B-
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers won the night they stopped Klare from sliding. Grade: B-.
by hammertime140 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 17 picks
· 5 steals
· 9 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Max Klare got past him. The 49ers do not have to explain a thing at the 117th pick.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The cost of the Coleman Jr. reach is exactly the players who went right after him.
It is a win-now wager, and the future is the stake.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 31 they get a double-digit-sack hope, though they paid up to get him. A clean fit for the roster.
Zachariah Branch in the 62nd pick is fair value, right on his grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Domonique Orange slipping to the Round 3 slot is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They read the board right and Sam Hecht was the payoff at the 95th overall pick. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Steal is underselling it; Kamari Ramsey at No. 108 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 115, where Jalon Kilgore graded well above the range. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Circle this one: Max Klare at pick 117 is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They did well to land Taurean York in slot 121, just ahead of his grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
A tidy little value on Julian Neal in No. 124, a step better than break-even. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
A conviction pick on Jakobe Thomas at Round 4, Pick 27 that the board grades a round light. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
They paid up for Isaiah World at the Round 4 slot when waiting would have done the job. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jaeden Roberts in pick No. 133 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A real head-scratcher, Drew Allar in the 138th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Kevin Coleman Jr. in the 139th overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Bryce Boettcher in slot 164 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It fills a real need, too.
The board had cheaper options than Zane Durant at pick 171, and it noticed. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
J'Mari Taylor at slot 175 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.