There’s no clear direction the San Francisco 49ers should go with their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft based on how most pre-draft projections are shaking out. ESPN’s Adam Schefter in a podcast released Monday indicated the team has one goal in mind when they’re on the clock Thursday night.
Schefter didn’t have a player the 49ers are eyeing, although he didn’t rule out the team selecting an offensive tackle in the first round despite Trent Williams agreeing to a new two-year deal worth up to $50 million. Instead he was adamant that they’ll try and make a trade.
“I still think the 49ers now need another offensive tackle,” Schefter said. “I’m not going to be surprised if the 49ers trade out of this spot. Like a lot of teams, the 49ers will be open to moving back. Other teams are opent o moving back. The question is who’s moving up. But Trent Williams is now in the fold on a two-year, $50 million contract. The Niners are hoping to get him for the next couple of years. He’s contractually tied to them. we’ll see how that plays out, but it does get them a little bit of flexibility, and I’m looking for a move back.”
Given their lack of draft capital with only six picks, including none in Round 3 and none after Round 4, a move back from a 27th pick that appears poised to feature a glut of Day 2 talents makes a ton of sense. The problem will be finding a trade partner that wants to come up into that spot where the Day 2 talents roam.
Perhaps the 49ers would be willing to take a discount on a move back just to recoup some of the draft capital they’ve lost in trades over the last couple of seasons. Adding a couple of Day 2 picks, or a Day 2 pick and a couple of Day 3 picks to move back might give them a better chance to come away with a draft haul that helps them in the short and long-term.
If they do stick at No. 27, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them to ignore need and take the best available player, which could very well be an offensive tackle.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Adam Schefter: There’s 1 clear way 49ers want to use 1st-round pick
Reporting by Kyle Madson, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
