It's the worst kept secret of the San Francisco 49ers plans for the 2026 NFL draft: The Niners need an offensive lineman. Whether or not they get one early is still to be seen, but the need there is clear.
We have discussed at length the potential for a season without Trent Williams manning the left tackle spot. Undoubtedly, that poses a bleak outlook at the tackle position for the Niners in 2026. While there are needs elsewhere it makes sense that the Niners may opt to narrow their focus to protecting starting quarterback Brock Purdy's blind side.
NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco discussed a few options that the Niners might consider drafting this season. Here is what Maiocco has to say about the team's possible draft targets this week.
"The 49ers hosted offensive tackles Kadyn Proctor (Alabama) and Caleb Lomu (Utah) on pre-draft visits to Santa Clara. It is possible if they were to select either player, it would be with the idea of starting them at left guard on Day 1 before moving to left tackle when Williams leaves.
Max Iheanachor (Arizona State) could also be an option in the first round. He is new to the game and might require a year of development before taking over. After the first round, Caleb Tiernan (Northwestern), Markel Bell (Miami), Jude Bowrey (Boston College), Drew Shelton (Penn State) and Austin Barber (Florida) are worth monitoring.
Because of the opening at left guard, the 49ers might seek to fill that spot with one of their top two selections. Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M), Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech) and Gennings Dunker (Iowa) are strong options."
The list of prospects is diverse and wide ranging with players from all kinds of pedigree. Anyone who has followed college football's offensive line recruiting closely over the past five years knows who Chase Bisontis is out of New Jersey. Kadyn Proctor had a famous career with Alabama. Other names are lesser known as those players did more to prove their value in the college ranks than they did as high school prospects.
It's uncertain which offensive lineman the Niners place the most value on regardless of what they have said or may say leading up to the NFL draft. That said, it seems clear that they will have several good options to select in a deep offensive tackle draft for the 2026 class. We'll keep an eye on which player they may choose when the draft begins on April 23.