The 2026 NFL Draft is inching closer and closer, with the San Francisco 49ers holding the No. 27 overall pick.
As expected, mock drafts have been flowing, with several positions being projected to the 49ers as they look to shore up the remaining few holes on their roster. A majority of those mocks have included an offensive lineman, defensive lineman, or wide receiver heading to the 49ers, which makes sense given the state of those positions.
The 49ers still have yet to find a future replacement for
Trent Williams, who is in the midst of a contract renegotiation with the 49ers and is 38 years old. They are also looking to add to the competition at left guard, so it seems plausible that they draft a potential future left tackle that could slot in at guard in Year 1.
San Francisco could also use another edge rusher. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are both coming back from torn ACLs, and the latter could be used as more of an interior pass rusher on passing downs. The team hasn’t replaced Bryce Huff, who retired this offseason, and could use another force that improves a pass rush that ranked No. 32 in the nation last year.
As for wide receiver, the Niners did make a couple of moves there, signing Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. But both are older players and probably aren’t the future of the position for San Francisco. The Niners do have Ricky Pearsall, whom they spent a first-round pick on in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he’s struggled to stay healthy through two years in the NFL.
The Niners could have a similar approach to that 2024 NFL Draft, where they drafted Pearsall, despite having Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings, with a focus towards the future at wide receiver.
But what about an outside-the-box selection? At No. 27, it’d be smart to go with the best player available, and that very well might not be a lineman or a receiver. With only six selections in a class with less depth, the 49ers need to hit on their picks to compete for a championship in 2026.
Who could be one of those selections for the 49ers?
S Dillon Thieneman
The 49ers have generally not prioritized the safety position under the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch regime. They haven’t overspent at the position in free agency. They haven’t used a high draft pick there. And it’s not a position where teams generally spend a lot of capital.
But we’re seeing the value of those uber-talented safeties in the NFL, be it Kyle Hamilton, Kerby Joseph, Derwin James, Jessie Bates, or others. An elite safety allows a smart defensive coordinator to change up the defense in a variety of ways. Thieneman could be that for the 49ers, and he’d fill a need.
San Francisco’s safety room disappointed last year. There really hasn’t been a balance in that room for a while, and the 49ers didn’t make any major moves there at the position this offseason. Yes, they have depth, but there isn’t really a game-changer in the room.
Thieneman dazzled at the combine, running a 4.35 40-yard dash and jumping a 41-inch vertical. Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about the Oregon safety:
“Savvy three-year starter with NFL size, speed, and alignment versatility. Thieneman is an extension of his defensive coordinator, aligning and adjusting the secondary to motion and pre-snap shifts. He’s an instinctive, rangy safety who can roll down into big nickel or robber positioning. He has a good feel for play design and zone route concepts, but his change of direction is average to match breaks in man coverage. He’s not a big thumper near the line, but he rushes into the action with a relentless pursuit that should allow him to keep stacking high scores in the tackle columns. Thieneman checks important boxes for teams looking to add versatile playmakers in the secondary.”
He would certainly be an outside-the-box pick, but Thieneman is trending towards being taken in the first round, and he’d fill a need for the 49ers in 2026.
CB Colton Hood
Cornerback also isn’t a position that has been talked about much for the 49ers in the 2026 NFL Draft. And I understand why.
The Niners have invested quite a bit at the position over the past few years. They signed Deommodore Lenoir to a five-year, $92 million deal. They spent a second-round pick on Renardo Green. And they drafted Upton Stout in the third round last year. Not to mention, they also signed Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones this offseason.
But Green had an up-and-down year last year, and the 49ers could use an upgrade somewhere in the secondary. Insert Hood, who at 6’0, 193 pounds is a very solid athlete, running a 4.44 40-yard dash and jumping a 40.5-inch vertical.
Hood is a physical corner who plays well in man coverage and feels like a good fit for the 49ers’ strengths. He’d certainly add good competition to the room and could be a future starter on the outside at a premium position.
Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about the Tennessee corner:
“Press-man bully with an ability to put his stamp on the first and last phases of the snap. Hood plays with a disruptive punch and gets his hands on most releases, but shifty NFL wideouts could create issues for him. He has enough speed to stay phased on verticals and does a nice job erasing space on in-breakers from tight press or off-man looks. He’s disciplined in zone, but route switches still cause occasional missteps. Hood plays with aggression in the catch space, taking top positioning by force. Physicality also shows up in run support, where he triggers downhill with stopping power and finishes like an extra safety. Hood needs to sharpen his instincts/technique, but he has the mentality and upside to become a CB2 in a press-heavy scheme.”
Again, it’s an outside-the-box pick, but Hood is another player who should be selected in the first round of the draft. If he’s the best player available on the 49ers board, he’d also be worth a good look.
