One of the bigger surprises from the San Francisco 49ers' efforts in the 2025 NFL Draft was the fact they waited until Round 7 to select an offensive lineman, Iowa guard Connor Colby, who'll be a long shot to make the roster anyway.
Part of the decision might have been influenced by All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams' future, which points to him playing at least a couple more seasons, thereby lessening the immediate need to find the soon-to-be 37 year old's successor.
Still, there are sentiments suggesting the Niners' top need in the 2026 draft will be an offensive lineman.
Except Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema isn't buying it.
In looking at all 32 teams' biggest projected draft needs a little less than a year from now, Sikkema pivoted from San Francisco's offense to the other side of the ball.
As such, the PFF analyst feels the 49ers' biggest need will be a safety, specifically a free safety:
"The 49ers lost safety Talanoa Hufanga in free agency, but Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown are capable of filling that downhill strong safety role. But who is playing single-high coverage between those two? Brown earned a 71.5 PFF coverage grade and Mustapha recorded just a 62.5 mark when they were aligned as free safeties.
With Robert Saleh back in San Francisco, expect one of them to play that single-high role often in his Cover 3 base. Can one, likely Brown, step up to the plate? If not, the 2026 safety class is strong."
It's not a terrible conclusion.
Both Brown and Mustapha are more traditional strong safeties who perform better when closer to the box, not unlike Hufanga. Ranginess, a requirement in a Cover 3 single-high scheme, is vital. Yet neither Brown nor Mustapha are particularly known for that.
True, the Niners grabbed rookie safety Marques Sigle to offset Mustapha's surprising torn ACL suffered in Week 18 last year, but Sigle is a day-three rookie and unproven as such.
Until otherwise determined, grabbing a rangy high-patrolling safety might end up being San Francisco's biggest priority once 2026 rolls around.
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