The San Francisco 49ers are still trying to change public opinion as it pertains to their 2026 NFL Draft, as they were viewed to have gone far against consensus when making some of their top picks. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch chose to defy conventional wisdom.
Justin Melo of Titan Sized and Sports Illustrated listed the Niners as one of five controversial NFL Draft classes that need to immediately hit the ground running in the 2026 season. The two picks that drew the most ire were wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling in the second round and running back Kaelon Black in the third.
For a team that needs to stay among the elite across the NFL and a front office that is under fire for how it has gone about trying to restock the cupboards, any sluggish start out of the gate for these rookies will be judged very harshly. It's not ideal, but that's the situation they have created.
49ers' 2026 NFL Draft class must start producing immediately
Even though Stribling has made some solid first impressions in camp, and going to an offense like what San Francisco can provide at its apex could be a massive jetpack strapped to his back, he is fighting an uphill battle with his public perception. Until he proves otherwise, this selection will largely be viewed as Shanahan and Lynch going against the grain.
Black is the most egregious pick here, even if one excludes the fact he was not invited to the NFL Combine and undrafted free agent Roman Hemby often looked like the better back from that Indiana team.
49ers fans have seen this movie before. The graveyard of failed mid-round Shanahan running backs, populated by Tyrion Davis-Price, Trey Sermon, Isaac Guerendo, and Joe Williams may grow larger still.
Those two picks are largely responsible for most of the bad vibes around this class, which is obscuring a few players who were regarded as fairly solid value. Third-round pass-rusher Romello Height was getting top-50 hype once upon a time, and landing Senior Bowl star defensive tackle Gracen Halton in the fourth round was their best pick by a mile.
San Francisco chose to add to a turbulent offseason by adding players that seemingly only it believed would hit the ground running. Shanahan and Lynch have fairly solid job security, but these players missing could at least start to turn the heat up for one or both of them.
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