49ers take ACC edge rusher in new 2026 mock draft
A new mock draft has the 49ers taking a highly productive edge rusher in the first round.
Every team's 2026 draft plans are beginning to take shape with free agency winding down and the first round only a little more than a month away. The San Francisco 49ers will have to wait a bit to make their first selection at pick No. 27, but the team has a few options to go with when they're on the clock.
The prevailing theory is the 49ers will target receiver, offensive line or edge rusher with the selection. NFL. com's Eric Edholm went with edge rusher, but he picked on that hasn't really been mocked to the 49ers this offseason: Clemson's T.
J. Parker. The Niners were dead last in the NFL in sacks (20) last season, with Nick Bosa losing 14 games to a torn ACL.
Parker would be good insurance as Bosa returns to action and could team up well with Mykel Williams, making for a big, athletic group up front. Would it be wise to double-up on first-round edge rushers in consecutive drafts after taking Williams in 2025? Maybe not, but it's a clear need for San Francisco.