49ers Draw Optimism on 2026 NFL Draft

There has been plenty of negativity over the San Francisco 49ers' draft class from last month. Some of it is warranted, while some of it is harsh.

The Niners addressed some needs, though outsiders don't feel the same as those who are in the team's scouting department. Nevertheless, the team did add talented players to supplement an already championship ready roster.

Jose Sanchez of San Francisco 49ers on SI provided optimism on the team's draft picks. Here's what he had to say about the Niners' 2026 NFL draft.

"This year’s NFL draft wasn’t loaded with quality players. In fact, it was widely regarded as one of the worst drafts of all time. It was a severely lacking one, to say the least. Even the 49ers indirectly acknowledged that. When John Lynch held his pre-draft press conference, he said the 49ers had fewer first-round grades on players this year than last.

"Our first-round grades are down," Lynch said. "I don't want to give an exact number, but we're down a little bit in terms of the first-round grades."

Last year, the 49ers had 20 first round grades on players. Just imagine how much it decreased this year, considering this year's draft was viewed poorly. It’s no wonder they traded down not once but twice. No one was worthy of their first-round pick, even though Kyle Shanahan said they would’ve taken De’Zhaun Stribling at No. 33.

Plenty of teams across the league were trading down as well. That only cements the point of it being a low-level draft. Most of the value was after the second round since that is where most players were worth being taken."

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Carter Bradley (14) hands the football off to running back (31) during the second quarter against the at Levi's Stadium. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images