It wasn't too big of a shock to see the San Francisco 49ers trade down in (and eventually fully out of) the 2026 NFL Draft's first round.
The Niners picked up a third-rounder while adding and losing a late-round pick in the two trades, but general manager John Lynch has to be feeling pretty happy about getting better value with his team's first choice of the draft, and it won't hurt to tack on some better draft capital in the process.
Fortunately for San Francisco, there's still plenty of Round 1-caliber talent available to kick off day two of the draft.
And the 49ers will have the first say of which best-remaining player they want to land, likely one of these five who didn't hear their names called in the first round.
5 best-available players 49ers can target on Day 2 of NFL Draft
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
A January ACL tear likely scared teams away from grabbing Jermod McCoy, but if he had avoided that injury, he easily could've been a top-10 selection in this year's class.
Adept in both man and zone coverages, the 6-foot-1 McCoy would almost automatically be an upgrade over the Niners' No. 2 cornerback, Renardo Green, and might project as a true CB1 within a year or two's time.
While the secondary isn't San Francisco's most pressing need, simply grabbing a cornerstone playmaker at this point would be wise, and McCoy falls into that category.
WR Denzel Boston, Washington
The 49ers still have a need for a wide receiver despite adding Mike Evans and Christian Kirk during the offseason, as neither is viewed as a long-term fixture.
Denzel Boston found his way to the Niners in many a spring mock ahead of the draft, and the fact he fell into Round 2 means head coach Kyle Shanahan could get a promising wideout he can develop along slowly while Evans and Kirk are handling primary duties now.
Read more: 2026 NFL Draft tracker: Full list of picks, trades and analysis
That might be a luxury scenario for a position Shanahan has historically shown a lot of impatience.
DE Zion Young, Missouri
San Francisco sorely needs to add pass-rushers after recording a league-low 20 sacks last season, and despite an anticipated return of both Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams from ACL tears suffered in 2025, getting another productive player off the edge is key.
Thankfully, new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris might have his target in Zion Young.
Young wouldn't have to come in right away and be the guy on the defensive line, rather he can take advantage of follow-up opportunities with Bosa still commanding the bulk of blockers' attention.
DE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Notably smaller than Young, Cashius Howell is certainly fun to watch, and the idea of Morris putting in the Texas A&M pass-rusher into unique situations would add a new wrinkle to his defense.
In short, the 49ers now have the ability to pick between two first-round talents on the edge, and it might simply come down to which prospect they like most.
OL Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
The Niners grabbing an offensive lineman in Round 1 seemed to be a strong possibility, but several of the mocked targets (such as Utah's Caleb Lomu) were off the board when San Francisco's original pick hit the clock.
Netting a guard in Round 1 isn't always popular, but the idea of trading down from Round 1 and subsequently grabbing someone like Chase Bisontis makes a lot more sense.
The 49ers have a glaring hole at left guard next to future Hall of Famer Trent Williams, but Bisontis would be a plug-and-play starter there right out of the gate.
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