Early 49ers 2027 Mock Draft Reveals What Their Biggest Priority Should Be

This is the priority.

Jul 27, 2022; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan (left) and general manager John Lynch watches the players during Training Camp at the SAP Performance Facility near Levi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

It's never too early to start looking ahead to next year's draft, and the San Francisco 49ers have some obvious gaps that need addressing.

Their draft picks this year sparked numerous questions. They failed to address some core needs and some selections were widely considered reaches.

It's way too early to gauge whether that's actually the case, especially as one player who received much of that skepticism, wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, has shown throughout preseason and training camp that he could prove to be a good addition.

Irrespective of this year's selections, other key positions require long-term thinking, particularly areas the 49ers didn't bother to address in this year's draft and will need to consider moving forward.

49ers need to use a first-round pick on an offensive lineman

Sep 13, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal offensive lineman Niki Prongos (66) blocks against Boston College Eagles defensive lineman Ty Clemons (90) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN's Jordan Reid listed every franchise's first-round predictions for next year, and he chose offensive tackle Niki Prongos at No.28 overall for San Francisco.

"Prongos has been one of the more pleasant surprises in my summer film study, and I wanted to make sure he was in this mock.

"There's a bit of projection with this pick, as Prongos is still a work in progress. But the 6-foot-7, 315-pound former walk-on has good foundational tools, and I really like his upward trajectory.

"Future Hall of Famer Trent Williams will be 39 before next season, so the 49ers eventually have to find his successor. While Prongos has to work on his depth in pass sets and hand violence, he could rise and fill that need for San Francisco."

It's not even Week 1 of the new season, but you can imagine next year's preparations in full swing sooner rather than later.

Still, the 49ers should have thought about investing significant draft capital in the position a couple of years ago. The best time to address it was then; the next best time is now.

Williams has said that his current contract restructure could very well be his last. That potentially means two more years of Williams playing at a high level, perhaps not at his very best, but still as a generational player at his position.

Surely San Francisco must be considering this. It makes sense from all sides. A fresh rookie learning the ropes from such a veteran of the game, who will undoubtedly be a future Hall of Famer even if he has no rings to his name.

Do it, 49ers. Invest and support Brock Purdy.