The San Francisco 49ers clawed their way into the playoffs last season in a loaded NFC West, and after dropping out in the Divisional Round, fans have high hopes for the 2026 NFL Draft. The team has earned notoriety for constantly dealing with injuries, and its faithful believe there’s value in offensive upgrades.
Who should the Niners draft?
Why 49ers Fans Badly Want San Francisco to Draft an Offensive Tackle
The 49ers’ offensive line gave up 27 sacks last season (74.4 PFSN OL Impact), and to maintain some stability, or even improve, they’ll need to shore up at tackle. With Trent Williams (37) and Colton McKivitz (29) aging, general manager John Lynch has to bolster depth at the position.
Fans certainly seem to hold this sentiment, as depicted by PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator, where 46% of users favor OTs. Wide receiver comes in second at 19.7%, hinting that some fans want to see more weapons in addition to running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and wideouts Mike Evans and Brandon Aiyuk.
Here are the most-drafted players in the simulator:
- Blake Miller (15.5%)
- Kadyn Proctor (9.8%)
- Max Iheanachor (9.5%)
Miller leads the list by a solid margin as one of the top tackles in the 2026 class. With 54 college starts under his belt, Miller is one of the most well-rounded offensive linemen this year.
“He’s an uber-explosive attacker off the snap and a light-footed puller with hyper-elite lateral and second-level range,” PFSN wrote. “His ability to cover ground and reach landmarks is matched only by his knee bend, movement balance, and synergetic feel in pass protection. And in 2025, he’s shown notable development with his anchor footwork, strength, and lower-body control.”
Proctor, one of a few tackles from the Nick Saban days at Alabama, is second on the list of 49ers fan favorites. At almost 6’7″, Proctor is also versatile enough to play guard, possessing elite size and power.
“Proctor does flash inspiring foot speed for his size, and he’s technically sound for his age, with smooth and efficient footwork, and a strong sense of timing and precision as a hand-fighter,” PFSN wrote. “Those elements could allow him to stick at OT as a quality starter, but he has impact starter upside inside at guard, where he resembles a prime Leonard Davis with his throttling hand power, devastating torque, and suffocating anchor strength.”
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The Niners will have to be aggressive this offseason in acquiring sufficient talent if they are to keep pace with NFC West powerhouses like the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams.
Who will they draft next week?
