In NFL.com’s full-league mock re-draft, the 49ers managed to keep a familiar spine intact - and it starts with the kind of players that make a Shanahan offense hum.
San Francisco opened by using its No. 27 overall pick to retain Christian McCaffrey, keeping the offense centered around the league’s premier back. In the second round, the 49ers stayed on the same track and brought back Trent Williams, the future Hall of Fame tackle who would be tasked with clearing the way up front.
From there, the draft mixed proven veterans with a few calculated swings. The 49ers took backup quarterback Mac Jones in the third round to run the offense, then turned to the defensive side with Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown in the fourth and New Orleasn Saints edge rusher Cameron Jordan in the fifth. Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate came off the board in the sixth round, and San Francisco closed things out by keeping fullback Kyle Juszczyk in the seventh.
Here’s how the 49ers’ haul shook out in the re-draft:
Round 1: Christian McCaffrey, RB (No. 27 overall)
Round 2: Trent Williams, OT (No. 37)
Round 3: Mac Jones, QB (No. 92)
Round 4: Derrick Brown, DT (No. 102)
Round 5: Cameron Jordan, Edge (No. 154)
Round 6: Carnell Tate, WR (No. 167)
Round 7: Kyle Juszczyk, FB (No. 219)
The catch, of course, is that keeping McCaffrey, Williams and Juszczyk meant giving up most of San Francisco’s real-life core to the rest of the league.
The New England Patriots used the No. 31 overall pick on Brock Purdy. Nick Bosa went to the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round, while Fred Warner landed with the Baltimore Ravens. George Kittle was the next big name to go, drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round.
The exercise drives home just how central McCaffrey, Williams and Juszczyk are to the Kyle Shanahan offense. It also fits with Jones’ role in 2025, when he played well as a starter for Purdy and gave the 49ers a reason to bring him back in this kind of scenario.
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Kyle Shanahan May Already Be Bracing For Another Staff Loss
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The bigger question now is how long the 49ers can keep him in the fold. Bleacher Report has already pointed to Kubiak as a possible head-coaching candidate for 2027, and his name carries obvious weight in coaching circles given his family background and the success of his brother, Klint, with the Raiders. For Shanahan, the challenge is familiar: develop assistants, lean on them heavily, and then try to keep them from becoming the next attractive hire elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]