We are less than three weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft, where the San Francisco 49ers currently hold the No. 27 pick, which is their first of six picks.
This year’s draft discourse has been much different from years past, as it isn’t the strongest quarterback class, nor is it one with many perceived blue-chip prospects. Nonetheless, the draft is always one of the best times of the year, and the 49ers are in a prime position to continue upgrading their roster.
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San Francisco had an eventful start to free agency, adding at wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, and cornerback, while also trading a third-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa.
There are still some needs to address, but at No. 27, the 49ers could go a variety of ways to start their 2026 NFL Draft. Many draft analysts have projected wide receiver, offensive line, or defensive line to be the pick at No. 27, which were among the top holes the team had heading into the offseason.
To open the month, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm gave his two ‘ideal’ picks for every NFL team in the draft, focusing on every team’s first two picks and what the best possible outcome would be.
For the 49ers, Edholm had them taking Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston in the first round at No. 27 and Kentucky offensive lineman Jalen Farmer in the second round at No. 58.
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“Boston might not be the next Mike Evans, but there’s overlap in their games, and the rookie can follow around one of the best vets ever to do it before taking Evans’ spot in San Francisco in a year or two,” Edholm wrote. “Is receiver the most glaring need? That’s debatable, but the fit felt right — and like something the 49ers would do. They also could use an influx of athleticism on the O-line, and Farmer brings that as a quality run blocker and interesting project.”
Boston has been projected to the 49ers a couple of times this offseason, and the fit makes sense. He’s a sure-handed receiver with a good catch radius at what is turning into a premium position. The 49ers did add Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency, and they also have Ricky Pearsall.
So, wide receiver is definitely not the biggest need on the team. But, in a receiver class that isn’t seen as strong overall, if they feel that Boston is a first-round-level talent, then it would make sense to add a receiver now that likely projects into a bigger role in 2027. That’s similar to what the 49ers did with Ricky Pearsall, although he hasn’t been able to see his full potential due to injuries.
As for Farmer, the 49ers have openly said they’re looking to add more at guard for the vacant left guard role. They made some smaller signings in free agency and still have Connor Colby, a seventh-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft. But Farmer would be more of a long-term solution, and he provides more competition at the spot to start in 2026.