Niners' Draft Plan Shaken, Lynch's Flexibility in Spotlight

0:00It's April 22nd. You're listening to NFL News today, AI-powered NFL coverage. Draft week is here for the San Francisco 49ers, kicking off Thursday, April 23rd, 2026, with their first pick at number. 27. The big news dropped Monday when Trent Williams signed a two-year, $50 million extension, locking in their star-left tackle and shaking up. The whole draft plan. That deal gives General Manager John Lynch serious flexibility now. No panic at offensive tackle means they could trade back for more picks, grab the best player available like an edge rusher or safety or still build. For the future, behind Williams. Analysts are split but buzzing. Most mocks from spots like NFL.com and ESPN have the Niners taking Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu at 27, seeing him as a high upside. A few push for edge rusher like Malachi Lawrence from UCF or Safety's to bolster the back end.

1:00Later rounds show depth grabs too, like receivers, guards and more linemen in rounds 2 and 4. ESPN's Jordan Reed likes Lawrence for pressure upfront and Iowa guard Jennings Dunker to compete at left guard right away. With Lynch saying they lack major holes, the real question is, best player available or trade. Tune in Thursday at 5 p.m. Pacific time as the mystery unfolds in Santa Clara.