The San Francisco 49ers could take several paths with their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Help in the trenches—both on the offensive and defensive lines—remains a priority. The secondary could also use reinforcements. There's even a scenario in which the 49ers add depth at tight end—in case George Kittle's recovery timeline lingers longer than expected.
But wide receiver also remains a pressing need.
Brandon Aiyuk appears to be on his way out, Jauan Jennings and Skyy Moore are scheduled to hit free agency, and Ricky Pearsall is coming off an injury-plagued second NFL season. The 49ers' pass-catching group could look dramatically different in 2026.
Two recent mock drafts project San Francisco addressing that reality in Round 1.
PFF mock draft: 49ers select WR KC Concepcion
In a three-round mock draft for Pro Football Focus (PFF), Gordon McGuinness projects the 49ers to select Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion with the No. 27 overall pick.
Concepcion has become a popular projection to San Francisco, largely due to his big-play ability and potential fit within head coach Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme.
"The 49ers appear on track to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk this offseason, and they could lose Jauan Jennings to free agency, too," McGuinness wrote. "Concepcion earned a 78.3 PFF overall grade against man coverage, averaged 2.46 yards per route run, and caught 66.7% of his contested targets in 2025."
Concepcion (5-11, 190) offers versatility and explosiveness. He totaled 2,218 receiving yards and 25 touchdown catches during his collegiate career, adding three rushing scores. In 2025 alone, he posted 919 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, along with 75 rushing yards and a score on 10 carries, according to Sports Reference.
His ability after the catch stands out. Concepcion generated 440 yards after the catch in 2025 and earned a 79.9 PFF receiving grade. Over his college career, 1,232 of his 2,218 receiving yards—more than 55%—came after the catch.
McGuinness projects Michigan defensive end Derrick Moore to San Francisco in the second round and Texas safety Michael Taaffe in the third.
CBS Sports mock: 49ers land WR Denzel Boston
Josh Edwards also has the 49ers targeting a wideout at No. 27 in his first-round mock draft for CBS Sports. He projects Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston to San Francisco.
"Jauan Jennings is currently slated to hit free agency," Edwards wrote. "The team is also prepared to move on from Brandon Aiyuk and has already done so with Deebo Samuel. The unit is changing, and only Ricky Pearsall has a seat on the bus. Denzel Boston provides a new face to the receiver room as the 49ers look forward."
Boston brings size at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, offering a strong presence on the outside for the 49ers' offense. He is coming off his most productive season, catching 62 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, according to Sports Reference.
Across four seasons at Washington, Boston totaled 132 receptions for 1,781 yards and 20 touchdowns. Notably, most of that production has come over the past two years (125 receptions for 1,715 yards and 20 touchdowns).
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