Tay'S MOCK DRAFT
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Tay'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 18, 2026

2026

  • Tay DRAFTING FOR THE
    49ers
Draft Selections
Caleb Lomu Head Shot
PICK: 27 RND: 1 (SF)
Caleb Lomu
OT Utah
Brian Parker II Head Shot
PICK: 58 RND: 2 (SF)
Brian Parker II
OG Duke
Zakee Wheatley Head Shot
PICK: 92 RND: 3 (SF)
Zakee Wheatley
S Penn State
Bryce Lance Head Shot
PICK: 127 RND: 4 (SF)
Bryce Lance
WR North Dakota State
Demond Claiborne Head Shot
PICK: 133 RND: 4 (SF)
Demond Claiborne
RB Wake Forest
Niki Prongos Head Shot
PICK: 139 RND: 4 (SF)
Niki Prongos
OT Stanford
Red Murdock Head Shot
PICK: 172 RND: 5 (SF)
Red Murdock
LB Buffalo
Draft Grade — 49ers
Overall B-
ValueC+ NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
The 49ers let Wheatley fall and pounced. Final grade: B-.

Thirty-one other rooms let Zakee Wheatley slide, and the 49ers were the ones holding the card at the Round 3 slot. Highway robbery. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.

The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Parker II has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. They left with offensive lineman solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.

Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.

Pick Analysis
Pick27 Rnd1 Caleb Lomu
In Round 1, Pick 27 they get protection for the quarterback, though they paid up to get him. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick58 Rnd2 Brian Parker II
Brian Parker II in pick 58 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick92 Rnd3 Zakee Wheatley
Circle this one: Zakee Wheatley at the Round 3 slot is a fall that decides a draft. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick127 Rnd4 Bryce Lance
Bryce Lance at No. 127 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick133 Rnd4 Demond Claiborne
A tidy little value on Demond Claiborne in slot 133, a step better than break-even. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick139 Rnd4 Niki Prongos
The board had Niki Prongos higher than the 139th overall pick, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick172 Rnd5 Red Murdock
No edge and no loss on Red Murdock in the 172nd pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. The roster fit checks out.