The San Francisco 49ers are in an interesting position in the 2026 NFL Draft, as they can go a plethora of different directions in the first round. They could address either side of the trenches, safety, or they could provide Kyle Shanahan's offense with an explosive new weapon at wide receiver.
Niners fans have been looking more at KC Concepcion and Omar Cooper Jr. to fill San Francisco's pressing need at receiver, but another name could make sense: Jordyn Tyson. Tyson is one of the most polarizing prospects in this draft class due to his medicals, but also one of the most talented.
We know how things worked out the last time the 49ers drafted an Arizona State wideout, but drafting Tyson would be a major course correct for Shanahan and John Lynch. The 49ers have played it safe in Round 1 since the Trey Lance fiasco, but it's time for the front office to make a big swing.
Jordyn Tyson can become the 49ers' long-term Mike Evans replacement
The 49ers' receiver room is being held together by scraps right now, so if Tyson could stay healthy he would provide stability in both the short and long-term. He is one of the best big-play threats in this receiver class, so for a Niners team who needs a long-term "X" receiver, drafting him makes sense.
Mike Evans is the current WR1, but is 32 and coming off of an injury-riddled 2025 in which his 1,000-yard streak finally came to an end, Ricky Pearsall is never healthy, and Christian Kirk isn't much more than a depth wideout, so the 21-year-old could be Evans' sidekick until he gets to take over at WR1.
If it weren't for both his injury history and genuinely alarming medicals, Tyson would have a chance to be a top-10 pick, as that's where he was being mocked before (and during) the season. A lingering hamstring issue is reportedly scaring teams off, but he also suffered a collarbone injury in 2024 while a multi-ligament knee injury in 2023 caused him to miss most of his first season with the Sun Devils.
Concepcion and Cooper are better after the catch and could fill the Deebo Samuel role Shanahan wants, but, Tyson is clearly a better prospect than both of them. There's a reason he was pushing Carnell Tate to be the WR1 in this class before his medical issues kickstarted some prospect fatigue.
If Tyson is available at 27, not only would he likely be the best player available, he would probably be the highest-rated player on most teams' draft boards at that point. At some point on Night 1, a team has to look past the issues and gamble on his upside--which at this stage of the draft, is immense.
For a 49ers team that has dealt with such injury turmoil over the years, drafting Tyson would be a high-risk, high-reward play--but also a chance for Shanahan and Lynch to finally get things right at receiver after the Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk fiascos.
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