April 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\nScenario A<\/p>\n
First round, No. 27: DE\/OLB Cashius Howell, Texas A&M<\/p>\n
If Howell\u2019s arms were 33 inches long, there\u2019s no way he\u2019d drop this far. He\u2019s too quick and was too productive last season, with 11 1\/2 sacks in the SEC. As it happens, his levers are far stubbier than that; they were measured at 30 1\/4 inches at the combine. That might cause him to slip into Morris\u2019 arms (sorry), allowing the Niners to run more five-man fronts and to have a promising pass-rush package of Howell, Bosa, Mykel Williams and Osa Odighizuwa.<\/p>\n
Second round, No. 58: WR Germie Bernard, Alabama<\/p>\n
Bernard isn\u2019t a blazer. Instead, he\u2019s more of a multi-tool receiver who Kyle Shanahan could line up all over the formation, including in the backfield. Bernard has good size (6-1, 206) and good quickness, plus he gains yards after the catch, a missing element for San Francisco in 2025. Nearly 400 of Bernard\u2019s 862 receiving yards came after the catch, and he scored two rushing touchdowns.<\/p>\n
Fourth round, No. 127: T Drew Shelton, Penn State<\/p>\n
A former basketball player, Shelton has the quick feet the 49ers want in their tackles. He might be a better pass protector than run blocker at this stage of his development, but playing behind Williams for a year or two would give him an opportunity to improve his strength and learn from a future Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n
Scenario B<\/p>\n
First round, No. 27: WR Denzel Boston, Washington<\/p>\n
Boston is a big, physical receiver who could immediately fill the \u201cpower slot\u201d position at which Jauan Jennings excelled. He could also eventually replace Evans as the team\u2019s X receiver. Shanahan and wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson will appreciate Boston\u2019s run blocking from the receiver spot, something Shanahan said must improve if the offense is to generate the kind of explosive runs that were missing in 2025.<\/p>\n
Second round: No. 58: T Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern<\/p>\n
Tiernan has logged a lot of snaps at both tackle positions and will enter the NFL with a high floor. Though he stands 6-8, his arms are short for the position \u2014 32 1\/4 inches \u2014 and some observers think he might be best at guard. With the 49ers, he could potentially play left guard early in his career before eventually moving to tackle.<\/p>\n
Fourth round, No. 127: DE\/OLB Romello Height, Texas Tech<\/p>\n
At less than 240 pounds, Height is too slight to be an every-down edge player. But he\u2019s exceptionally quick, had 10 sacks last season and is comfortable dropping into coverage. The 49ers must add more variety to their pass rush, and Height would help in that regard.<\/p>\n
Scenario C<\/p>\n
First round, No. 27: T Blake Miller, Clemson<\/p>\n
Miller is no mauler. Instead, he\u2019s tall, long-levered (34 1\/4-inch arms) and light on his feet. The knock on him is that he mostly played right tackle at Clemson and is not a dominant run blocker, though that might not be as severe a drawback in the 49ers\u2019 zone-blocking system.<\/p>\n
Second round, No. 58: DE\/OLB Malachi Lawrence, UCF<\/p>\n
The 49ers will likely have some options at this spot in the second round, including Auburn\u2019s Keyron Crawford, Michigan\u2019s Jaishawn Barham and Penn State\u2019s Dani Dennis-Sutton. Lawrence, however, might be the best of the bunch in terms of his ability to rush the passer (7 sacks in 2025) and drop into coverage (3 pass breakups).<\/p>\n
Fourth round, No. 127: WR Ja\u2019Kobi Lane, USC<\/p>\n
Lane\u2019s height (6-4), leaping ability (40-inch vertical jump) and big hands (10 1\/2 inches) make him an exceptional red-zone threat, and he has scored 16 touchdowns over the past two seasons. His long stride and lack of suddenness, however, could cause him to drop far enough for the 49ers to draft him late in the fourth round.<\/p>\n
Scenario D<\/p>\n
First round, No. 27: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M<\/p>\n
Concepcion often gets mocked to the 49ers because of his strong separation skills and ability after the catch, both of which are reminiscent of soon-to-be former 49er Brandon Aiyuk. He\u2019s also a dangerous punt returner, a role that became a need for San Francisco when Skyy Moore signed with the Green Bay Packers in free agency.<\/p>\n
Second round, No. 58: OLB\/DE Jaishawn Barham, Michigan<\/p>\n
Like Lawrence, Barham is a player you\u2019d rarely have to take off the field. He\u2019s accustomed to being an off-the-ball linebacker, though his physical profile \u2014 6-3, 240 pounds, with violent hands \u2014 suggests he could also excel as a pass rusher.<\/p>\n
Fourth round, No. 127: C\/G Brian Parker II, Duke<\/p>\n
Parker played tackle in college, but he\u2019s probably better suited to stay on the interior in the NFL because of a lack of length (32 7\/8-inch arms). The 49ers could throw him into the competition at left guard this season with an eye toward moving him to center when Jake Brendel, 33, moves on.<\/p>\n
Scenario E<\/p>\n
First round, No. 27: T Caleb Lomu, Utah<\/p>\n
Lomu\u2019s 4.99-second 40-yard dash at 6-6, 313 underscores his footspeed and speaks to his potential fit in the 49ers\u2019 offense. Like some of the tackles mentioned above, he needs to work on his power and run blocking. Using a first-round pick on an ascending tackle might be a wise move, considering the team could have him on a rookie contract for five years.<\/p>\n
Second round, No. 58: WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State<\/p>\n
There should be some intriguing wide receiver options at this spot, including Indiana\u2019s Elijah Sarratt, Tennessee\u2019s Chris Brazzell II, UConn\u2019s Skyler Bell, Louisville\u2019s Chris Bell and Ole Miss\u2019 De\u2019Zhaun Stribling. Hurst, however, may offer the most upside of the group. He\u2019s tall (6-4) and has the swivel-style hips that Shanahan has coveted in previous 49ers receivers.<\/p>\n
Fourth round, No. 127: DE\/OLB Trey Moore, Texas<\/p>\n
Moore\u2019s lack of elite traits will likely make him a Day 3 pick. Still, his smarts, consistency and effort suggest he could be a worthy fourth-round choice. At minimum, he has the makings of a special teams stalwart who could replace Robert Beal Jr., who signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency, on coverage and return units.<\/p>\n
Scenario F<\/p>\n
First round, No. 27: WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana<\/p>\n
You might consider Cooper a cross between Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. He has Aiyuk\u2019s body control and leaping ability, and he fights through tackles like Samuel. Though he\u2019s not as hefty as Samuel, Cooper is rugged enough to log a few plays in the backfield each week.<\/p>\n
Second round, No. 58: G Gennings Dunker, Iowa<\/p>\n
Dunker played right tackle at Iowa, but his lack of quickness likely makes him a guard at the NFL level. He\u2019s thickly built, is accustomed to zone blocking and has an A+ personality that ought to make him a strong \u2014 and funny \u2014 locker room fit with George Kittle.<\/p>\n
Fourth round, No. 127: DE\/OLB Joshua Josephs, Tennessee<\/p>\n
Josephs is the opposite of Howell (from Scenario A). He\u2019s got excellent length, including 34 1\/4-inch arms and 10-inch hands. He doesn\u2019t possess Howell\u2019s bend or production, though, having recorded 5 1\/2 sacks over the past two seasons. He is likely to be selected early on Day 3.<\/p>\n
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