With the first wave of free agency down it’s time to start turning toward the San Francisco 49ers needs in the 2026 NFL draft.

The high-profile Mike Evans signing, the trade for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and the Christian Kirk signing were a nice start to the offseason. Now the 49ers will need to once again hit on some draft picks to be more competitive in 2026, while also establishing a younger core to move forward with.

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With those parallel timelines in mind, here’s a quick look at the 49ers’ updated needs for the 2026 NFL draft:

1. Edge rusher

The 49ers made a big swing on the interior of their defensive line by trading for Odighizuwa. Now they need to figure out what they’re doing on the edge. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are both coming off ACL tears and Bryce Huff retired. Sam Okuayinonu isn’t enough to shore up that group. Landing a high-level, plug-and-play pass rusher is going to be paramount for San Francisco early in this year’s draft.

2. Wide receiver

There was an argument to be made that this was the team’s top need entering free agency. The additions of Evans and Kirk in the free agent market pushes it down some, but it still sits as an early draft need for the 49ers. Evans and Kirk both had injury issues last year. Ricky Pearsall has also been injury prone through his first two NFL seasons. The 49ers still need a younger, dynamic playmaker who doesn’t have a track record of missing time.

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3. Interior offensive line depth

Spencer Burford and Matt Hennessy’s exits leave the 49ers pretty thin on the interior OL. Ben Bartch also remains unsigned. The 49ers did bring in journeyman OL Brett Toth, which means he and second-year seventh-round pick Connor Colby are the leading options to start at left guard. This may be an area San Francisco looks to address in the second and third free agency waves, but for now it sits as a Day 2 or early Day 3 priority for them in the 2026 draft.

4. Safety

It would be easy to push safety up the list if the 49ers had a different team-building philosophy. Alas, they haven’t valued safety particularly highly so it’s hard to put it above the three positions before it. The fact remains Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha and Marques Sigle are all question marks entering 2026. There’s a chance Sigle and Mustapha are longer-term answers for the 49ers’ defense. For now that position remains a real problem they should be looking to solve via the draft.

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5. Cornerback

This is another position that could fall lower for the 49ers. However, their depth isn’t great and Renardo Green’s status as a starter on the team is certainly in question after being pulled out of the 49ers’ playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Perhaps an improved pass rush is what the 49ers need to shore up their secondary. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they look to bolster that group with another veteran and a late draft pick.

6. Tight end

It’ll be interesting over the next couple of years to see how the 49ers address their TE position long-term. For now they have to figure out how to navigate life without Kittle as he recovers from an Achilles tear he suffered in a playoff game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell have the top two spots on the TE depth chart locked down, but it stands to reason the 49ers could use a third player in that room who could eventually become a regular at the position.

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7. Running back

The 49ers should draft a running back every year. This year it could rise up their list of priorities where they try to find a capable player in the early-to-mid rounds. Christian McCaffrey looked a step slower last year and the 49ers’ lack of explosive run plays isn’t sustainable for their offense. Jordan James looked good in his brief playoff stint late in San Francisco’s blowout divisional round loss, but it looks like Isaac Guerendo has fallen fully out of favor leaving the 49ers a little thin at RB.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL draft: San Francisco 49ers needs after big free agency moves