Jan. 26, 2026, 9:15 p.m. PT

The San Francisco 49ers have a host of needs to address in the 2026 NFL draft as they continue piecing together an on-the-fly roster transition they hope helps them avoid a full-blown rebuild.

A key piece of their success in that quest will be finding high-level talent via the draft. Free agency will cover some of their roster holes, but the draft is where long-term, sustainable success is found. That’s why their trio of selections in a three-round projection from our friends at the Draft Wire make a ton of sense, even if they don’t tackle some of the team’s most immediate needs.

Here’s a quick look at their three picks:

WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Selection: Round 1, Pick 27

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190

The skinny: Concepcion hauled in 16 touchdowns across two seasons at North Carolina State, including a whopping 10 as a freshman. His numbers dipped some in his second season before transferring to Texas A&M where he found immediate success in the SEC. Last year he hauled in 61 receptions for 919 yards and nine touchdowns. Perhaps the most intriguing part of Concepcion’s game is what he can do with the ball in his hands. He racked up 431 yards and three touchdowns on 70 carries in his college career. Concepcion also added punt return duties last season where he tallied a pair of touchdowns on 25 returns.

S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

Selection: Round 2, Pick 58

Height: 6-2

Weight: 202

The skinny: McNeil-Warren would be a really interesting addition for an evolving 49ers defense. His size is evident on film and his production across four years at Toledo is strong. In 48 games he racked up 214 tackles with 11 tackles for loss, five interceptions, 17 pass breakups and nine forced fumbles. His length and athleticism would give San Francisco a new style of safety who can conceivably be a more dynamic option in the back end of their defense than either of the Ji’Ayir Brown-Malik Mustapha duo provides.

EDGE Josh Josephs, Tennessee

Selection: Round 3, Pick 92

Height: 6-3

Weight: 240

The skinny: There’s a lot to like just looking at Josephs. His frame is leaner than his 6-3, 240-pound listing would suggest and he brings really good length that he uses to move blockers. His athleticism looks okay on tape, but he looks a little stiff coming off the edge which may be part of the reason he’s a third-round projection this early in the draft process. Josephs spent four years at Tennessee and posted 104 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Josephs also notched four pass breakups and six forced fumbles. More depth on the edge should be a priority in this draft for the 49ers and Josephs has a lot of desirable tools.

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