2026 NFL Draft expected to be trade heavy due to lack of depth

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 14: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers are less than two weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft, as they'll look to bolster their roster further with their six draft picks.

San Francisco has had quite a busy offseason so far, which continued with the signing of cornerback Jack Jones on Friday. They've been one of the most improved teams this offseason with additions at wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, cornerback, and linebacker.

Next up is the draft, where the 49ers currently hold the 27th pick. Behind that, they have their second-round pick, fourth-round pick, and three compensatory fourth-round picks.

Last offseason, the 49ers had 11 draft picks and elected to make all 11 of those selections. But, this year, with as many fourth-round picks as they have, it wouldn't be a surprise at all if the 49ers look to make a trade in the draft.

In fact, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported this week that this draft is expected to be one of the more trade-heavy drafts in recent years.

The expectation among many NFL teams is that the 2026 draft will be one of the more trade-heavy drafts in recent memory, according to multiple league sources," Schultz said.

Specifically, on the defensive side of the ball - EDGE, CB and LB are all strong/deep - while WR is typically considered to be the most talented offensive position. Several executives I've spoken with believe we're likely to see a flurry of activity in the first half of Round 1. Additionally, because this specific draft lacks depth in the later rounds, many teams plan to pursue extra Day 2 and early Day 3 picks, per league sources."

I suggested a potential trade out of the first round earlier in the week, which could give the 49ers more assets in the middle rounds, which is where the bread and butter of this draft seems to be. That also could give San Francisco more draft picks and provide more assets to make another move up, especially considering those four fourth-round picks.

But the other scenario of trading up in the first round could come into play as well. The 49ers are well-equipped with those fourth-round picks and have far more depth on their roster this season in comparison to last year.

Looking down the roster, the 49ers have adequate depth at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, linebacker, and cornerback. The positions where they don't have as much depth are expected to be positions of interest for the team in the draft.

Overall, though, it looks like teams are going to be active in this draft, and the 49ers could very well be involved in that action.