The San Francisco 49ers are one of the more interesting teams to watch in the 2026 NFL Draft. General manager John Lynch has said the 49ers are comfortable moving up, moving down, or staying put at No. 27.
The board will dictate the approach. The 49ers have 6 picks at their disposal. The needs are clear, and the class has prospects worth getting excited about.
Here are five players San Francisco could have their eyes on.
1. Denzel Boston, WR, Washington – Round 1, Pick 27
Mike Evans was a smart signing. He gives the 49ers a credible WR1 option immediately and brings the kind of experience a young receiver room needs. But Evans is 32, and the franchise might want to think beyond his timeline sooner rather than later.
Boston could be that answer at pick 27.
The Washington receiver stands 6-foot-3. He’s the kind of bigger-bodied target who could win in press coverage and make an impact in the red zone. He finished last season with 62 receptions for 881 yards and 11 scores, the culmination of two years as Washington’s most reliable offensive weapon.
Boston is one of three receivers the 49ers have hosted for top-30 visits. The fit could be there.
GettyDenzel Boston. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
2. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon – Round 1, Pick 27
If the 49ers decide the receiver room can wait, Sadiq could be the most compelling alternative at pick 27. The Oregon tight end is the kind of chess piece that tends to unlock an offense, a fast, strong target who explodes out of his release and creates matchup problems that coordinators struggle to solve. He recorded 560 receiving yards last season, 260 of them after the catch.
The fit with Kyle Shanahan is difficult to ignore. Daniel Jeremiah, who has mocked Sadiq to San Francisco multiple times, described him simply: “Sadiq is a total chess piece.” Shanahan has built his offense around versatile weapons who can line up anywhere and stress defenses in multiple ways. Sadiq fits that profile as well as any tight end in this class.
He may not last to pick 27. If he does, the 49ers could find it very hard to pass.
GettyKenyon Sadiq. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
3. Romello Height, Edge, Texas Tech – Round 2, Pick 58
The need on the outside is real. No team had fewer sacks than San Francisco’s 20 in 2025, and Nick Bosa‘s season-ending injury last year showed exactly how thin the depth is behind him.
Height could be someone the 49ers target. At 6-foot-3 and 239 pounds he is undersized for the position, and questions about his run defense are legitimate. What he does as a pass rusher is harder to dismiss. He generated pressure on 62 occasions in his final college season at Texas Tech, finishing among the Big 12 leaders.
Daniel Jeremiah noted that “there’s more depth with the edge rushers” available on Day 2, which makes Height’s projected second-round range at pick 58 worth considering. The pick number gives some pause. The need does not.
GettyRomello Height. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
4. Markel Bell, OT, Miami – Round 4
Trent Williams will be 38 in the 2026-27 season. The 49ers may look for a long term solution at the position. Bell could be the developmental answer to that problem, potentially available as late as pick 127.
The physical profile is difficult to ignore. Bell measures 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds. His arm length at the combine was the longest recorded among all offensive linemen in attendance, and his explosiveness numbers matched those of Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, projected to go in the first round. The reason Bell might still be available in the fourth round comes down to inexperience. He had just one full season as a Division I starter and has technique work still ahead of him. Williams is not walking away tomorrow. Bell could have time to develop behind one of the best to ever do it.
GettyMarkel Bell. (Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images)
5. Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy – Round 4
Christian McCaffrey will turn 30 this season and ranks second among active players in career touches. Shanahan has spoken about easing his workload.
Heidenreich could be a different kind of answer at pick 138. He is not a traditional running back. In his final two college seasons he averaged 17.9 yards per reception across 1,612 receiving yards, pairing that with 943 rushing yards at 6.6 per carry. Only one player since 1956 had managed that combination in a single season before Heidenreich did it. The level of competition at Navy is a fair concern, though his performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl went some way toward addressing it.
GettyEli Heidenreich. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Final Word for the 49ers
Boston and Sadiq represent two different directions at pick 27, a receiver who could anchor the position long term or a tight end who could redefine how Shanahan’s offense operates. Height might give Bosa a new running mate on the edge. Bell could shore up an offensive line that cannot afford to regress. Heidenreich is the wildcard.
The 49ers will have options. The 2026 NFL draft is here.
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