With the 49ers' recent decision not to exercise Trent Williams' $10M option bonus, it seems increasingly likely that their hand will be forced to give him the new contract with the guaranteed money the veteran wants to continue playing. The dead money cap hit (north of $34 million), compared against the meager savings toward the 2026 cap (less than $5 million) makes it seem nearly impossible that they won't find a way to bring him back into the fold, especially considering there's virtually no available talent that could step in and play at the level that Williams continues to display on the field.
With the recent opening of free agency, the team has made a clear investment in competing for the NFC West title next season in a division that boasts perhaps the league's top two Super Bowl contenders. Leaving a gaping question mark positioned behind Brock Purdy's blindside just doesn't seem to make any kind of logical sense, and all the tea leaves in this scenario point to at least one more year of number 71 getting paid a huge sum of money to line up at left tackle.
That said, on the heels of one of the most engaging and lauded free agency periods in recent 49ers history, the draft is only a few weeks away. It's the next best opportunity to improve the roster, and with many key areas of the roster having been addressed in the past few weeks, now may be the time to see Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch break from their tendency and invest heavily in the offensive line for now and the future. Let's look at the reasons why this could—and maybe should—be the year they finally go for the big men up front.
Gaining Some Leverage
The 49ers must be thinking that this Déjà-vu-all-over-again routine with Williams has got to end somewhere, and a top-tier tackle prospect in the building would represent the leverage they've lacked, essentially, since he arrived in Santa Clara via trade in 2020. There are significant opportunities at left guard and center to get better, more physically talented players to contribute now and potentially develop into the future. It's possible they've got a player in mind who would give them some leverage in the Williams negotiations this year and are holding off on making a deal until the draft.
Projected Draft Talent
By most accounts, this draft isn't heavy with top-tier skill-position talent. Many reports state that for teams in the rebuilding phase, 2027 is the draft year they're looking to for game-changing new blood. Conversely, though, 2026 is said to be rich with solid offensive line talent. Even though there are no "generational" standouts, there are good foundational players to be had.
Sports Illustrated had nine linemen in their Top 100 graded players. It's not unlike the 49ers to trade up, and they've got picks inside the top 150 to potentially do it. Trading opportunities may be available with teams that sit higher in the draft to go and grab one of these foundational players that fit the mold for what the 49ers are looking for in their offensive trenches.
Run the Ball
Looking at past Super Bowl-winning teams, most recently the Eagles and Seahawks, their offensive lines were consistently dominant. Running the ball is making a comeback in the NFL in a big, big way, and Kyle Shanahan has directly played a role in that resurgence.
For a man who's made a career of generating rushing yards with lesser talent, we can only imagine what he could do with a top-tier back in Christian McCaffery, who struggled last year to generate ground yards, and an actual top-5 offensive line.
Invest in protecting Brock Purdy
The investment in Brock Purdy last year made it crystal clear that, for the 49ers' brain trust, finally achieving that Super Bowl aspiration hinges largely on his ability to pilot the offense. He needs to stay upright and healthy to do that. Purdy missed eight games last year behind leaky guard and center play.
Kudos to Mac Jones for keeping them afloat, but to get a top seed in the NFC playoffs on their way to a championship, they really need Purdy for all 17 games leading up to the tournament. Oh, by the way, the last three NFC champions have all been one seeds, including the 49ers in 2023.
Maximizing Shanahan's Team Vision
The last and maybe most abstract reason I'll put forward here for the 49ers to invest their draft capital in blockers is this: Last year, the 49ers showed that the offense can carry the defense for the first time, essentially, since Shanahan arrived. In years past, the 49ers have not been shy about stating their prioritization of defensive talent, especially in the defensive line, to achieve their vision for the team.
Subsequently, they've fielded some outstanding defenses, and they've paid the price by losing their top coordinators three separate times to head-coaching roles. Others in the role haven't lived up to expectations and been shown the door, and that lack of consistency has cost them dearly when things mattered most—2023 being the most obvious example.
Having shown they can't keep top defensive minds in the building, it's time to put their bets and draft investments toward maximizing Shanahan's vision for the offense.
Many of the pieces are already there for him. He's the one coach on the staff who will be around for as long as Jed York wants him there, so why not give him every opportunity to create the greatest unit he can muster to compete for the title? Memories of his father and the truly legendary offenses he created during the dynasty years are a big reason the Yorks and the 49er Faithful were so excited to get him in the first place. Why not see if that recipe of solid defense and a dominant offense can finally get the 49ers back to the top of the league once and for all?
Comments