SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers are heading to Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL Draft with a clear directive: protect the future and fix the pass rush. Holding the 27th overall pick and a massive haul of fourth-round selections, John Lynch has the capital to be aggressive. After a 2025 season where injuries to stars like Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams hampered the defense, the pressure is on to find immediate contributors who can push this roster back to the Super Bowl.
The biggest shadow looming over Levi’s Stadium isn’t a skyscraper; it’s the potential retirement of Trent Williams. The 15-year veteran is a 12-time Pro Bowler, but he turns 38 years old this summer and wants a new deal. San Francisco can’t wait for a void to appear. Utah’s Caleb Lomu is the name rising to the top of their board. He stands 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds with the frame of a modern NFL tackle. While scouts say his run blocking trails his pass protection, his ceiling is massive. You can see the raw power when he anchors against bull rushes, but he’s still a work in progress. If the 49ers take him at 27, they’re betting on their coaching staff to turn a project into a cornerstone.
Other options on the line include Blake Miller from Clemson and Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor. Both are physical specimens, but Iheanachor is a developmental gamble that might not fit the team’s “win-now” window. The air in the draft room will be thick with tension when the 49ers are on the clock. One wrong move on the offensive line could leave Brock Purdy vulnerable in a season where the NFC West is only getting tougher.
“We know the window doesn’t stay open forever. Every pick we make this week has to be about getting us over that final hump. We need guys who can play on Sundays right away.”
— Kyle Shanahan, 49ers Head Coach
Nick Bosa is a force of nature, but the 2025 season proved he isn’t invincible. He appeared in only three games last year, leaving a gaping hole in the defense. While Mykel Williams showed promise, the 49ers need more teeth on the edge. Auburn’s Keldric Faulk is the intriguing target here. He’s a freak athlete who clocked a 4.67 40-yard dash at Auburn’s pro day. His production dipped to just two sacks in 2025, but his explosiveness remains elite. Watching him move at 276 pounds is a sight to behold; he covers ground like a linebacker but hits like a truck. If Faulk is available late in the first round, he provides the best insurance policy for Bosa’s health.
The 49ers have successfully integrated Mike Evans as their WR1, giving Brock Purdy a veteran target who still wins 50-50 balls with ease. However, the defense’s interior remains a question mark. Florida’s Caleb Banks could be a steal if his foot injury scares off other teams. Banks missed most of 2025 with a cracked metatarsal but was a wrecking ball when healthy. If the 49ers use one of those four fourth-round picks to move back into the third round, they could snag a contributor like Kenyon Sadiq. Pairing Sadiq’s 4.39 speed with George Kittle would create a nightmare for defensive coordinators. The 49ers don’t just need bodies; they need specific weapons to counter the rising speed of the Seahawks and Cardinals. The draft starts April 23, and by the time the sun sets in Pittsburgh on Saturday, we’ll know if San Francisco has the depth to survive another deep playoff run.
