Protecting Purdy and reigniting the pass rush: The 49ers' draft priority is crystal clear, addressing critical trenches weaknesses for immediate contention and future stability.
The San Francisco 49ers don’t have the luxury of approaching the 2026 NFL Draft with a “best player available and we’ll figure it out later” mindset. This roster is still built to compete right now, but cracks showed up in places that can’t be ignored and the draft is going to be where those problems must be addressed.
More than anything, this draft feels like a rehabilitation of the trenches.
If we’re being honest, it’s hard to see a realistic path where the 49ers don’t take an offensive lineman in the first round. Unless an insanely elite pass rusher unexpectedly falls into their lap, offensive line feels like a necessity.
Brock Purdy was under constant pressure down the stretch, especially against NFC West competition. Seattle and Los Angeles exposed how thin San Francisco’s protection has become, and it directly impacted both the passing game and the run game. The 49ers’ offense is at its best when it’s balanced, physical, and dictating terms and that simply wasn’t possible when Purdy was forced to speed up his internal clock on nearly every dropback.
Trent Williams is still Trent Williams, but time is undefeated. He’ll be 38, and while extending him makes sense, the 49ers can’t afford to wait until the cliff arrives to prepare for life after him. Drafting an offensive lineman in Round 1 doesn’t mean pushing Williams aside, it means protecting the future without sacrificing the present. Ideally, that player can start at guard or right tackle early and slide outside when the time comes.
Could the 49ers justify going defense in the first round? Sure, but only if the pass rusher is truly special. Not “solid rotation piece,” not “high upside,” but someone who can tilt the field immediately. San Francisco finished near the bottom of the league in sacks, and while injuries played a role, the lack of consistent pressure put enormous stress on the secondary.
Which brings us to the other glaring issue: the defensive backfield.
The 49ers’ secondary was getting diced up this fall, plain and simple. Opposing quarterbacks found too much comfort attacking downfield and over the middle, especially when the pass rush failed to get home. That doesn’t mean the solution has to come in Round 1, but it absolutely has to come in this draft.
Later rounds should be used aggressively to add cornerbacks and safeties with ball skills. This defense needs more takeaways, more range, and more competition. You can’t rely solely on scheme and pass rush to protect coverage anymore.
Depth matters here too. Injuries are inevitable, and San Francisco can’t afford to be one or two injuries away from trotting out mismatches every Sunday. Developmental secondary picks with speed, length, and instincts should be a priority on Day 2 and Day 3.
At the end of the day, the blueprint is fairly clear. The 49ers need to leave this draft having invested heavily in the offensive line early and more than one honestly, unless an elite defensive talent forces their hand. After that, the focus has to shift to rebuilding and reinforcing a secondary that simply couldn’t hold up last season.
This draft is about survival in the NFC West and being able to compete with the Seattle Seahawks of the world in the 2026 season.