The San Francisco 49ers ran into a buzzsaw when they lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, and the New England Patriots just found out the hard way, too, being dominated by the Hawks in Super Bowl 60 on the Niners' home turf at Levi's Stadium.
Seattle's top-ranked defense shouldered the load, and the Niners have to recognize not only the need to implement an elite defense of their own but to also deploy an offense that can outmuscle the Hawks, both during the regular season and in the playoffs.
Complicating matters is the fact San Francisco's current nucleus of star talent is on the older side, and even head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted his roster needs to get faster and more dynamic entering 2026.
Good thing there are mock drafts to help Shanahan and Co. retool the roster.
With the help of Pro Football Focus' mock draft tool, let's engineer seven rounds for the 49ers that'll ultimately gain ground in the NFC West arms race that shows no sign of cooling down anytime soon, especially with Seattle getting a last massive laugh.
49ers 7-round mock NFL Draft, post-Super Bowl edition
The Niners' two most pressing needs are wide receiver and the pass rush, but there are secretly plenty of other shortages that require attention, too. Picking at No. 27 overall, San Francisco might not have the luxury of targeting a biggest need right out of the gate either.
With Brandon Aiyuk as good as gone, and Jauan Jennings ticketed for free agency, the oft-injured Ricky Pearsall remains the lone established wide receiver signed through 2026.
Getting a receiver who can command defense's respect is vital, so why not land a Seattle-area native in Washington's Denzel Boston, a 6-foot-4 pass-catching target with great hands and a knack for producing in the red zone?
Boston's route-running capabilities are vital to defeating a defense like that of the Seahawks, and he'll already earn Shanahan's respect by being a willing blocker.
It's time for the Niners to identify a true receiving threat who can consistently be on the field, and Boston fits the profile in every way.
If wide receiver is San Francisco's top need, getting another pass-rusher to pair with Nick Bosa is another, especially if the 49ers opt to show Bryce Huff the door with coordinator Robert Saleh gone.
Missouri's Zion Young needs to add some functional mass to his frame, and his get-off isn't quite on par with Round 1-caliber edge rushers. But his 6-foot-5 build, relentless motor and positional flexibility should mesh well with what new coordinator Raheem Morris would want to do with his five-man fronts.
A defensive line comprised of Bosa, Young, Alfred Collins and Mykel Williams should, hopefully, be close enough to emulate what Seattle's top-end D-line showcased last season.
As cool as it was watching running back Christian McCaffrey nearly crest 1,000 rush yards and 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in his storied career, it doesn't cover up the fact the Niners struggled to run the ball effectively for much of 2025. McCaffrey's rushing totals were more volume carries than anything else, as he averaged just 3.9 yards per attempt.
While some of that might be due to CMC being 29 years old, it also lends to the notion San Francisco needs additional thump up front.
Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis helps with that.
An elite run blocker, Bisontis could be immediately slated in at left guard to address the likely free-agent departure of Spencer Burford.
Another hard reality the 49ers have to face is the fact they'll be without All-Pro tight end George Kittle for a significant chunk of 2026 as he recovers from a late Achilles tear suffered in the playoffs.
Plus, with Kittle on the wrong side of 30 years old, it might be time to at least start thinking about long-term replacements.
Michigan's Marlin Klein's numbers won't jump off the screen (neither did Kittle's), but he's a well-rounded tight end who performs well in both blocking and receiving. At worst, and over the long haul, he could serve as a true No. 2 to Kittle to give Shanahan's offense more versatility and depth.
Remember the age concern with McCaffrey? It's not going away, and injury concerns are going to loom after his heavy workload in 2025.
With Brian Robinson Jr. a pending free agent, and second-year pro Jordan James relatively unproven, the Niners need to infuse some talent in the backfield. Penn State's Kaytron Allen fits the mold of a Shanahan-like tailback whose vision and physicality could eventually turn into a multifaceted heavy-use rusher in a couple of years.
While it might not jump off the page as much as wide receiver, edge rusher or even running back, grabbing a safety is a secretly big need for San Francisco, particularly in light of both Ji'Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha not doing much to impress over the course of last season.
Notre Dame's Jalen Stroman has the flexibility to play both box and free roles, and his zone-coverage instincts mesh well with what the 49ers have historically done within their secondary.
Stroman will likely need to contribute early on special teams before upending either Brown or Mustapha on the depth chart, but either task shouldn't be too difficult.
It might be premature for the Niners to fully give up on fringe wideouts like Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins, but considering neither has done much to solidify their respective roles going forward, it wouldn't hurt for San Francisco to double-dip at the position during the draft.
Especially if it lands a top-end speedster who can stretch the field, someone like Cincinnati's Cyrus Allen.
At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Allen's size is going to knock him down plenty of draft boards, but his shiftiness and footwork make for a unique package to spread out upper-end coverages like the one the Seahawks operate. And getting some production out of the slot would bode well for Shanahan's offense to hit a stride.