One Position the 49ers Might Not Address in the 2026 NFL Draft

One of the positions that gets mocked to the San Francisco 49ers the most in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft is offensive tackle. It makes sense considering Trent Williams has one year left on his deal, he is in the middle of a contract dispute, and he will be 38 years old. However, one ESPN draft expert does not expect the team to go that route in the first round.

Will the San Francisco 49ers avoid an offensive tackle in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft?

Matt Miller of ESPN poked around with some league sources and thinks that the team may not go that route. He offered a few alternatives as well.

n reading the tea leaves and talking to people around the league, the 49ers don't necessarily view offensive tackle as a Round 1 priority. Instead, they have been heavily connected to wide receivers by teams when running through mock draft exercises. KC Concepcion (Texas A&M) is a name to watch
Matt Miller

This does play into what the 49ers have been doing for most of the offseason. San Francisco would like to win a Super Bowl while the core pieces of its roster are still in the prime stages of their careers. However, Williams is running out of time. George Kittle is injured, while both Nick Bosa and Fred Warner will return from serious injuries. Christian McCaffrey was not injured, but his workload last year is concerning for his health this year.

Taking a tackle in the first round may help the team when these players move on. However, it does nothing to win a Super Bowl for the 49ers this year, and if these players walk away without a ring, it may not matter who the starting left tackle is in the next few seasons.

So, the team would focus more on players who can make an impact right now. It makes sense that NFL insiders are pegging a wide receiver to the team as well. They not only get an impact player down the road who does replace an aging veteran, but they also get some year-one impact.

Christian Kirk is the 49ers' third wide receiver, and while they run three wide receiver looks at a lower rate than most NFL teams, that is a bad option as a third receiver. So, the team can upgrade their third receiver immediately, and they may have a second receiver in the next year or so. That is a better investment of resources. Another option would be edge rusher. In the same light, he would be a third player and play rotationally early on, but could bring the upside to improve his role in the next few years.

We will see if that was smoke or if the 49ers do steer clear of a tackle.