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ust like that, the 2026 NFL Draft is over and the league’s newest crop of rookies have found a home. Now, the focus fully shifts onto 2026 where each team will figure out exactly how their newest draft picks will fit into their plans for the season. For some teams, this draft was about finding rookies that can keep the standards high and make sure that they return as contenders in 2026. For other teams, this draft was vital for finding those pieces that can bring them to relevance.
For the San Francisco 49ers, the task was clear– get younger, faster and even better. Despite making the playoffs in 2025 after a one season absence, the 49ers were never a real threat– dealing with injuries to several key players and ultimately seeing their season end earlier than they were hoping. Entering the draft, there was a lot of hype surrounding the 49ers but once again, the 49ers drafted unconventionally, leaving many scratching their heads. And on Monday, April 27, Bleacher Report released an article assessing the draft for each team and did not mince words when talking about the 49ers.
49ers’ Draft Deemed ‘Inefficient’
Holding the No. 27 overall pick, the 49ers kicked things off by trading out of No. 27 to No. 30, before trading out of the first round entirely and acquiring the first pick of the second round. From there, things got interesting with the 49ers using the No. 33 pick to select a receiver that nobody really talked about in De’Zhaun Stribling out of Ole Miss. Overall, the 49ers draft got mixed reviews, especially when Bleacher Report called the 49ers’ draft ‘inefficient.’
“After trading out of the first round, the San Francisco 49ers took Ole Miss receiver De’Zhaun Stribling with the first pick of Day 2. Stribling should mesh well with the rest of San Francisco’s offense, but taking him was a fairly significant reach,” Bleacher Report’s Kris Knox wrote… “San Francisco’s other Day-2 picks, edge-rusher Romello Height and running back Kaelon Black, were also drafted substantially higher than projected—Black was the 210th-ranked prospect on the B/R board. No one will remember the reaches if Stribling, Height, and Black all become valuable contributors, but the 49ers still have an inefficient use of draft capital.”
Whether the 49ers had a successful draft remains to be seen, but one thing is clear– they never fail to create storylines or get people talking during draft weekend.
The Rest of the 49ers’ Draft
After selecting Stribling, Height and Black on day two, the 49ers made five more selections on the final day– rounding out their draft class. Selecting defensive tackle Gracen Halton out of Oklahoma to start the fourth round, the 49ers also chose offensive tackle Carver Willis (Washington) and defensive back Ephesians Prysock (Washington) before acquiring two fifth round picks– which they used to draft linebacker Jaden Dugger (Louisiana) and offensive lineman Enrique Cruz Jr. (Kansas).
Now the question becomes whether or not any of the 49ers’ draft picks contributes this year and can make a real difference.
49ers Get Blunt Assessment for NFL Draft