The San Francisco 49ers have some key needs to address in the 2026 NFL Draft, but most mock drafts have the Niners selecting a wide receiver in the first round, which is not a huge shock given their need to improve at that position.
In recent mock drafts, 40 percent of them have San Francisco taking a receiver. The next closest probability is the 25 percent of mock drafts that have the 49ers selecting an offensive lineman, followed by 14 percent that have them getting an edge rusher with the No. 27 overall pick.
Those probabilities are not too surprising since the Niners need help in all three of those areas. It may come down to who is available when the pick comes around, but wide receiver would make a lot of sense.
San Francisco has a history of selecting a receiver when it picks late in the first round. In 2020, the 49ers went with Brandon Aiyuk, trading up to the No. 25 overall pick to get him. Now the Niners have to replace him this offseason as that tumultuous relationship has run its course after Aiyuk showed he can be elite in Kyle Shanahan's offense before heated contract talks and behind-the-scenes issues made the situation untenable.
In the 2024 draft, the 49ers selected Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick. He has dealt with a ton of injuries in his young career, but when he has been healthy, his potential has been on full display.
If the Niners do decide to go the receiver route again, they will have no shortage of options. This draft is supposed to be quite deep when it comes to wide receiver talent, so if a guy they like is still there late in the first round, it would surprise no one if San Francisco selected him.
There is a chance the 49ers could have a very young receiver room next season depending on how the offseason goes. If they lose veteran free agents like Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne, and then choose to replace them in the draft, that would mean the roster would have a lot of inexperience in its wide receiver room.
Shanahan demands a lot from young receivers, so it would probably be difficult for him to trust young players without a ton of playing time, but the Niners may not have a choice if general manager John Lynch opts for a repeat of last year's frugal offseason.
The draft is still two months away, but as of right now, many expect the 49ers to go with a wide receiver.
We will see if they are right in late April.