San Francisco 49ers 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

Subscribe to the Sharp Football Email Newsletter to receive all our 2026 NFL content:

Subscribe to our newsletter:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

 

No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the 49ers' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

San Francisco 49ers Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Defensive Front
2. Safety
3. Offensive Line

Explore all of our 2026 NFL Draft content:

Pre-Order The Best Analytical 2026 Football Preview

Don't miss out on Warren Sharp's 500+ page preview of the 2026 NFL season.

The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.

This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to get you prepared for the 2026 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.

Pre-order the 2026 Football Preview now!

San Francisco 49ers 2026 Draft Capital

The 49ers have the 23rd-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

San Francisco 49ers Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the 49ers to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

San Francisco 49ers Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the San Francisco 49ers, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Brock Purdy
2. Mac Jones
3. Kurtis Rourke
4. Adrian Martinez

After winning only six games in 2024, San Francisco bounced back with a 12-5 record last season.

That was an achievement considering it was another injury-filled campaign for the 49ers.

Brock Purdy only played in nine games.

George Kittle (6 missed games), Ricky Pearsall (8), and Jauan Jennings (2) all missed multiple games, while Brandon Aiyuk never showed up.

Despite that, San Francisco was third in success rate on offense (46.3%) and sixth in points per drive (2.53).

This was despite the 49ers ranking 24th in rushing offense, the worst mark for a Kyle Shanahan team since 2011 when he was in Washington.

31.4% of San Francisco’s passing plays gained 10 or more yards, third in the league behind New England (32.9%) and Seattle (32.5%).

After returning to the lineup in Week 11, Purdy completed 70.6% of his passes (2nd) for 7.5 yards per pass attempt (8th) and a 7.6% touchdown rate (2nd).

A league-high 46.4% of his passes resulted in a first down or touchdown over that stretch, while the league rate over that period was 34.2%.

Purdy was once again at the top of the league in completion rate when pushing the ball downfield.

He completed a league-high 61.1% of his throws 10 or more yards downfield.

He led the league in that department in 2024, as well, and finished second in 2023.

As a result of so much vertical passing, a league-low 39.2% of Purdy’s passing yardage came after the catch.

It was the lowest YAC rate Purdy has received in his early career, and that rate has declined yearly since he entered the league.

Even though Purdy missed time with a turf toe injury, he still ran 3.7 times for 16.3 yards per game.

The 49ers have Purdy under contract through 2030, with two more seasons remaining at a reasonable cap number.

Purdy is set to count for $23.7 million against the cap in 2026 (7.9%) and $30.1 million in 2027 (9.3%) before carrying cap hits of $56.9 million, $71.8 million, and $64.6 million afterward.

San Francisco made a shrewd move last offseason in signing Mac Jones to a two-year contract.

Jones played in 11 games and made eight starts for San Francisco last season.

The 49ers went 5-3 in his starts.

Jones completed 69.6% of his passes for 7.4 yards per pass attempt with 13 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

Running Back

1. Christian McCaffrey
2. Jordan James
3. Isaac Guerendo
4. Patrick Taylor
5. Kyle Juszczyk (FB)

Christian McCaffrey carried this offense through all of the injuries.

McCaffrey led the NFL with 413 touches, producing 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns.

He was not a hyper-efficient runner but accumulated 1,202 yards and 10 scores on the ground while catching 102 passes for 924 yards and 7 touchdowns through the air.

With that, McCaffrey became the first player to ever have 2,000 yards and 100-plus receptions in multiple seasons.

LaDainian Tomlinson is the only other player to do it once.

It was McCaffrey’s third season with at least 100 receptions.

All other NFL running backs in history have done it a total of four times.

McCaffrey will turn 30 this June.

He has two years remaining on his current contract, with a $10.9 million cap hit this season and a $26.4 million cap hit in 2027.

McCaffrey is coming off handling 76.6% of the backfield touches in 2025, which ranked third among running backs.

Kyle Shanahan is once again saying that he will alleviate McCaffrey’s workload this offseason.

We have heard that before, and McCaffrey continues to rack up late-game touches in already decided games.

McCaffrey had 40 touches in the fourth quarter with San Francisco ahead by 8 or more points last season, which was second in the NFL behind Zach Charbonnet (43).

With Brian Robinson leaving in free agency, the 49ers are light in the backfield behind CMC.

The team has said positive things about Jordan James this offseason, but we did not see James play as a fifth-round rookie.

James played 3 offensive snaps last season.

That was three more than Isaac Guerendo.

After logging 227 snaps as a rookie in 2024, Guerendo did not play a single snap on offense last year.

Patrick Taylor missed all of 2025 with a fractured shoulder.

The 49ers under Shanahan have rarely left a draft without throwing a dart at a running back.

They have selected a running back in four of the past five drafts.

Wide Receiver

1. Mike Evans
2. Rickey Pearsall
3. Christian Kirk
4. Demarcus Robinson
5. Jacob Cowing
6. Jordan Watkins
7. Malik Turner
8. Junior Bergen
9. Colton Dowell
10. Brandon Aiyuk

2025 was another injury-plagued season for San Francisco pass catchers.

Jauan Jennings led the wide receivers with a route run on 73.1% of the dropbacks, followed by Kendrick Bourne at 60.9%.

No other wide receiver was on the field for 50% of the dropbacks.

Neither Jennings (still on the market) nor Bourne (signed with Arizona in free agency) is on the roster.

San Francisco instead played the veteran market by signing Mike Evans right as free agency opened.

Evans signed a team-friendly deal, carrying cap hits of $4.25 million this season, $7.3 million in 2027, and $9.7 million in 2028 should he make it all the way through.

One of the league’s most consistent producers is coming off his worst season in the pros, catching 30 of 62 targets (a career-low 48.4% catch rate) for 368 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Evans only appeared in eight games last season.

He suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 that sidelined him until Week 7.

It was the fifth season in a row that Evans has been on the injury report with a hamstring issue.

When Evans returned in Week 7 against Detroit, he suffered a broken clavicle after 14 plays, forcing him out of the lineup for the next two months.

Returning in Week 15, Evans reminded everyone that he still can produce, catching 6 of 12 targets for 132 yards against Atlanta.

He produced only 31, 31, and 34 yards in the final three weeks of the season, but found the end zone twice over that span.

The largest question here is whether San Francisco is attempting to catch a falling knife.

Evans will be 33 and is coming off an efficiency dip across the board.

His yards per route run average (1.62) was the lowest of his career.

Evans was the worst he has been after the catch, producing a career-low 1.2 yards after the catch per reception.

He also produced the lowest rate of targets to produce a first down or touchdown of his career (37.1%).

Baker Mayfield’s efficiency fell off as he dealt with injuries, so there is somewhat of a hall pass to give to Evans here.

Despite playing through multiple ailments, Evans still commanded target opportunities.

His target rate per route (27.3%) was his highest since 2016 and good for WR8 on the season among wideouts with 200-plus routes run.

Like Davante Adams with the Rams a year ago, I expect Evans to at minimum be a major factor near the end zone.

When Evans was on the field last season, he commanded 58.3% of the Tampa Bay end-zone targets.

Adams had 57.1% end-zone targets in his games played last season with the Rams.

In 2024, Evans was second in the league in end-zone targets (18).

Brock Purdy has been the most efficient passer on throws to the end zone.

Since entering the league, Purdy has completed 45.1% of his throws into the end zone.

That is fourth in the league.

In 2025, that rate was 46.2% (QB9) while Mac Jones was first (58.3%).

Joining a San Francisco offense that has a wide-open target tree, I would bet on Evans being a target earner once again, while we already laid out how successful Purdy has been throwing downfield.

George Kittle is returning from an Achilles injury he suffered in the postseason, raising questions about his availability to open the year.

Ricky Pearsall has played 20 games through two seasons.

Pearsall appeared in only nine games due to a PCL injury that cost him most of the season and a late-season ankle injury.

He was on the field for only 45% of dropbacks last season.

He opened the season strong, producing 108, 56, and 117 yards over his first three full games before the injury in Week 4.

Pearsall then closed the year with games of 6 catches for 96 yards in Week 14 and then 5 catches for 85 yards in Week 16.

Pearsall was in the X role a year ago when he was available.

He averaged a team-high 14.1 air yards per target with a team-high 32.1% of his targets on throws 20 or more yards downfield.

Paired with a role near the end zone, I expect Evans to take on a lot of those routes while Pearsall moves into more of the role he had during his rookie season.

He can also take on more assignments that have been given to Jennings, which was the plan in 2024.

Pearsall played 34.4% of his snaps in the slot as a rookie compared to 19% last season.

Only 15.2% of his targets as a rookie were deep targets, and he averaged 3.7 yards after the catch compared to 2.6 yards after the catch last season.

With Jennings likely gone after signing Evans and Kittle’s return to be determined, Pearsall has a solid setup again to kick off 2026.

When the 49ers do go into 11 personnel, they also added Christian Kirk on a one-year deal (just under $3 million) to compete for a slot role.

Kirk only caught 28 passes for 239 yards and 1 touchdown with Houston last year after catching 27 passes for 379 yards and 1 touchdown with Jacksonville in 2024.

Kirk has missed four or more games in three straight seasons.

With two older signings on wide receivers with sketchy injury histories, the 49ers are surely not done here.

They have hit the wide receiver hard in pre-draft visits.

So far, San Francisco has had visits with Denzel Boston, Omar Cooper, K.C. Concepcion, Chris Brazzell, and Caleb Douglas.

Brandon Aiyuk is not expected to be on the roster at the start of the season, but the 49ers have not let him go for nothing at this stage, as the soap opera relationship has yet to reach its conclusion.

Tight End

1. George Kittle
2. Jake Tonges
3. Luke Farrell
4. Brayden Willis
5. Hayden Rucci

George Kittle was productive again last year when he was available, averaging 5.2 receptions for 57.1 yards per game with 7 touchdowns.

He posted 2.18 yards per route run, which ranked third among tight ends to run 200-plus routes last year.

But Kittle only played in 11 games, missing time with a hamstring injury.

Kittle has only been on the field for 68.1% and 46.2% of the dropbacks the past two seasons.

He will turn 33 this October, missing time in every season since 2018.

That is expected to continue this season.

Playing with torn ligaments in his foot in the playoffs, Kittle suffered an Achilles injury in the playoff win against the Eagles.

He had surgery in January, placing the start of his season in jeopardy.

The 49ers have not visited with a tight end yet this offseason.

Kittle is under contract through 2029, but all of the missed time, another major injury, and his age could have San Francisco considering his potential replacement if they like someone in a deep class.

The team retained Jake Tonges on a two-year deal this offseason to help wait things out with Kittle.

Tonges was solid when filling in for Kittle last season, catching 34 passes for 293 yards (8.6 yards per catch) and 5 touchdowns.

Not nearly as dynamic in the passing game, however, Tonges was targeted on 19.8% of his routes with 1.28 yards per route run with Kittle sidelined in 2025.

Offensive Line

LT: Trent Williams, Austen Pleasants, Isaac Alarcon
LG: Connor Colby, Robert Jones, Nick Zakelj
C: Jake Brendel, Drake Nugent
RG: Dominick Puni, Brett Toth, Zach Thomas
RT: Colton McKivitz, Vederian Lowe, Brandon Parker

The 49ers are rolling back four quality starters from last season.

Both Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz are coming off strong seasons as outside protectors.

McKivitz has only allowed 6 total sacks over the past two seasons.

McKivitz is locked up through 2028, but San Francisco is close to needing to find an inevitable replacement for Williams.

At age 37, Williams was still the third-highest graded offensive tackle per Pro Football Focus last season.

He allowed only 4 sacks with 4 penalties while ranking second at the position in run blocking grade.

After it appeared that the two sides might be at a potential contract hangup for 2026, Williams is still on the roster at a $46.3 million cap hit.

It is possible that the 49ers just let things ride and try to bring back Williams for as long as he wants to play, but he is not playing cheaply and will need a new deal if he keeps going.

Center Jake Brendel is also getting up there (he will turn 34 in September) and is set to be an unrestricted free agent after 2026.

Right guard is taken care of with Dominick Puni having two more years remaining on his rookie contract.

Puni started slowly last year while playing through a PCL injury, but he ended the year playing closer to the form he showed as a rookie.

Through eight weeks, Puni was 46th among guards in overall grade per Pro Football Focus, but then was ninth for the remainder of the season.

Left guard is still a potential soft spot on the current roster.

The 49ers started three different players at left guard last season, ending the year with seventh-round rookie Connor Colby in the lineup.

Colby allowed a 7.1% pressure rate (84th among guards) while allowing the second-most sacks on the team on only 281 snaps in protection.

San Francisco signed veterans Robert Jones and Brett Toth to compete for snaps and shore up the inside this season, but both were low-leverage one-year deals.

With only Puni and McKivitz as starters signed beyond this season, San Francisco should be targeting more contractual depth with upside to start in the future across the offensive line.

San Francisco 49ers Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the San Francisco 49ers, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Osa Odighizuwa
2. Alfred Collins
3. C.J. West
4. Sebastian Valdez
5. Evan Anderson

The 49ers allowed 4.5 yards per carry to running backs (22nd) last season and finished 30th in success rate allowed on those carries.

While new DC Raheem Morris has been more of a 3-4 coach, Kyle Shanahan has talked a lot about Morris’ adaptability in the months after the hiring, suggesting we will see something similar to what the 49ers have run in recent years.

San Francisco also traded for Osa Odighizuwa, who was no longer needed in Dallas because of their transition into a 3-4 base.

Odighizuwa finished 34th among all qualified pass rushers, not just defensive tackles, in pressure rate last year.

The 49ers do need to find some options next to him after Kalia Davis and Jordan Elliott left in free agency.

A second-round pick last year, Alfred Collins earned a rotational role as a rookie, but he did not have a great first season.

A fourth-round pick last year, C.J. West did not fare much better.

Both are young players who can take a step forward in their second season, but adding some help in the middle of the defensive line makes sense.

Edge Defenders

1. Nick Bosa
2. Mykel Williams
3. Keion White
4. Sam Okuayinonu
5. Cam Sample
6. William Bradley-King
7. Andrew Farmer II

The 49ers struggled to get pressure in 2025, finishing 30th in pressure rate (30.4%) and dead last with 20 sacks.

San Francisco suffered big injuries to their pass rusher group, with Nick Bosa playing just three games and first-round rookie Mykel Williams lasting just nine.

Bosa is obviously one of the best in the league.

Williams did not have a ton of pass rush production (8.4% pressure rate), but the 49ers will hope for more once he returns to full health.

Keion White and Sam Okuayinonu are back after playing meaningful roles last year, though both had a sub 10% pressure rate.

The 49ers also added Cam Sample in free agency, but he has a sub-10% career pressure rate.

Bosa will anchor this unit when healthy, and the 49ers could bet on some progression from Williams.

Still, edge rusher looks like a primary need heading into the draft.

Linebacker

1. Fred Warner
2. Dee Winters
3. Dre Greenlaw
4. Tatum Bethune
5. Luke Gifford
6. Nick Martin
7. Jalen Graham
8. Garret Wallow
9. Milo Eifler

Arguably the most impactful injury for the 49ers defense last year, Fred Warner played just six games because of a broken ankle.

He should return healthy for 2026, and the team reunited with Dre Greenlaw this offseason.

Of course, Greenlaw has played just 10 games over the last two years, but he and Warner formed the best linebacker partnership in the league as recently as 2023.

If Greenlaw cannot get back to form, Dee Winters is waiting in the wings after being a basically every-snap player for the defense last season.

Tatum Bethune also got some experience last year, and Luke Gifford is back to help out on special teams.

Greenlaw’s recent injury history means there are some questions in this linebacker group, and both Greenlaw and Winters are scheduled to be free agents after this season.

Still, linebacker does not stand out as a pressing need.

Cornerback

1. Deommodore Lenoir
2. Renardo Green
3. Upton Stout
4. Nate Hobbs
5. Jack Jones
6. Darrell Luter Jr.
7. Eli Apple
8. Jakob Robinson
9. Tre Tomlinson

Not helped by their pass rush, the 49ers allowed 7.0 yards per attempt (16th) last season but ranked 26th in EPA allowed per pass attempt.

All of their primary snap takers from last season are back, and last year’s lack of success does not truly reflect the quality of corners on the roster.

Deommodore Lenoir has lived up to the billing since signing his big extension, finishing 24th among qualified corners in yards allowed per coverage snap last year.

A 2024 second-round pick, Renardo Green has allowed just 6.6 yards per target and an 84.1 quarterback rating in his coverage through two seasons.

A third-round pick last year, Upton Stout established himself as the primary option in the slot as a rookie.

The 49ers also added Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones in free agency.

Hobbs never found his feet with the Packers and has struggled to stay on the field through five seasons, but he got $16 million guaranteed from Green Bay last offseason for a reason.

Jones has not been great recently, but he does have starting experience.

The 49ers could look to add at cornerback since they struggled so much against the pass last year, but upgrading the pass rush and perhaps safety is probably the better route.

Safety

1. Malik Mustapha
2. Ji’Ayir Brown
3. Marques Sigle
4. Siran Neal
5. Darrick Forrest
6. Derrick Canteen

Malik Mustapha missed the start of his second season because of a 2024 knee injury, but he established himself as an every-down player by the end of the year.

He struggled in coverage, but Mustapha ranked fifth among defensive backs in tackle rate on running plays.

Ji’Ayir Brown played the second-most snaps in the safety group, and he did not fare any better in coverage.

A fifth-round pick last year, Marques Sigle was forced into a meaningful role as a rookie, and he continued the theme of giving up playing the passing game.

Sigel allowed a 149.6 quarterback rating in coverage last year.

Siran Neal was added in free agency, but he has been more of a special teams player throughout his career.

The 49ers could use an upgrade at the top of the safety room.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams