The San Francisco 49ers are just over two weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft, where they hold the No. 27 overall pick. Heading into the draft, analysts have mocked a number of positions for the 49ers to target, including wide receiver, offensive line, and defensive line, which were some of the team’s biggest needs heading into the offseason.
San Francisco has addressed receiver with the additions of Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, but they could use a younger piece that can be a starter long-term alongside
Ricky Pearsall.
At offensive line, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have said the team is still looking to add to the left guard competition. They are also still searching for a tackle of the future, with Trent Williams getting closer to 40 years old.
The 49ers did go after a defensive tackle, trading for Osa Odighizuwa to start alongside Alfred Collins, but they haven’t addressed the edge yet, where Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are coming off torn ACLs.
Overall, this draft class isn’t perceived as the strongest with blue-chip talent, with evaluators seeing the middle of the draft as more of a strong suit. With that said, could the 49ers trade out of the first round entirely?
Right now, the 49ers have six draft picks: No. 27, No. 58, No. 127, No. 133 (compensatory), No. 138 (compensatory), and No. 139 (compensatory). Notably, they do not have a third-round pick, having traded theirs to the Dallas Cowboys for Odighizuwa.
With the position they’re in, this could be a draft of manuevering for the 49ers. Trading out of the first round could give the team additional assets in the second and third rounds, while making them more balanced across the draft.
Trading out of the first round could also better align with the team’s needs. There aren’t many wide receivers with first-round grades in this draft. Our Kyle Posey revealed he’s got four first-round wideouts in this draft: Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, USC’s Makai Lemon, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, and Washington’s Denzel Boston. If wide receiver is a priority for the 49ers, trading into the early second-round, where a number of good fits should be there, could be a good use of assets.
There’s also the fact of just adding more draft picks. The 49ers don’t need to draft a league-high 11 players like they did last year, but acquiring another pick or two by moving down 5 to 10 spots in the first round could make more sense as well.
Trading down also gives you assets to move up with in the middle rounds, which might be the bread and butter of the class. The 49ers notably have four fourth-round picks, including three compensatory picks within six slots of each other. That seems like an ideal trade-out spot, be it up or down.
If San Francisco’s top targets are there on the board, then a trade down is moot. But I think there could be some consideration into moving down in this draft to acquire some more assets in the middle rounds.
