Left Tackle at 27?

 

 

 The 2026 NFL Draft, or Draftmas as some of us may affectionately call it, is almost upon us.  

In a week, many members of The Faithful will be in front of their TV. Others will be holding their phone close, eager to see who the pick will be.

Ask any fan who they think the 49ers should pick. You'll get a list of several positions the 49ers should address, and which prospect should be drafted to address each position.  

However, there is one position that usually comes up most often: left tackle.

And it makes sense, too. Trent Williams is still one of the best in the NFL at his position, but he is approaching 40 years old and has shown signs of regression over the last two seasons. It absolutely makes sense for the 49ers to draft his eventual replacement with the 27th pick in the first round, right?

Hold that thought, because the evidence shows that it is likely not the case. If you look at who the 49ers have played at the left tackle position under Shanahan, you’ll notice one thing the two have in common.

They were NFL veterans.

When the 49ers learned in 2020 that Joe Staley was planning to retire, they traded for Trent Williams to take his place instead of drafting fan favorite Tristan Wirfs.

Some will say their selection was due to the 49ers needing to draft a replacement for DT DeForest Buckner after trading him to the Colts.

Fair argument, except the 49ers have followed the strategy of signing a veteran over drafting a successor at the center position. The 49ers signed Weston Richburg, then Alex Mack, and currently have Jake Brendel manning the center position.

What this shows is that Shanahan trusts a veteran at two very important areas on the offensive line: center, and the position most of The Faithful want addressed, a successor to Trent Williams at left tackle. 

But one of the nuances of a Shanahan run offense is its complexity, so having a veteran at the left tackle position allows Shanahan to only worry about teaching the player the offensive scheme instead of the offense and how to play the position at the NFL level.

Does drafting a left tackle at pick 27 in the first round make sense?

To the fan base, absolutely.

To the 49ers, not so much. 

BPA Draft

Players with the best chance of being on the board at 27:

Peter Woods 39.5%

KC Concepcion 42.3%

Blake Miller 42.9%

Cassius Howell 44.7%

TJ Parker 45.8%

Denzel Boston 48.9%

Caleb Lomu 50.9%

Tier Values

 

Blindside Protection

 

The 49ers are making their stance clear on Trent Williams: San Francisco is willing to guarantee roughly $36M over the next two years — including about $24M in 2026, per Jason LaCanfora. Sounds like a marriage commitment to me for Brock Purdy’s blindside. Likely guarantees OL is off the table at 27.

Step By Step

 Gabe Jacas 1.59

Defensive Trenches

 

Niners Mock

 

• 27

  

  Christen Miller

  DL

  

  Georgia
  "Stout against the run with a lethal bull rush and a quick first step, the "Renaissance Man" reinforces the DL room"
• 58

  

  Keyron Crawford

  EDGE

  

  Auburn
  "'25 - 36 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5 Sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 Int - Ascending player who should grow under Morris"
• 103

  

  Elijah Sarratt

  WR

  

  Indiana
  "Surprised that he's still on the board, Lynch moves up for the "Waffle House" who could be the forgotten gem from IU"
• 133

  

  Trey Zuhn III

  OT

  

  Texas A&M
  "4-year starter at LT and team captain competes for LG/C and in a pinch OT"

• 138

  

  Nick Singleton

  RB

  

  Penn State
  "3rd down back who put Jacas on his *** with 3 years of full-time kick returning duties making Guerendo a trade candidate"

Trades

SF recieves
2026
4.103

NYJ recieves
2026
4.127
2026
4.139