Pleasants re-signs, bolstering offensive line depth behind Trent Williams. This move solidifies tackle position, influencing the 49ers' 2026 draft strategy.
The San Francisco 49ers continued to improve at the offensive tackle position on Monday. ESPN's Adam Schefter listed newly re-signed Niners offensive tackle Austen Pleasants among the latest signings in the league.
The move comes after the team made a much bigger and more impactful re-signing of star offensive tackle Trent Williams to a two-year contract worth up to $50 million. Yet while Williams provides the biggest upside, Pleasants does plenty to raise the floor of depth behind the 49ers' pro bowl tackle.
Owen Crisafulli of Heavy opined on what the addition of Pleasants means for the team ahead of the 2026 season.
"Pleasants hasn’t had a lot of security during his time in the NFL, but he appears to have found a home as a depth option for the 49ers. After going undrafted in 2020, Pleasants spent time with five different teams before finding his way to San Francisco. He suited up for one game apiece with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 and 2023, respectively, so he didn’t have much experience before landing with the Niners.
That has changed over the past two years, though. Pleasants has suited up in 18 games in 2024 and 2025, and he even drew a start last season. While he only played 125 total offensive snaps on the year, Pleasants proved that he can be relied upon when he finds his way onto the field, making him a sneaky important part of the team, especially given how many injuries they have dealt with in recent years."
The more offensive linemen you have, the better your chances to compete. Some contend a team needs eight serviceable linemen to have a great shot at competing for a title. Whether or not the Niners have that is up to the beholder, but the line looks a lot better after adding the two tackles they added this week.
So, what does it all mean for the 49ers' drafting strategy? San Francisco general manager John Lynch has been open about his desire to draft the best player available regardless of need. And while Williams does more in the way of taking offensive tackle off the list of pressing needs, Pleasants helps solidify that belief.
San Francisco is truly set to draft the best player available when they pick in the 2026 NFL draft. It will look to do so when the draft kicks off on April 23.