5 Wide Receivers the 49ers Must Avoid in the 2026 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers have been linked to a variety of wide receivers in the 2026 NFL draft. While there are a few options that they would have to take if they were on the board, there are also some wide receivers that they should steer clear of entirely.

Bryce Lance, North Dakota State

No, this is not because of his brother Trey, either. The 49ers should not take Lance because he is going a bit too high for the potential of what he can become. At his best, he has size and speed, and could be a legitimate deep threat. However, he comes in from a smaller school with questions surrounding his play strength and ability to consistently make physical catches at this level. That is going to take time to translate to the NFL. He is a guy to take a chance when he falls, not go up and get.

Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Zachariah Branch is great after the catch, which the 49ers love, but he may be too small to handle work in today's NFL. The 49ers like a thicker build from their receivers, and he cannot handle the consistent touches that would come from an NFL workload. He is a fun gadget player, but not a legitimate receiver option.

Chris Bell, Louisville

The 49ers are the league's most injured team. They have signed a lot of players who are coming off injury-riddled seasons as well. With all of that surrounding them, they cannot draft Chris Bell, who is recovering from a torn ACL. He is big, strong, and fast, but not developed enough and not healthy enough for this team.

Jakobi Lane, USC

Lane is big and showed at the NFL combine that he is fast. However, the way that he changes gears and shifts speeds on the NFL field is too slow and does not translate well against cornerbacks who are equally as big and fast. These are the typical types of receivers who flame out of the NFL quickly.

Deion Burks, Oklahoma

The highs are very high when it comes to Burks. He is athletic, fast, works well with the ball in his hands, and he can jump and go get it in the air. However, this is a fifth-year receiver who has hardly been able to produce consistently at the college level. Teams will talk themselves into the highlights, but down-to-down, he is not a great prospect.