49ers have 1 easy route to becoming instant Super Bowl contender

The San Francisco didn't have a bad 2025 season, but they didn't have a great one, either. After being one win away from winning the NFC West and taking the top seed in the division, the 49ers were walloped by the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks.

This team is still very much a contender in the NFL, but they will need help to get there. And, according to FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano, all they need to do to become instant contenders is crush the 2026 draft. And they way they do that is by adding more marquee pass rushers and a star in the secondary.

They were 12-5 last season, so it’s really a short leap to being in the run for a championship, which they were for most of last season. They still have more than enough weapons on offense, especially after signing receivers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. But they can guarantee their status among the NFC’s elite if they can strengthen their pass defense.

To do that, they need two things: a better pass rush and at least one playmaker in the secondary. Pass rush might be the bigger need, even if Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are healthy. They didn’t have a single player with more than four sacks last year. Alas, they didn’t have a single corner who picked off a pass, either.

They have only two selections in the first two days — Nos. 27 and 58 — but those are their two obvious positional targets. They need to strengthen those areas to compete in the loaded NFC West anyway. And if they can survive that division, a Super Bowl run definitely won’t be out of reach.