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1 Surprising Position the San Francisco 49ers Could Draft in 2026

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers have a way of making their fans think they know what is coming from the team, only to make a surprise addition, pick, or decision. They could very well do the same thing in the 2026 NFL draft.

Will the San Francisco 49ers draft a linebacker in the 2026 NFL draft?

If you had to rank the positions that the 49ers are unlikely to draft, you would not get far before linebacker is listed. However, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report thinks different. Ballentine wrote a surprising need for all 32 teams entering the draft. For the 49ers, the surprising need was linebacker.

The 49ers currently have nine off-ball linebackers on the roster so it would be pretty easy to dismiss the idea of them drafting one. Except five of those linebackers are 2027 free agents.Alex Ballentine

He is not wrong that it would be a major surprise if San Francisco drafted a linebacker. San Francisco arguably has seven linebackers who can make the roster.

They just added Dre Greenlaw in free agency. They have Dee Winters, Tatum Bethune, and Nick Martin on rookie salary deals. They just re-signed Luke Gifford and Garrett Wallow. When you add in Fred Warner, they have multiple starting options, young depth, and special teams veterans. It is hard to see where the rookie would slot in and who they would cut to make room.

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On the flip side, Ballentine is correct that the future is not pretty in San Francisco. Warner is getting older, Greenlaw may have one year, and he just beat out Martin and Winters, who have stalled in their development. The rest of the room is depth, so a starter for 2027 and beyond is needed at some point.

Still, the 49ers need starters for 2027 and beyond at wide receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, edge rusher, and safety. This is not a new revelation. The team is all-in on this year and will worry about 2027 later.

So, it is very hard to see them drafting someone to compete to be depth and have no shot at playing this year, only for him to have a chance to compete next year. There is a chance that Greenlaw is back to his old ways and re-signs, or Winters takes a step. The team has too many needs to worry about if those things do not happen.

If there is a more underrated need, it may be cornerback. With Nate Hobbs added to compete with Renardo Green, that may look complete, but Green could be on the trade block, and Hobbs was not healthy last year. A cornerback would be surprising, but could make a year-one impact, which makes it more realistic for San Francisco.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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