Shanahan Outlines the 49ers' Board-Driven 2026 Draft Strategy

Kyle Shanahan described a collaborative, board-driven approach to San Francisco’s 2026 draft: the staff builds and watches highlight tapes for hundreds of prospects, the team traded down twice to accumulate more picks, and eight players were selected (including De'Zhaun Stribling and Kaelon Black) with a 2027 sixth-round pick added. The goal was to maximize roster competition and future draft capital by trusting coaches’ and scouts’ work and sticking to a disciplined plan rather than chasing late-first-round targets.