49ers Draft Trends: How San Francisco has Attacked the NFL Combine

History often repeats itself.

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The 49ers have so many needs this offseason, it's hard to predict which position they'll take with their first-round pick. They could take a wide receiver, or a tight end, or an offensive lineman, or a defensive lineman, or a linebacker, or a cornerback, or a safety.

However, history gives us a clue as to which direction the 49ers ultimately will go early in the draft.

Since John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan joined the 49ers in 2017, they've never taken a defensive back in Round 1. They took cornerback Renardo Green at the end of Round 2, and they took safeties Ji'Ayir Brown and Tarvarius Moore in Round 3. So, unless the 49ers drastically change their draft philosophy now that Raheem Morris is the new defensive coordinator, don't expect them to spend their first pick on a DB.

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Or a linebacker, for that matter. In 2017, the 49ers drafted Reuben Foster with the second-to-last pick in Round 1. He was a colossal bust. Since then, the 49ers have drafted only two linebackers before Round 5 -- Fred Warner (Round 3, 2018) and Nick Martin (Round 3, 2025).

The 49ers could spend their first-round pick on a tight end, considering George Kittle tore his Achilles at the end of the season. But Lynch and Shanahan have taken just one tight end before Round 5, and that was Cam Latu, who was a third-round pick, and he was awful. Kittle is the only good tight end Lynch and Shanahan ever have drafted, and he was a fifth-round pick.

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And then there's the offensive line. This arguably is the 49ers' biggest need. They don't have a starter at left guard, and Trent Williams is 38 and entering the final season of his contract. They have to start preparing for life after him. They absolutely should not give him an extension.

It would make sense for the 49ers to spend their first-round pick on an offensive lineman who could start right away at left guard and then move to left tackle in 2027 once Williams leaves.

But the 49ers never have spent a first-round pick on a guard under Lynch and Shanahan. They took Aaron Banks in Round 2, Dominick Puni in Round 3 and Spencer Burford in Round 4.

And in nine drafts under Lynch and Shanahan, the 49ers have drafted a grand total of three offensive tackles -- Mike McGlinchey (Round 1, 2018), Justin Skule (Round 6, 2019), and Colton McKivitz (Round 5, 2020). Which means the 49ers haven't drafted an offensive tackle in half a decade. Don't be surprised if the 49ers spend another mid-round pick on a guard and wait until next year to address offensive tackle in free agency or via trade.

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The two positions the 49ers prioritize the most are defensive line and wide receiver. Since 2017, the 49ers have drafted eight players at each position in the first four rounds, including two wide receivers and four defensive linemen in Round 1. They believe the keys to success include hitting the opposing quarterback often and giving their own QB explosive weapons so he can get the ball out of his hands quickly. They don't seem to care much about protecting him. He has to protect himself by making quick decisions and scrambling when receivers aren't open.

Given that the 49ers spent their first-round pick on a defensive end last year, I would expect them to draft a wide receiver in Round 1 this year, even though they took Ricky Pearsall in Round 1 two years ago. That's because Pearsall hasn't proven that he can stay healthy, plus Brandon Aiyuk abandoned the team and Jauan Jennings is an impending free agent.

I wouldn't be surprised if the 49ers were to trade up five or six spots for a wide receiver, just as they did in 2020 when they took Aiyuk.

History often repeats itself.