When it comes to the San Francisco 49ers’ needs heading into the NFL Draft, wide receiver and another pass rusher are at the top of the list. After you’re done deciding which of those positions are more pressing to address, you’ll probably land on one of the spots in the secondary if you haven’t penciled in left guard or tackle yet on your list.
Instead of arguing about the same talking points, let’s shift gears today and think about some of the positions the Niners might value more than those of us
outside of the building. Think of it like a positional group that may not seem like it’s an issue in April, but could easily run out of depth by the time November rolls around.
What’s an underrated 49ers need?
There are no wrong answers. Every team is an injury away. Even after signing two free agents, wide receiver could still be argued as an underrated need.
Osa Odighizuwa is the only interior pass rusher with consistent production as a pro. Keion White is better rushing from the inside, but he was traded for a late Day 3 pick. Mykel Williams is supposed to develop into a threat, but he’s headed into Year 2 off a serious knee injury.
My answer: While you could talk yourself into multiple positions, I’m going with running back. On the surface, the 49ers have one of the most valuable running backs in the sport. Kyle Shanahan spoke about Christian McCaffrey’s ability to dictate what defenses do in coverage and how that affects the passing game. He went as far as saying the Niners were a top-5 passing team because of McCaffrey.
Shanahan also said, “In order to have Christian be as good as he can be throughout the whole year, we got to get some help” and “I don’t want Christian to have to take all that” at the NFL meetings last week.
Rookie Jordan James was banged up and missed his window to pass up Brian Robinson Jr. as RB2 last year. Isaac Guerendo “wasn’t our second best runner,” according to Shanahan, who said Guerendo was set to take over for McCaffrey if he ever went down, but he did not. The fact that Guerendo didn’t carry the ball is a sign of how the team feels about him.
With one of the fourth round picks, the 49ers need to find a player who can complement McCaffrey. That doesn’t mean he has to be a 225-pound brusing back. He needs to be effective. That includes not leaving meat on the bone as a runner—something Robinson Jr. did all too much in 2025. It also means making a defense pay for leaving a linebacker on a runner, something teams regret with McCaffrey on the field.
What do you think? Scroll down below and let us know in the comments.
