Team Needs 2026 NFL Draft

Originally posted by pickle:
All that is needed is to not let Kyle have the final say on any selection.

Here here

Instead of polarizing on a particular position of need, select all of the most crucial positions of need such as pass rusher, left tackle, left guard, linebacker, center, wide receiver and free safety and select the best available athlete within those positions. Example is selecting the best free safety in the draft instead of the 5th rated pass rusher in the first round. This would be a paradigm shift for the Niners but we need to focus on BAP available.

That and others have mentioned, keep Kyle and John away from the picks. Yorks need to hire a draft expert to evaluate and run the draft! Otherwise, we are better off trading our picks foe experienced players like a Max Crosby.

Something needs to change by draft day…

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by ritz126:
Here is how i see it

1) LG: This feels like the weakest spot on the OL. The unit has played well overall, but LG could really use a plug-and-play starter.

2) DT: With several upcoming FAs, this is an area to address. Collins and West have looked solid, but adding a disruptive interior DT would help the pass rush

3) WR: I expect Jennings to be re-signed and we have Pearsall, but we still need another difference-maker. I could see a WR in the 1st round—adding another weapon would be huge, especially someone with a similar skillset to Aiyuk.

4) S: Solid group overall, but no true standout. They're good against the run, struggle a bit in coverage, and a true ball-hawk would elevate the defense.

Other notes:

EDGE: The pass rush looks rough right now, but getting Bosa and Williams back changes that fast. Ferrell, Huff, and Okuayinonu are solid depth. A mid-round speed rusher wouldn't hurt, but I don't see this as a top need.

OT: McKivitz has played well, and if Trent comes back for another year, spending high draft capital here doesn't make much sense given other needs.

Some of the positions of need I agree with and some good ones are mentioned here. But I got to say no on WR in the 1st round. We don't need it and we tend to bust it a lot too.

2nd - Deebo - head case, injured a lot and now gone.
1st - Aiyuk - Rodman level head case. Almost Aldon Smith level. Severe injury. Gone by the end of the season. Quit on the team after huge contract.
1st - Pearsall - Injured all the time. ZERO TD's all season. You should see the endzone 3 - 5 times even as a #2 WR. Barely plays. Drafted too high. Really concerned about him now.

Our picks high up at WR are horrible. Lets fill offensive and defensive line. Maybe Safety. It would be a mistake for this team. They don't know how to pick them anyway. Their history is awful.

News flash, it isn't just the first and second WRs that are a$$.........it's all of them. Sign Pickens, Robinson, or Pierce.

Originally posted by Rathof44:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by ritz126:
Here is how i see it

1) LG: This feels like the weakest spot on the OL. The unit has played well overall, but LG could really use a plug-and-play starter.

2) DT: With several upcoming FAs, this is an area to address. Collins and West have looked solid, but adding a disruptive interior DT would help the pass rush

3) WR: I expect Jennings to be re-signed and we have Pearsall, but we still need another difference-maker. I could see a WR in the 1st round—adding another weapon would be huge, especially someone with a similar skillset to Aiyuk.

4) S: Solid group overall, but no true standout. They're good against the run, struggle a bit in coverage, and a true ball-hawk would elevate the defense.

Other notes:

EDGE: The pass rush looks rough right now, but getting Bosa and Williams back changes that fast. Ferrell, Huff, and Okuayinonu are solid depth. A mid-round speed rusher wouldn't hurt, but I don't see this as a top need.

OT: McKivitz has played well, and if Trent comes back for another year, spending high draft capital here doesn't make much sense given other needs.

Some of the positions of need I agree with and some good ones are mentioned here. But I got to say no on WR in the 1st round. We don't need it and we tend to bust it a lot too.

2nd - Deebo - head case, injured a lot and now gone.
1st - Aiyuk - Rodman level head case. Almost Aldon Smith level. Severe injury. Gone by the end of the season. Quit on the team after huge contract.
1st - Pearsall - Injured all the time. ZERO TD's all season. You should see the endzone 3 - 5 times even as a #2 WR. Barely plays. Drafted too high. Really concerned about him now.

Our picks high up at WR are horrible. Lets fill offensive and defensive line. Maybe Safety. It would be a mistake for this team. They don't know how to pick them anyway. Their history is awful.

News flash, it isn't just the first and second WRs that are a$$.........it's all of them. Sign Pickens, Robinson, or Pierce.

I feel Pickens would really help us. But it depends on the cost. I don't want a huge WR deal again. But it may take that to get somebody of that quality.

Would love Carnell Tate but he's going top 10-15.

Caleb Downs but again top 10-15.

The reasonable choice at WR for me is that BYU WR Austin Collie.

Originally posted by Kolohe:
Would love Carnell Tate but he's going top 10-15.

Caleb Downs but again top 10-15.

The reasonable choice at WR for me is that BYU WR Austin Collie.

theres a lot of good WR this year who i like Tyson and Tate will be gone no way they get out of top 15 or even top 10

Lemon likely is going before we pick and hes solid

1st round - Boston, KC concepcion
2nd round - Brazell, Branch, Bernard, Skylar Bell
3rd round- Antonio Williams (could go in 2nd), Fields, Singelton, Cooper Jr

This year S class is loaded too they are a lot of guys in 2nd and 3rd round who could be immediate contributors especially as a center fielder

i would love to start of the draft with
1st round: CJ Allen or Sonny Styles at LB
2nd round: Thienman, Ramsey, Haulcey or Smith at S
3rd round: WR
Round 4+ - DL and EDGE

Originally posted by Oilcan:

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:
Is linebacker moving up the needs list? Granted after years of Smith, Willis, Bowman, Brooks and then later Warner, Greenlaw, and Al-Shaair, the bar is pretty high. But it seems we have one starting linebacker, and he is hurt. I think the primary problem with D line is lack of pass rushers after Bosa. But the guys we do have, if played how they should be- Huff as a 3rd down edge rusher, Sam O in spot duty, a guy like Ferrell in spot duty on base downs, all three are far more effective. YGM is in that bunch as well, although he is more of a 3 down guy (edge on base downs and moves inside on 3rd down). It's kind of wild that after going 3 for 3, we've been getting guys who are only back ups at linebacker. It certainly has nothing to do with where we are drafting them. Fred was a 3rd rounder, Dre a 5th, and Azeez an UDFA. It's kind of similar to running back where we found one player after another (Breida, Wilson, Mostert, Mitchell), and then it just went cold.

Honestly that is why I didn't like the Martin pick in the 3rd. No way he was in Fred's class coming out in my opinion. There were better options there and we could've got an off the ball linebacker to develop later.

I think they saw a good tackler, that was strong af, and fast/athletic. As soon as those boxes were checked, they were sold. Once again, we have to hope it will work out.

Originally posted by TopDogBerkeley:
Since it is very early, I am only looking at who is under contract after 2025. 49ers will resign some current players and bring in others, but here is where we will likely see the early round picks:

1. Offensive Tackle: Trent Williams, Colton McKivitz. Spencer Burford's free agency affects depth at both OT and OG, but realistically Lynch needs to find a plus OT to replace Williams. I can't see Williams lasting past 2026, so they need to draft a starter and a swing tackle.
2. Wide Receiver: Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, Junior Bergen. Losing Aiyuk and Jennings makes this a very thin position with many question marks. Cowing/Bergen may be able to replace Moore in the return game, but they need a true #1.
3. Defensive Tackle: Alfred Collins, CJ West, Sebastian Valdez, Evan Anderson. Promising youngsters but this area is real thin after the free agency losses.
4. Interior Offensive Line: Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Matt Hennessey, Connor Colby, Drake Nugent. Aforementioned Burford departs, so you need a new starter at left guard. A plus Center would also help.
5. Defensive End: Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Bryce Huff, Keion White. Depth is needed here since key players are coming back from injury. I can see a big DE and a fast EDGE being added to complement the incumbents.

The roster overall is quite strong, so a few key signings and some good picks makes this team perennially competitive.

You think this roster is strong?? We are one injury to CMC to being a 4 win team.

This is a top heavy, aging and injury prone roster. We have holes all over the roster.

Originally posted by ritz126:
theres a lot of good WR this year who i like Tyson and Tate will be gone no way they get out of top 15 or even top 10

Lemon likely is going before we pick and hes solid

1st round - Boston, KC concepcion
2nd round - Brazell, Branch, Bernard, Skylar Bell
3rd round- Antonio Williams (could go in 2nd), Fields, Singelton, Cooper Jr

This year S class is loaded too they are a lot of guys in 2nd and 3rd round who could be immediate contributors especially as a center fielder

i would love to start of the draft with
1st round: CJ Allen or Sonny Styles at LB
2nd round: Thienman, Ramsey, Haulcey or Smith at S
3rd round: WR
Round 4+ - DL and EDGE

Bernard from Alabama fits what we do and would be a nice replacement for Jennings. He's big tough and physical and feats in the middle of the field. He's a plus blocker too.

Im with you on Styles or Allen. Warner goes down and our D falls apart. Winters is not that guy, Bethune is a special teamer and Gifford should never see the field.

WR, LB, S and DT are our biggest needs IMO but this isn't a deep DT draft. Maybe grab a developmental guy in the 4th and spend to get a 3T in free agency (John Franklin Meyers)

*trade Mac Jones to Indy for a 2026- 3rd and 2027- 4th

1- Sonny Styles, LB- OSU
2- Germie Bernard, WR- Alabama
3- Bishop Fitzgerald, FS- USC
3- Kevin Coleman, WR- Missouri
4- Jermaine Mathews Jr, CB- OSU
4- Keylan Rutledge, OG- Georgia Tech
4- Zane Durant, DT- Penn St

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by Rathof44:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by ritz126:
Here is how i see it

1) LG: This feels like the weakest spot on the OL. The unit has played well overall, but LG could really use a plug-and-play starter.

2) DT: With several upcoming FAs, this is an area to address. Collins and West have looked solid, but adding a disruptive interior DT would help the pass rush

3) WR: I expect Jennings to be re-signed and we have Pearsall, but we still need another difference-maker. I could see a WR in the 1st round—adding another weapon would be huge, especially someone with a similar skillset to Aiyuk.

4) S: Solid group overall, but no true standout. They're good against the run, struggle a bit in coverage, and a true ball-hawk would elevate the defense.

Other notes:

EDGE: The pass rush looks rough right now, but getting Bosa and Williams back changes that fast. Ferrell, Huff, and Okuayinonu are solid depth. A mid-round speed rusher wouldn't hurt, but I don't see this as a top need.

OT: McKivitz has played well, and if Trent comes back for another year, spending high draft capital here doesn't make much sense given other needs.

Some of the positions of need I agree with and some good ones are mentioned here. But I got to say no on WR in the 1st round. We don't need it and we tend to bust it a lot too.

2nd - Deebo - head case, injured a lot and now gone.
1st - Aiyuk - Rodman level head case. Almost Aldon Smith level. Severe injury. Gone by the end of the season. Quit on the team after huge contract.
1st - Pearsall - Injured all the time. ZERO TD's all season. You should see the endzone 3 - 5 times even as a #2 WR. Barely plays. Drafted too high. Really concerned about him now.

Our picks high up at WR are horrible. Lets fill offensive and defensive line. Maybe Safety. It would be a mistake for this team. They don't know how to pick them anyway. Their history is awful.

News flash, it isn't just the first and second WRs that are a$$.........it's all of them. Sign Pickens, Robinson, or Pierce.

I feel Pickens would really help us. But it depends on the cost. I don't want a huge WR deal again. But it may take that to get somebody of that quality.

The is you in a nutshell . Incessantly Piss and moan about identifying head cases then advocate signing a known head case lol unreal

My early guess is that they will find a way to resign all the free agent defensive lineman and let Jauan Jennings walk. The result will be a 1st round WR pick in a deep WR class, someone with size like Denzel Boston or Chris Bell.

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by Rathof44:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by ritz126:
Here is how i see it

1) LG: This feels like the weakest spot on the OL. The unit has played well overall, but LG could really use a plug-and-play starter.

2) DT: With several upcoming FAs, this is an area to address. Collins and West have looked solid, but adding a disruptive interior DT would help the pass rush

3) WR: I expect Jennings to be re-signed and we have Pearsall, but we still need another difference-maker. I could see a WR in the 1st round—adding another weapon would be huge, especially someone with a similar skillset to Aiyuk.

4) S: Solid group overall, but no true standout. They're good against the run, struggle a bit in coverage, and a true ball-hawk would elevate the defense.

Other notes:

EDGE: The pass rush looks rough right now, but getting Bosa and Williams back changes that fast. Ferrell, Huff, and Okuayinonu are solid depth. A mid-round speed rusher wouldn't hurt, but I don't see this as a top need.

OT: McKivitz has played well, and if Trent comes back for another year, spending high draft capital here doesn't make much sense given other needs.

Some of the positions of need I agree with and some good ones are mentioned here. But I got to say no on WR in the 1st round. We don't need it and we tend to bust it a lot too.

2nd - Deebo - head case, injured a lot and now gone.
1st - Aiyuk - Rodman level head case. Almost Aldon Smith level. Severe injury. Gone by the end of the season. Quit on the team after huge contract.
1st - Pearsall - Injured all the time. ZERO TD's all season. You should see the endzone 3 - 5 times even as a #2 WR. Barely plays. Drafted too high. Really concerned about him now.

Our picks high up at WR are horrible. Lets fill offensive and defensive line. Maybe Safety. It would be a mistake for this team. They don't know how to pick them anyway. Their history is awful.

News flash, it isn't just the first and second WRs that are a$$.........it's all of them. Sign Pickens, Robinson, or Pierce.

I feel Pickens would really help us. But it depends on the cost. I don't want a huge WR deal again. But it may take that to get somebody of that quality.

The is you in a nutshell . Incessantly Piss and moan about identifying head cases then advocate signing a known head case lol unreal

We need somebody to catch touchdowns and win games.

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by Rathof44:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by ritz126:
Here is how i see it

1) LG: This feels like the weakest spot on the OL. The unit has played well overall, but LG could really use a plug-and-play starter.

2) DT: With several upcoming FAs, this is an area to address. Collins and West have looked solid, but adding a disruptive interior DT would help the pass rush

3) WR: I expect Jennings to be re-signed and we have Pearsall, but we still need another difference-maker. I could see a WR in the 1st round—adding another weapon would be huge, especially someone with a similar skillset to Aiyuk.

4) S: Solid group overall, but no true standout. They're good against the run, struggle a bit in coverage, and a true ball-hawk would elevate the defense.

Other notes:

EDGE: The pass rush looks rough right now, but getting Bosa and Williams back changes that fast. Ferrell, Huff, and Okuayinonu are solid depth. A mid-round speed rusher wouldn't hurt, but I don't see this as a top need.

OT: McKivitz has played well, and if Trent comes back for another year, spending high draft capital here doesn't make much sense given other needs.

Some of the positions of need I agree with and some good ones are mentioned here. But I got to say no on WR in the 1st round. We don't need it and we tend to bust it a lot too.

2nd - Deebo - head case, injured a lot and now gone.
1st - Aiyuk - Rodman level head case. Almost Aldon Smith level. Severe injury. Gone by the end of the season. Quit on the team after huge contract.
1st - Pearsall - Injured all the time. ZERO TD's all season. You should see the endzone 3 - 5 times even as a #2 WR. Barely plays. Drafted too high. Really concerned about him now.

Our picks high up at WR are horrible. Lets fill offensive and defensive line. Maybe Safety. It would be a mistake for this team. They don't know how to pick them anyway. Their history is awful.

News flash, it isn't just the first and second WRs that are a$$.........it's all of them. Sign Pickens, Robinson, or Pierce.

I feel Pickens would really help us. But it depends on the cost. I don't want a huge WR deal again. But it may take that to get somebody of that quality.

The is you in a nutshell . Incessantly Piss and moan about identifying head cases then advocate signing a known head case lol unreal

We need somebody to catch touchdowns and win games.

How many games did the cowboys win?
Niners won a ton of games with Deebo and Ayiuk, 2 guys you said they should have never drafted,

As much as they can use a really good receiver I hate to spend a high pick on one because they often end up being flakey. I still prefer taking quality O line and defensive players if they're available. If a really good tackle is sitting there when they pick they can't pass up the opportunity to draft Williams eventual replacement. It's a hard spot to fill and there's no way of knowing when the chance will come again.

Team needs for 2026 NFL draft? Simple. A new GM.