While there has been a lot of scrutiny around some of the decisions the 49ers made in the 2026 NFL Draft, the reality is that few of their crop of rookies are going to be under pressure to have a substantial impact off the bat.
San Francisco will hope that De’Zhaun Stribling and defensive linemen Romello Height and Gracen Halton can have an impact as part of a rotation, the 49ers won’t be putting much of a burden on their shoulders year one.
The test for this class will come a few years down the line
but, as the 49ers plot their path to Super Bowl contention in his forthcoming season, a previous draft class that once looked impressive is now under huge pressure to perform.
Even during a down year that saw the 49ers end the 2024 campaign 6-11, there was reason for significant optimism around the Niners’ rookie class from that year, with cornerback Renardo Green and guard Dominick Puni establishing themselves as starters and Malik Mustapha emerging as an exciting potential long-term starting option at safety.
In addition, first-round pick Ricky Pearsall enjoyed a strong end to a season essentially ruined by the injuries he sustained in a shooting that August, and running back Isaac Guerendo showed flashes of why the 49ers traded up for him when playing in relief of Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason.
But as the 49ers approach the 2026 season after returning to the playoffs in 2025, there is reason for concern about the progress of the 2024 class.
For as much as Pearsall showed further prowess as a separator who can come up with huge plays in big moments, a second season in which he was limited to nine games due to injury will raise question-marks about his durability going forward. With the 49ers spending their top pick in this year’s draft on another wideout — albeit one with a very different profile — in De’Zhaun Stribling, there is significant pressure on Pearsall to stay healthy and perform.
After a couple of instances in which head coach Kyle Shanahan publicly displayed his irritation with some of Green’s play at corner in Year 2, the 49ers head coach spoke at the league meetings of the high expectations he has for the third-year corner.
Living up to them while playing such a difficult position will not be easy and, with the 49ers investing in corner depth via free agency and the draft, Green may have reason to look over his shoulder if he struggles to perform early in 2026.
Similarly, right guard Puni’s grip on his starting role is a little looser after a much less consistent season in terms of pass protection. The 49ers are well-stocked for interior options who could fight to unseat him after focusing resources, though not premium ones, one the inside of the trenches this offseason.
Mustapha’s sophomore season was hindered by his recovery from an ACL injury suffered in Week 18 of his rookie campaign. Still, he was part of an erratic safety group in 2025 and, after seeing his passer rating allowed ballon from 44.4 in 2024 to 116.9 last year, Mustapha needs a season of consistent play to prove he can be the answer that continues to cause issues for the 49er defense.
Things look much bleaker for Guerendo, who did not have a single carry last season and saw the 49ers spend a third-round pick on running back Kaelon Black this year. He is a player whose roster spot may soon be in jeopardy, and the same could be said for Jacob Cowing after two years in the league in which he has struggled to get on the field.
Linebacker Tatum Bethune’s odds of playing the SAM position increased with the trade of Dee Winters to the Dallas Cowboys, but the fact is that there are a lot more questions surrounding the 49ers’ 2024 class than it looked like their might be at the end of that campaign.
When 2024 came to a close, the silver lining to a season lost to injury was that it appeared as if the Niners had found several long-term contributors from that draft.
That may still be the case, and the likelihood is that their top four picks will all be in prominent roles in 2026, with Green and Puni the favorites to start at their respective positions.
But neither can afford to feel overly secure in those spots and, should Pearsall and Mustapha fall short of the expectations they face, then there is the potential that two players who once looked like cornerstones may find their spot on the team in question come 2027.
The flip side of that coin is that, if Pearsall and Mustapha rise to the challenge and Green and Puni reaffirm their status as starters, then the 2024 draft will be viewed as one that landed the 49ers four long-term assets. We’re approaching the point where definitive opinions on draft classes start to take shape and, with a huge amount of onus on their top picks to deliver come September, this season is make-or-break in determining whether a the Niners’ 2024 draft can be considered a success.
