5 Best Fits at Linebacker for the 49ers in the 2026 NFL Draft

Linebacker is still a need.

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The San Francisco 49ers are unlikely to draft a linebacker in the 2026 NFL draft. However, if they did, these are the most likely options and best fits for them.

Which linebackers do the San Francisco 49ers need to target in the 2026 NFL draft?

Kyle Louis, Pitt

Louis is exactly what the 49ers would need if they went linebacker. That is because you could practically call him a safety. He hardly spent any snaps in the box and spent most of his snaps in coverage as an overhang slot player. He can tackle well in space and is great in coverage, so there is a role for him in the NFL. For the 49ers, he would be a hybrid between a WILL linebacker and a DIME linebacker, which would be great. 

Jimmy Rolder, Michigan

Rolder does not have much starting experience at Michigan, and there are some injury questions to sort out. On video, he is a much better prospect than Nick Martin, who the team drafted in the third round. They could take Rolder in the fourth round, and he would likely unseat Martin and be the backup behind Dre Greenlaw.

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Bryce Boettcher, Oregon

Boetecher is a smart player who is a bit smaller and can get swallowed by blocks at times. However, he is always in the right place and brings a high floor because he is going to be an asset on special teams. The 49ers could see Boettecher immediately beating out the likes of Garrett Wallow and Tatum Bethune. 

Kendal Daniels, Oklahoma

The 49ers met with Daniels, and he could end up being a great fit. He brings a lot of the same traits that Kyle Louis does; he is just going to get drafted much later. Daniels was also a hybrid between safety and linebacker, and his position depended more on what down it was than anything else. He makes sense for the 49ers because he could play early into the season in subpackage football in the dime role. While Louis may not fall to round 4, this is a great range to draft Daniels. 

Harold Perkins, LSU 

Perkins is one of the more interesting players in this draft. He was once an elite edge rusher for LSU, but is far too small for that role, and may even be too small to play linebacker. He is highly athletic; his issue is that he is best playing downhill and is not used to playing in space, and his size warrants him to be better in coverage. Do the 49ers take a swing on potential?