Early Free Agent Moves Should Not Change 49ers Draft Plans

The San Francisco 49ers went out and addressed two notable needs in the first 24 hours of free agency.

They were expected to lose Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, which is why they signed Mike Evans, and with questions about Trent Williams health and contract, they made sure to get tackle depth with Vederian Lowe.

While they can technically cross two needs off the board, the 49ers' draft plans should not have been impacted in any way after the first 24 hours of free agency.

The San Francisco 49ers' draft strategy is unchanged by early free agency decisions

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) reacts a touchdown during th — Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Mike Evans is a massive addition, but he is 32 years old, going on 33 this season. He has had his worst run of injury luck in the past two years, and his production has dipped in that time as well. That is not a surprise, as it aligns with his age.

Beyond that, while Evans signed a three-year deal, it is very clearly a one-year deal with two team options. The 49ers will pay Evans $16M in the first year, and then they do not owe him any more guaranteed salary. If he plays well, he can earn more, but San Francisco did not add a long-term solution.

At left tackle, they signed a backup. They do not need depth, and the question at tackle may come down to round 1 or bust now, but that is the only difference. Lowe should either be the backup to Williams, or provide injury insurance, or he can be the backup to a round 1 rookie, and he can be there to start for the first week or two if the rookie is slow to develop.

In both cases, the 49ers have a starting tackle ahead of Lowe on paper, and the only way that the team is dissuaded from taking a tackle is if Williams returns.

The 49ers could still take defensive line early and often in the draft, as they have not hit that spot as hard in the first wave of free agency. At the same time, if the right receiver or tackle fell to them, nothing that happened in the past 24 hours has changed their stance of making that the best player available pick.

Names like Jordyn Tyson, Denzel Boston, Caleb Lomu, Kadyn Proctor, and Blake Miller are still firmly in the mix at pick 27. They just do not have to go out of their way to reach for any one at those spots now.