2026 NFL Draft Team Needs & Predictions: 49ers

This is the sharp end of Round 1.

Picks 25 through 28 belong to teams that won double-digit games and fully expect to be playing deep into January again. The Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Houston Texans aren’t looking for identity — they have one. They’re looking for reinforcement.

At this stage of the draft, the conversation shifts.

It’s no longer about fixing glaring weaknesses. It’s about strengthening pressure points before they become problems. Depth in the trenches. Secondary insurance. A rotational pass rusher. A long-term successor at a premium position.

For teams this good, the margins are razor-thin.

A missed tackle in the Divisional Round. A protection breakdown in the fourth quarter. A lack of depth when injuries inevitably strike. That’s often the difference between hosting a conference championship and watching it from home.

Late-first selections can also be strategic:

Planning ahead for looming contract extensions
Replacing aging veterans a year early
Adding cost-controlled impact talent to balance a top-heavy cap sheet

In this batch, we break down:

The biggest roster holes for each franchise
Contract situations and future cap implications
Which positions should be prioritized for veterans and rookies
Potential fantasy football implications

These are the teams that are already good.

The goal now? Stay that way — and get better.

Up next: Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Houston Texans.

Salary cap contract information provided by Spotrac.

Pick 27: San Francisco 49ers

2026 Free Agents:

RB: Brian Robinson, Patrick Taylor
WR: Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, Skyy Moore, Trent Taylor
TE: Jake Tonges (RFA)
OL: LT Spencer Burford, G Ben Bartch, C Matt Hennessy, RT Austen Pleasants (ERFA)
EDGE: Yetur Gross-Matos, Clelin Ferrell, Robert Beal Jr. (RFA), Sam Okuayinonu (RFA)
DL: Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, Kalia Davis (RFA)
LB: Luke Gifford, Curtis Robinson, Eric Kendricks, Tarron Jackson (RFA), Garret Wallow
CB: Jason Pinnock, Chase Lucas (RFA)
ST: Thomas Morstead, Eddy Pineiro

2027 Free Agents:

QB: Mac Jones, Adrian Martinez (ERFA)
WR: Demarcus Robinson, Malik Turner, Colton Dowell (RFA), Junior Bergen (ERFA)
TE: Brayden Willis (RFA), Hayden Rucci (ERFA)
OL: LT Trent Williams, C Jake Brendel, RT Brandon Parker, G Nick Zakelj, OT Zach Thomas, OL Isaac Alarcon (ERFA), C Drake Nugent (ERFA)
EDGE: Bryce Huff, Keion White, Andrew Farmer (ERFA)
DL: Sebastian Valdez (ERFA), Evan Anderson (ERFA)
LB: Jalen Graham, Milo Eifler, Dee Winters, Will Bradley-King (ERFA)
CB: Eli Apple, Darrell Luter Jr., Tre Tomlinson
S: Siran Neal, Ji’Ayir Brown, Darrick Forrest, Derrick Canteen (ERFA)
ST: Kyle Juszczyk

Team Needs: EDGE, WR, OT, OG, TE, S

Hate to beat a dead horse, but the San Francisco 49ers just need to be healthier in 2026. We all saw the defense get devastated by injuries in 2025.

EDGE Nick Bosa (expected to return by training camp), LB Fred Warner (almost returned for playoffs), LB Tatum Bethune, DE Mykel Williams (ACL), and DT Alfred Collins (shoulder) will all return. They also want to bring back LB Eric Kendricks to pair with Warner.

But given the state of the defense relying on so many players coming off injuries (and the loss of DC Robert Saleh), the 49ers can’t risk not bolstering defensive depth across the front seven.

The pass rush last season was particularly putrid: 30th in pressure rate and 32nd in sacks.

GM John Lynch wants to “smartly add” edge rushers through FA and the draft. Maxx Crosby coming to town?

They also might need another safety. S/CB Jason Pinnock is a free agent. Ji’Ayir Brown will be a free agent in 2027.

Raheem Morris’s addition as defensive coordinator probably won’t alter the 49ers’ free-agency and draft plans (though perhaps the archetype defenders they select). Point blank, this team loves to add to their defensive trenches. The former Falcons HC traded up for a pass rusher in the first-round of last year’s draft.

Worth noting that the 49ers also brought in former Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to their front office.

Buy (tentatively) Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers WR was constantly injured in 2025. But he posted four games with 85-plus receiving yards. He also led the 49ers in receiving yards per game (59/game). And there is an immense opportunity for Pearsall in the 49ers’ new-look passing offense.

Jauan Jennings is a free agent, and it’s unclear whether he will return. Brandon Aiyuk is not coming back. They like Jacob Cowing, but he’s not proven and is returning from injury. Tight George Kittle is coming off a torn Achilles. Demarcus Robinson is another cut candidate.

“If” the third-year WR can stay healthy, Slick Rick could be a major piece of winning fantasy football rosters in 2026 as the potential 49ers WR1. Just need to get this man out of the tub.

That being said, he will face additionally compeition, potentially in the form of a rookie WR. Reports have surfaced that the Niners will be ‘aggressive” going after a WR in the draft. Makes sense given their current need for the position.

The team expects Kittle to return next season, even after he tore his Achilles tendon. Still, he’s not getting any younger (33 in October), so it would be wise for the Niners to search for his future replacement unless Jake Tonges (RFA) is the guy they believe can take the TE1 reins.

On the offensive line, the 49ers might have reached a stand-off with OT Trent Williams. The future HOFer will be 38 years old in 2026. Obviously, if the two sides can’t agree, the Niners will have a gaping hole at left tackle. Regardless of whether he returns in 2026 (last year of his deal), SF should be prioritizing finding his future replacement.

They have a bunch of offensive line holes on the center to the left side, including last year’s starting left guard. Center Jake Brendel will be a FA in 2027.

I don’t need to get super deep into the Christian McCaffrey 2025 workload concerns as we project him for 2026. But….

In the last 13 years, only one RB was a top-5 fantasy RB following a 400-plus touch season.

But needless to say, he is very much in danger of missing time next year after seizing 450 touches as the last man standing in the Bay Area. He will turn 30 years old this year. Brian Robinson is a free agent, and the team is excited about second-year RB Jordan James (S/O @Coachspeakindex).