The San Francsico 49ers made a number of trades before making their first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft at no.33, which meant waiting till Friday night before a selection got made. Addtionally, the 49ers also acquired the 70th and 90th picks.
Yet it seems that many deemed the 49ers first three selections as reaches and not addressing areas of need on the roster. With that being said here are the grades for each pick.
No.33 De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, Mississippi
Stribling performed well at the NFL combine, ranking seventh among wide receivers in athleticism and possessing excellent speed as his 40 time was 4.36. Over his past two college football seasons he combined for 107 receptions, 1,693 yards, 15.8 yards per reception, and 12 touchdowns.
According to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Stribling was the best blocking wide receiver in the draft.
Grade: B-
No.70 Romello Height, DE, Texas Tech
Another solid performer at the combine when it came to athleticism, Height ranked 8th. Interestingly enough he ranked 11th overall at his position and was the 13th taken. So it seems a reach does not apply here.
Height is 25 years old already. So he will need to make an immediate impact for the 49ers defense. He did produce in 2025 with 38 tackles including 11.5 for loss, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a pass defended.
Grade: C+
No.90: Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana
While Black was not invited to the NFL Combine. He possesses great strength and seems that short yardage and goal line situations are best suited for him and the 49ers.
For Indiana in 2025, he carried the ball 186 times for 1,040 yards, averaged 5.6 yards per carry, and ran for 10 touchdowns. He was not utilized in the passing game as he caught only four passes for 36 yards.
Grade: C-