The San Francisco 49ers and HC Kyle Shanahan begin preparing for life after Trent Williams in latest 2026 NFL mock draft 

It is pretty unbelievable to see just how dominant, and consistent San Francisco 49ers All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams has been over the course of his career. In 14 years in the NFL with the 49ers and Washington Commanders, Williams has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls, and was named an All-Pro three different times. Despite being 37 years old, the former Oklahoma Sooner is seemingly winning against Father Time, but the latter is undefeated in the end.

With Williams' age and Colton McKivitz being a replaceable starter at right tackle, general manager John Lynch and the 49ers would be wise to start finding long-term solutions at offensive tackle. Protecting your franchise quarterback in Brock Purdy is extremely important, and solidifying his blindside for life after Williams is vital. I could expect there to be some attention to doing so following the 2025 NFL season.

In a recent 2026 NFL mock draft from Kyle Crabbs of A to Z Sports, he focused on offensive tackle for the 49ers. With the No. 19 overall selection in the first round, San Francisco selected Penn State left tackle Drew Shelton. Here is what Crabbs had to say about Shelton, and his potential fit with the 49ers.

19. San Francisco 49ers – OL Drew Shelton, Penn State

Shelton grabbed my attention on film and appears to have all the makings of a top-flight offensive tackle prospect. He’s got the movement skills to thrive in the pace and space phases of today’s game, particularly for a wide zone-rooted team like San Francisco.

The 49ers have to get some long-term appeal on their depth chart at tackle amid an aging Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz entering into a contract year.

After backing up New York Jets offensive tackle Olu Fashanu earlier in his career, Shelton put together a strong season in 2024 as a first-year starter for the Nittany Lions. With requisite size and length, Shelton is one of the smoother movers of any offensive tackle in the 2026 class. His ability as an outside zone run blocker, and pass blocker, both bring some substantial upside to the table.

If Williams manages to maintain his outstanding play following this season, you could be in a position to let McKivitz walk and allow Shelton to start out at right tackle. For the long term, you could also groom him to take over the blindside once Williams does hang it up. Shelton feels like he would be a tremendous investment for the future.