With only a few weeks remaining until the start of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, the smoke surrounding every team's true intentions is getting a lot thicker.
Unless that team is the Las Vegas Raiders, who are all but guaranteed to pick Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, it's pretty much up in the air, and that's the sentiment ESPN's Peter Schrager had when he dished out his latest mock.
Of note, he implied the selections he made for Round 1 were "based on what I'm hearing, rather than what I would personally do," using his attendance at the NFL annual meeting as a baseline.
It's a tough pick for the San Francisco 49ers, who won't be on the clock until No. 27 overall, meaning there'll be a lot of fluidity when general manager John Lynch's number is called. By some accounts, grabbing a wide receiver should no longer be a priority after adding Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency. But those sentiments haven't gone away entirely.
However, Schrager fell in line with many an other mock draft, suggesting the Niners beef up their offensive line, particularly looking for a succession plan at left tackle for Trent Williams.
And the target isn't unfamiliar to San Francisco fans either.
Peter Schrager is the latest to mock Caleb Lomu to 49ers
Utah tackle Caleb Lomu has turned into a popular choice among draft pundits who feel as if the 49ers are looking for life after Williams, which may potentially be 2026 if the two parties can't work out a contractual settlement.
While talks on that front have seemingly improved, at least according to Lynch, the Niners' relative inaction to find a successor does make this a priority, and that's the direction in which Schrager went:
San Francisco's offensive line could be in flux if things don't get cleared up with Trent Williams' contract. And to be honest, even if the Niners and Williams work out his deal, the team still has to be thinking about the future; Williams will be 38 years old next season. Lomu played left tackle for the Utes last season, and although his game is still a work in progress, he's worthy of a first-round grade. He didn't allow any sacks in 2025.
One of the things to consider is San Francisco's apparent void at left guard after Spencer Burford departed for Vegas via free agency. True, the 49ers made some depth moves to potentially help fill the position, but grabbing Lomu at the tail end of Round 1 gives them the option to start the rookie at guard for a year before eventually taking over for Williams in 2027.
In fact, that might be the reason why no deal has been reached with Williams' camp. The Niners are waiting to see what happens in the draft first before they commit additional money.
A Lomu selection should impact that quite a bit.