line question marks.
With the No. 127 overall picking, taking place in Round 4, the 49ers opted to select offensive lineman Carver Willis out of Washington, hoping the prospect can turn into a quality starter, at best, and immediately serve as a reliable backup in the interim.
Willis, 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds, might be best suited for interior play and is best in a zone-style offense, so it's not hard to see why the Niners were intrigued by him. While the lineman lacks strength, he makes up for it with technique and athleticism.
Entering the draft, the clearest hole the Niners had was at left guard after Spencer Burford departed via free agency. While veterans like Brett Toth and Robert Jones are poised to compete with second-year pro Connor Colby, finding a long-term solution there had to be a priority, right?
Likewise, landing a successor to the aging Trent Williams needed to be on the docket, too.
Now, the Willis selection isn't exactly a flawless plan to accomplish either of those two objectives. It does, however, jive with San Francisco's recent history of not putting a major priority on grabbing linemen early in the draft. In fact, the last time the 49ers spent a first-round pick on one was back in 2018 when they selected Mike McGlinchey, and one would have to go back to the 2021 selection of Aaron Banks to find a Round 2 pickup.
Perhaps the delay works, and Willis winds up being yet another late-round find by general manager John Lynch and his staff.
But there's just as big a possibility the latest O-lineman winds up becoming a forgotten commodity who never came closing to living up to already-average expectations, at least with regard to his draft positioning.
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