A fresh crop of a NFL talent will soon grace the league as the 2026 NFL Draft is just days away. The San Francisco 49ers have to figure out which direction they plan to head going into the draft.
San Francisco has a total of six draft picks in the upcoming draft, including the No. 27 pick in the first round. The 2026 NFL Draft is April 23-25 at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Arguably, the top position they need to address is the offensive line, and particularly the tackle position. Pro Bowl offensive lineman Trent Williams turns 38 this summer, and at some point, San Francisco will have to begin to think of his replacement.
They will need more receiving options, whether at wideout or tight end. George Kittle suffered an Achilles injury that kept him out of postseason play, but the team expects him to be available at the start of the 2026 season.
However, it wouldn’t be crazy for them to lean towards finding two weapons for Brock Purdy, especially after the season-long fiasco with Brandon Aiyuk. They’ve added Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, but they could be out to get more.
Defensively, they need to improve their secondary at the safety positions. They have Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha but could look to bring in more talent at strong safety and free safety positions. Their front seven or eight could use some patching up, especially on the defensive line.
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They will need to beef up their D-line and find a backup answer for Nick Bosa. Bosa played three games before he missed the season with a torn ACL. It was a huge loss for the 49ers and finding an insurance plan would benefit them in case more unfortunate events persist.
Here’s what experts are saying about the 49ers and who they should target in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft:
When is the 2026 NFL Draft?
The 2026 NFL Draft is April 23-25 at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Thursday, April 23: Round 1, 8 p.m. ET
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Friday, April 24: Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m. ET
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Saturday, April 25: Rounds 4-7, noon ET
The 49ers have a total of six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to NFL.com. San Francisco earned the No. 27 pick after finishing the season with a 41-6 blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round.
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Additional picks include the No. 58, 127, 133, 138 and 139. They had the No. 92 overall pick in the third round, but traded it to the Dallas Cowboys for defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa.
Here’s a full breakdown of the 49ers draft positioning.
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Round 4 – No. 127 overall
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Round 4 – No. 133 overall (compensatory)
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Round 4 – No. 138 overall (compensatory)
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Round 4 – No. 139 overall (compensatory)
San Francisco 49ers mock draft selections
Here’s who experts believe the San Francisco 49ers will target and draft in a series of mock drafts. This mock draft includes potential trades.
USA TODAY Sports:
27. OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
Ayrton Ostly writes: “San Francisco hasn’t selected an offensive lineman in the first round since Mike McGlinchey in 2018. It may be time to do so. The 49ers have some questions at left tackle with Trent Williams’ future in doubt. Even if he’s back, the team could use more from its left guard after losing Spencer Burford in free agency. Lomu is a young prospect and could start at guard immediately before moving to left tackle – where he played for Utah – in time. His athleticism and anchor in pass protection give him a solid floor to work with in the NFL.”
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62. San Francisco 49ers (via Broncos): Edge Malachi Lawrence, UCF
“Nick Bosa should be back healthy in 2026, and the team got a pass-rush boost with Osa Odighizuwa arriving via trade. But the team could use more pass rushers to fill out the edge room, especially with 2025 first-rounder Mykel Williams having more of an impact as a run defender early on. Lawrence is full of tools with prototypical size and elite burst off the line. He’s more of a projection at this point but could develop well under Kris Kocurek.” — Ayrton Ostly
133. San Francisco 49ers: S VJ Payne, Kansas State
138. San Francisco 49ers: CB Hezekiah Masses, Cal
139. San Francisco 49ers: Edge George Gumbs Jr., Florida
170. San Francisco 49ers (via Broncos): LB Justin Jefferson, Alabama
Niners Wire via The Athletic:
Niners Wire got their mock draft from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who came up with the following 49ers mock draft selections. The explainers are courtesy of Niners Wire.
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Round 1, Pick No. 27: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
“Reports indicate the 49ers won’t target an offensive lineman with this selection, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t take the best player available at the position. Lomu could start over Trent Williams if the team moved on from him, or he could be a developmental lineman for the future of the team.” — Oliver G.
Round 2, Pick No. 58: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
“Despite the additions of Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, the 49ers need to shore up their receiver room. Evans will be 33 when the season starts and Kirk will be 30 later this year. There isn’t much depth behind those two, either, besides Ricky Pearsall. Bernard is productive (2,203 yards and 13 touchdowns on 155 receptions in four years), fast and has good size (6-foot-1, 206 pounds) — he’d be a solid WR3/4 in 2026 who would develop into a WR2.” — Oliver G.
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Round 4, Pick No. 127: Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M
“Cornerback depth is never a bad thing, but the 49ers don’t really need another one this early in the draft. Lee III is a tall outside cornerback at 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds who had eight passes defensed in 2025 but no interceptions. He finished his college career with four picks and 24 passes defensed in 36 games over three seasons.” — Oliver G.
Round 4, Pick No. 133: Beau Stephens, G, Iowa
“The 49ers have an open starting spot at left guard, and Stephens played 820 snaps there during his time at Iowa. His 6-foot-5, 315-pound frame is solid, but he lacks the arm length that teams like to see in interior linemen. But in the fourth round, the 49ers could find themselves a player who could push for a starting role.” — Oliver G.
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Round 4, Pick No. 138: George Gumbs Jr., Edge, Florida
“Finally, the 49ers address edge rusher. Gumbs is a raw prospect, as evidenced by the fact that he transitioned from receiver to edge rusher in 2023 when he played at Northern Illinois. Gumbs had just 11 total sacks in the past three seasons but 21 tackles for a loss. He would need some time to develop.” — Oliver G.
Round 4, Pick No. 139: Jack Endries, TE, Texas
“Endries has good experience during his time at Cal and Texas, but he projects as a backup tight end in the NFL who could develop into a solid F tight end that lines up inline or out wide. He caught 124 receptions for 1,376 yards and seven touchdowns in his three seasons in college.” — Oliver G.
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ESPN NFL Mock Draft Round 1 and 2:
27. Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
“The 49ers are still working toward a resolution with Trent Williams on his contract situation, but this pick works regardless of the outcome. The legendary left tackle is turning 38 during training camp this summer, meaning San Francisco has to think about the future no matter what. Iheanachor started 31 games in college, has long 33⅞-inch arms and is quick out of his set. But he’s also relatively new to football, having never played before 2022. He could use a little time to develop before eventually becoming the guy.” — Mel Kiper
58. Gabe Jacas, DE, Illinois
“The 49ers were down Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams last season, and their respective returns will do wonders to the edge rush. But there’s no getting around the team’s 20 sacks last season, by far the lowest total in the league. Jacas had 11 sacks last season; he would at the very least provide depth in case starters go down again.” — Mel Kiper
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How to watch the 2026 NFL Draft
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Time: 8 p.m. ET (Round 1); 7 p.m. ET (Rounds 2-3); Noon ET (Rounds 4-7)
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Channels: NFL Network; ESPN; ESPN2; ESPN Deportes
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Streaming: NFL+; ESPN Unlimited & Select; Fubo
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: San Francisco 49ers mock draft picks: Expert predictions for NFL Draft
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