49ers’ 2026 NFL Draft Grades For Every Pick

The San Francisco 49ers have drawn mixed reviews from their 2026 NFL Draft class. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. admitted he was “confused” by San Francisco’s draft haul. Other analysts have ranked the 49ers towards the bottom of their ranking lists. But the hate is not universal.

Some analysts gave San Francisco a decent grade after the draft. This suggests that the draft class may not be as bad as it looks at first glance.

Did the 49ers make too many mistakes in the draft? Or is their lack of a first-round pick artificially making the whole class look weaker?

Here are grades for every pick the 49ers made during the draft.

Round 2, Pick 33: WR De’Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss

This feels like a prime example of “love the player, hate where they were drafted.”

Stribling was a popular prospect in the weeks leading up to the draft. Many draft analysts viewed him as a Day 2 prospect, which is technically true because he was the first pick on Friday night.

The main issue with drafting Stribling so high is ignoring the rest of the talent still on the board. AS ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. explained, San Francisco could have drafted Denzel Boston instead, a prospect who many scouts gave a first-round gave.

It is also awkward that San Francisco already has Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, and Christian Kirk locked in as their starting trio. That suggests that Stribling will not see the field much in 2026.

The 49ers do deserve some praise for adding excellent depth at wide receiver, especially after all of last season’s injuries. But San Fran may have been better off drafting someone who will make a big impact right away.

Hopefully Stribling can prove his doubters wrong during his rookie season.

Grade: C

Round 3, Pick 70: EDGE Romello Height, Texas Tech

The 49ers made a huge investment in their pass rush by adding Height.

The Texas Tech product has a unique building at 6-foot-6, 239 pounds. That is incredibly light for his size, with scouts suggesting he seriously hit the weight room before his rookie season.

However, San Francisco should be careful not to bulk Height up too much. Height’s biggest strengths are his quickness and loose hips. The 49ers probably won’t ask him to set any edges, but they will want him to come flying off the edge on passing downs.

As a result, Height projects as a pass rush specialist who will only see the field on third downs on in sub packages.

Grade: B

Round 3, Pick 90: RB Kaelon Black, Indiana

This pick is another huge reach, but it is far worse than the Stribling pick because of positional value.

San Francisco entered the draft without a power running back after losing Brian Robinson Jr. in free agency. Black should fill that role during his rookie season.

But was Black really worth the 90th overall pick?

Shanahan does not have a great track record of turning these annual mid-round running back picks into reliable players. That makes the Black pick especially concerning, considering he went above better prospects like Emmett Johnson, Kaytron Allen, and Mike Washington Jr.

Unfortunately, this may be San Francisco’s worst pick of the entire draft.

Grade: D

Round 4, Pick 107: DT Gracen Halton, Oklahoma

San Francisco doubled down on pass rushers by adding Halton to the middle of their defensive line.

Halton is an undersized three-technique at 6-foot-2, 293 pounds. What he lacks in size he makes up for in agility and quickness.

Just like with Height, the 49ers may not want to keep Halton on the field for obvious running downs. But Halton brings a lot to the table when rushing the passer, as his speed allows him to take advantage of twists and stunts.

It will be fascinating to see how San Francisco deploys him.

Grade: C+

Round 4, Pick 127: T Carver Willis, Washington

The 49ers must have really liked Willis to draft him in the fourth round.

Willis has flashed some impressive potential as a run blocker. However, his pass protection is pretty streaky in part because of his inability to anchor properly.

It will be interesting to see how San Francisco uses Willis. He could either move inside to guard or become a swing tackle in the running game. Either way, he does not project as a starter during his rookie season.

Still, the 49ers get a player who can essentially add depth at two different positions.

Grade: C-

Round 4, Pick 139: CB Ephesians Prysock, Washington

This pick is all about betting on Prysock’s elite athletic traits.

Prysock has truly elite size for a cornerback at 6-foot-3, 196 pounds. If he can take his game to the next level, he could become a true lockdown cornerback in the NFL.

The reason why Prysock was available in the fourth round is because he is an incredibly raw prospect. Scouts warn that Prysock’s subpar anticipation and short-area quickness could be a problem at the professional level.

Fortunately, the 49ers do not need to rush him onto the field during his rookie season. That should give the coaching staff enough time to team Prysock a thing or two.

This is a good process pick that could turn into a steal if Prysock continues learning the finer details of the position.

Grade: C

Round 5, Pick 154: LB Jaden Dugger, Louisiana

The 49ers clearly wanted to bet on some athletic prospects with their late-round picks.

Dugger is a fascinating prospect who could play several different roles in San Francisco’s defense. He has incredible athleticism at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds and a seven-foot wingspan.

Dugger is a converted safety who is a sound tackler and has solid instincts when playing in zone coverage. It is safe to assume that San Francisco would play Dugger close to the line of scrimmage on obvious passing downs.

The biggest question is how well he’ll play against NFL competition. Dugger spent his entire collegiate career at Georgetown and Louisiana, so he may need some time to adjust to the pro game.

Grade: C

Round 5, Pick 179: T Enrique Cruz Jr., Kansas

Cruz is another developmental pick who has incredible physical traits.

He has an excellent frame at 6-foot-5, 313 pounds along with excellent length. But Cruz needs to work on multiple areas of his technique before San Francisco can fully trust him.

Hopefully the 49ers are up to the task of coaching him up. Otherwise, this could be a waste of a fifth-round pick.

Grade: D

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