By Brian Murphy
“Build through the draft”, wise elders of 49ers championship teams said, and Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Keena Turner and Jerry Rice rose and waved to the crowd.
“How’s that working out for the 49ers lately?”, the same elders asked, as Jake Moody, Cam Latu, Danny Gray and Trey Lance slipped out the back door of the auditorium.
Thursday, the 49ers step up to the plate again for another draft at-bat, and the future of the franchise hangs in the balance yet again.
Will the next generation of names that echo Brock Purdy and George Kittle and Nick Bosa and Fred Warner arrive in Santa Clara for a press conference portending continued years of contention? Or will the ghosts of Drake Jackson, Ty Davis-Price and Jalen Hurd haunt the auditorium in the coming years?
The 49ers are not flush with choices. Last year was that year: Eleven picks overall, starting with the No. 11 pick in the draft, and three of the top 75. Hello, Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins and (mystery man) Nick Martin.
This year, the 49ers own the very unsexy No. 27 pick, and only two of the top 125. They have a second-round pick (No. 58), and no third-rounder. That was traded in a move lauded by most in the know, for former Cowboys defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa.
Picking at 27 is, as you might expect, a mixed bag of history.
Last year, the Ravens did well to draft Malaki Starks of Georgia, a safety who started right away and was productive. In 2024, the Arizona Cardinals drafted defensive lineman Darius Robinson of Missouri, and his rookie year was a wash, only to see him begin to find his footing — lightly — in his second year, starting 12 games and logging one sack and two QB hits. No immediate impact.
The history goes like that at No. 27 — linebacker Devin Lloyd of Utah went to Jacksonville in 2022 and became a second-team All-Pro player by year four; offensive tackle Anton Harrison of Oklahoma also went to Jacksonville in 2023 and has started 48 games in three years as a solid player, a guy who by all reports has needed time and development. Again, impact delayed.
Given that instant impact, while ideal, is a longer shot than most, the Jock Blog would be just fine with the 49ers trading back to gain another pick.
That, of course, requires a team willing to move up to grab the unsexy 27th spot, but wacky things happen on draft night. A Pro Football Focus study shows an average of 3.5 trades in the past decade occur in the back half of the draft, from picks 23-32. Where the 49ers sit in 2026 has historically been trade-happy. I like that.
The 49ers under John Lynch have a richer history in later rounds. Shout out Upton Stout from last year, perhaps the star of their haul. Stout was a fourth-rounder. Surrendering No. 27 for an extra pick in rounds three or four or five is worth it.
But — if the 49ers stay put, if no trade comes their way, the conservative investment is drafting an edge pass rusher. It’s what you do. You wake up, you brush your teeth, you draft pass rushers. Mock drafters like our pal Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area say Central Florida’s Malachi Lawrence is a prime target — an older player who will be 23 by training camp and comes with questions, of course (two shoulder surgeries already). Others prefer Cashius Howell of Texas A&M, a unanimous All-American — who has shorter arms and can get engulfed by size, per The Athletic. They all have questions. Heck, I have questions about my own production every morning at 6 am.
The big picture is, the 49ers have had a pretty darn good offseason. I love Mike Evans in the Kyle Shanahan offense. Odighizuwa is a big value add on the defensive line. Even though he brings injury questions, I just like saying that Dre Greenlaw is a 49er.
Now comes the chance to add some players — six, maybe seven — who will span the spectrum of that fickle canvas known as the NFL Draft. Most will likely not be massive contributors to a possible Super Bowl run. The Jock Blog says trade back, if possible. If not, go edge. And enjoy the conjecture, sports fans.
