For as much as the 49ers’ 2025 season was a success as they reached the divisional round of the playoffs despite a plethora of injuries, it cannot be denied that they enter this offseason with a lot of needs to address.
San Francisco has suffered a talent drain at a position that was previously a strength, while the 2025 campaign revealed some areas of the team to be ill-equipped to deal with injuries.
The Niners, per Over The Cap, are projected to have $41.2 million in cap space. In the draft, their
seven selections fall within the first five rounds. In other words, they have the resources to put their roster in better shape to contend to win it all in 2026.
But how should they use those resources? I’ve attempted to answer that questions by looking at the positions I view as the 49ers’ six most pressing needs and examined whether they should use the draft or free agency to address them.
Wide Receiver
The 49ers are in a difficult position at wide receiver. With Brandon Aiyuk gone, Jauan Jennings potentially set to follow him and Ricky Pearsall coming off an injury-plagued season, the cupboard suddenly looks quite bare.
There are some attractive options available in free agency, with the likes of Alec Pierce and Romeo Doubs boasting skill sets that make them strong candidates to fill the void left by Aiyuk at the X receiver spot.
However, given the range of other needs the 49ers have this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers would probably be better served by focusing on the draft when it comes to receiver. While Kyle Shanahan is often reluctant to play inexperienced wideouts, adding to the position from a strong draft class and embracing a receiver youth movement is the smart move here.
Verdict: Draft
Tight End
George Kittle’s Achilles injury puts the 49ers in a very sticky spot at tight end. Luke Farrell was a disappointment in the first year of his two-year contract and was outshone by fellow backup Jake Tonges, who will likely be back as a restricted free agent. The depth chart without Kittle is an underwhelming one.
Kittle’s absence for the start of the 2026 campaign should increase the 49ers’ urgency to find his heir apparent as the starter. Bringing Kyle Pitts across from the Atlanta Falcons and potentially pairing him with Kittle is a tantalizing idea, but unlikely to be one based in reality given Pitts is the clear top UFA on the tight end market.
Chig Okonkwo from the Tennessee Titans should also have a robust market, but tight end is another position where the 49ers are better off going the more affordable route and focusing on the draft prospects.
Kenyon Sadiq was mocked to the Niners in the first round of Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft. Whether the 49ers see tight end as a position worthy of that kind of outlay remains to be seen, but having a dynamic and versatile successor to Kittle under five years of team control would be a smart move.
Verdict: Draft
Guard
Tackle can certainly be considered a need for the 49ers, and there is certanly a case for them drafting their next left tackle this year.
Yet with Trent Williams back for 2026 and Colton McKivitz coming off his best season as the starting right tackle, it is more likely the 49ers focus their attention elsewhere in the draft. In terms of the offensive line, the offseason priority should be the interior.
Left guards Ben Bartch and Spencer Burford are both free agents. One or both could be back, but the 49ers would be wise to consider an upgrade. At right guard, Dominick Puni was inconsistent, and he could benefit from having some increased competition.
The 49ers typically haven’t spent big on guards during the Shanahan and John Lynch era, but there are some intriguing veterans set to be available. Joel Bitonio and David Edwards could bring stability to the left guard spot, though the latter is likely to command a lucrative contract, while the versatile Alijah Vera-Tucker could be an interesting buy-low candidate after missing the entirety of 2025 through injury.
As far as the offense goes, the 49ers would be wise to spend on the line and invest their draft capital in the pass-catchers.
Verdict: Free agency
Interior Defensive Line
While the 49ers can be relatively happy with the rookie seasons of Alfred Collins and CJ West, the reality is they still need to improve their strength in depth, and their pass-rushing threat, on the interior defensive line. Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens are both set for unrestricted free agency, as is Yetur Gross-Matos, who rushed primarily from the inside in 2025.
The free agent class on the interior is not a brilliant one, but there are some interesting options in terms of players who operate inside and out, with John Franklin-Myers and Logan Hall among the most appealing in that regard. Both Franklin-Myers (12.6%, 16th) and Hall (11.1%, 30th) finished in the top 30 in pass rush win rate among interior defensive linemen (min. 200 pass rush snaps), per Pro Football Focus.
In the draft, the 49ers have recently been connected with massive defensive tackle Lee Hunter (Texas Tech) in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft. Whether the 49ers would be willing to eschew other needs to spend a first-round pick on defensive tackle is open for debate, but there is enough depth at the position in the draft to suggest they will address it at some stage.
Verdict: Both
Edge
The 49ers will continue to invest in outside pass rushers. They have committed to doing so throughout the Shanahan-Lynch era and it is a necessity that they add to the position further this offseason, given how the pass rush struggled after Nick Bosa went down with a torn ACL in 2025.
It is a good year for teams needing edge rush help. The free agent class, headlined by Trey Hendrickson, is a strong one, while the draft is stuffed full of intriguing talents. It would be no surprise to see the 49ers use another first-rounder on an edge, even after taking Mykel Williams last year, but they could wait until day two and still find an impact player. Senior Bowl standout T.J. Parker and Missouri’s Zion Young stand out as possible first-round options.
With everyone healthy, Bosa and Williams will almost certainly be the starters on base downs, but the 49ers have traditionally won up front through having the depth to throw waves of different pass rushers at opponents. The 49ers already have Bryce Huff as a rotational option, but it is difficult to envision an offseason in which the 49ers do not use both free agency and the draft to ease the burden on Bosa and allow Williams to operate on the inside more regularly.
Verdict: Both
Safety
The 49ers have invested a lot of draft capital in the safety position in recent years, albeit they have not used a pick in the top two rounds on that spot. Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha have all displayed positive flashes in their still young careers, but their inconsistency suggests its time for an infusion of experience at safety.
And the good news there are several compelling options on the market this offseason.
Coby Bryant, fresh from a stellar performance in the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl triumph at Levi’s Stadium, and Kam Curl represent intriguing potential signings from division rivals who offer impressive positional versatility. Bryan Cook is coming off an excellent season with the Kansas City Chiefs, while Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears would likely fit seamlessly into a defense that has its foundations in Cover 3 but also plays a lot of two-high looks.
In short, if the 49ers are to make a splash move in free agency this offseason, it would be best to do so to solidify the safety position. The safety market has in previous years been slow to get moving. It is a position that is undervalued relative to its importance to the performance of a defense. As such, the cost of landing one of the top free agent safeties may not be overly onerous for the Niners, and the potential return on investment should make the opportunity to drastically improve their situation at the position too enticing to pass up.
Verdict: Free agency
