One of the most notable issues the San Francisco 49ers face this offseason is the hard reality the bulk of their stars on both sides of the ball are getting older and slower. Head coach Kyle Shanahan pretty much revealed such during his end-of-season press conference.
And while the Niners began a tough process of infusing youthful talent a year ago via the NFL Draft, primarily on the defensive side of the ball, there remains a lot of work to be done.
That's where NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah picks up with a recent mock draft of his.
When he makes his pick for the Niners, it's not hard to see where he's going.
And it might be a painful reality many a San Francisco fan ultimately has to realize.
NFL.com mock draft has 49ers selecting George Kittle's replacement
With the 27th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Jeremiah tabs Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq.
Yes, you read that correctly: a tight end with the 49ers' top pick. The use of such a pick wouldn't be intended for a temporary fill-in for an injured fan-favorite.
Of the selection, Jeremiah wrote:
"Sadiq could go much higher than 27th overall. He’s undersized, but he has outstanding speed and is a competitive blocker. He would be ultimate chess piece for Kyle Shanahan, giving the coach a hybrid of George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk."
On one hand, the Niners do have to figure out how to manage without Kittle for at least the first half of the 2026 season, thanks to the All-Pro's torn Achilles during the Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles. While his surgery went well, and there are hopes he can return earlier than the originally projected nine- to 12-month recovery timeline, there's no getting around the fact he won't be available by Week 1.
Plus, Kittle will be 33 years old early next season.
Kittle carries nearly $13 million guaranteed for 2026, so this isn't an immediate change. But the guarantees are just $2 million the following year, suggesting San Francisco might opt for a proverbial "changing of the guard" in 2027, ushering in Kittle's replacement with Sadiq.
Even if that doesn't happen, as Jeremiah also mentioned, the Oregon standout might be an immediate replacement for Juszczyk, who seems much closer to being on the fringes of the 49ers roster compared to Kittle.
Remember, the Niners released their fullback last offseason, only to re-sign him.
Either way (and for either player), a would-be Sadiq selection in Round 1 will be a painful reminder for fans that nothing last forever (including fan-favorites), and at some point, San Francisco will have to replace both Kittle and Juszczyk, both of whom have been with the franchise for nine years now.