Kyle Shanahan
Getty
Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers.
The San Francisco 49ers enter the 2026 NFL Draft with one of the more interesting roster situations in the NFC. Last season, injuries gutted their receiver room. Ricky Pearsall missed significant time, and Brock Purdy was left without reliable weapons for stretches of the year. Meanwhile, Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in Week 7 of 2024, sat out the entire 2025 season, stopped communicating with the organization during his recovery, and had his 2026 guaranteed money voided as a result. San Francisco is actively trying to trade him, but his value is low and the situation remains unresolved.
The Niners still won 12 games and knocked off the Eagles in the playoffs. The offense never reached its ceiling, though.
This offseason, general manager John Lynch moved quickly to address that. Mike Evans arrived in free agency. Christian Kirk followed on a one-year deal. With the draft two weeks away, new intel has surfaced about where San Francisco’s first-round focus may land.
49ers Heavily Connected to Wide Receiver in Mock Exercises
KC Concepcion is a Cleveland Browns draft target.
GettySan Francisco 49ers are a potential destination for KC Concepcion.
ESPN’s Matt Miller reported Thursday that conversations with people around the league have left him feeling San Francisco does not view offensive tackle as a first-round priority. The more consistent signal points elsewhere.
“They have been heavily connected to wide receivers by teams when running through mock draft exercises,” Miller wrote.
The name generating the most buzz in that context is Texas A&M‘s KC Concepcion. Miller flagged him as a name to watch for the Niners heading into draft week. Bleacher Report’s latest mock has San Francisco selecting Concepcion at No. 27, with their scouting department describing him as a natural fit for Kyle Shanahan‘s West Coast system. The logic holds. Concepcion is a three-level threat who creates separation cleanly, operates from multiple alignments, and wins in space against both man and zone coverage.
What Concepcion Would Bring to San Francisco
Concepcion arrived at Texas A&M ahead of the 2025 season after two years at NC State. In his lone season with the Aggies, he posted 919 receiving yards and nine touchdowns across 13 games, finishing fourth in the SEC in receiving yards while tying for the conference lead in scores. Bleacher Report ranks him the No. 16 overall prospect in this class.
At 5-foot-11, 196 pounds, he projects best in the slot, where his acceleration and route-running quickness become genuine problems for defenses. Evaluators who have studied his film note that he fits best in a Shanahan-adjacent offense that already has a perimeter receiver who can stretch the field and force double teams, which is precisely what Evans provides on the outside.
Why the 49ers Still Need Another Piece
Brock Purdy
GettyBrock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers.
Each of the three players currently leading San Francisco’s receiver room carries an injury history or questions surrounding them, and Kirk is only signed for one year. After not having their No. 1 receiver available last season and injuries limiting Pearsall, the Niners wanted to build depth at the position. The free agency additions addressed the immediate need. They do not solve the longer-term one.
Adding Concepcion at No. 27 would give Purdy a young, dynamic option who fits the scheme and can develop alongside Pearsall for years. That is a different kind of value than a one-year stopgap provides. San Francisco holds four additional picks in the fourth round. If the board falls right on April 23, the intel around the league suggests the Niners will not hesitate.
Final Word
San Francisco’s receiver room looks better than it did a year ago. The Aiyuk situation is still unresolved, Kirk is on a short-term deal, and the group as a whole has a checkered injury history. Lynch knows that.
Concepcion would give this offense something it genuinely lacks in a young, scheme-fit weapon who can grow into a long-term role next to Pearsall. The mock draft intel points toward San Francisco seeing it the same way.
The draft kicks off April 23 in Pittsburgh. How San Francisco uses the No. 27 pick will say a lot about where they think this receiver room actually stands.