49ers Draft De’Zhaun Stribling At No. 33
The 49ers opened the second round of the NFL draft with an offensive addition on Friday. They selected Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling 33rd overall.
San Francisco entered the draft with the 27th pick, but it arrived at 33 after trading down twice. The 49ers moved to 30th in a deal with the Dolpins and then went down three more spots in a trade with the Jets. General manager John Lynch was open to offers for the 33rd choice, but he instead stayed put and bolstered the 49ers’ receiving corps.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound Stribling, nephew of WWE Hall of Famer Don “The Rock” Muraco, played at three different schools during a five-year college career. He combined for an impressive 95 catches and 10 touchdowns at Washington State from 2021-22 before transferring to Oklahoma State. A hand injury limited Stribling to four games and 14 catches in 2023, but he bounced back during a 52-reception, 882-yard, six-touchdown showing the next season. Stribling moved on to Ole Miss last year, where he posted similar production (55-811-6).
While Stribling was rarely mentioned among the top receiver prospects during the pre-draft process, his stock rose thanks in part to his performance at the Combine. Stribling ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked him as the 67th-best prospect in this class heading into the draft, contending he could turn into a No. 2 or 3 receiver in the pros.
Stribling will now join a Mike Evans-led group of 49ers receivers that also includes 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall and slot wideout Christian Kirk in prominent roles. Meanwhile, Brandon Aiyuk is still under contract, but the 49ers remain hopeful they will find a trade partner, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. That has proven difficult after a tumultuous year-plus for Aiyuk. After tearing his ACL and MCL in October, Aiyuk largely stayed away from the team during a lost 2025. The 49ers inked Aiyuk to a four-year, $120MM extension in August 2024, but they voided the remaining guarantees in his contract last July.
Teams Atop Second-Round Order Receiving Calls; 49ers Open To Trading Down
4:15pm: The 49ers’ 33rd pick is a popular target for teams looking to trade up, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who mentions Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis among the group of potential selections.
If San Francisco does not bite on an offer, they may pursue Missouri defensive end Zion Young, Breer adds. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams tore their ACLs last year, so Young would give the 49ers a reliable starter as the two former first-rounders make their way back to the field.
12:47pm: Many of the picks toward the back end of the first-round order changed hands last night. That resulted in several alterations to the draft list for Day 2.
As things stand, the 49ers, Cardinals and Bills own the first three picks in tonight’s second round. Several more trades can of course be expected moving forward, and NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports all three of those teams have received calls. It would come as little surprise if San Francisco in particular elected to move out of the No. 33 spot.
Per Schultz, the 49ers are considered to be “very open” to trading down. GM John Lynch authorized a move from No. 27 to 30 in a deal with the Dolphins. That was followed in short order by a trade which saw the Jets acquire No. 30. San Francisco has yet to make a selection in 2026 as a result, but Schultz notes the team is confident one of its targets will still be available even if another trade down the board takes place.
The Cardinals were long seen as a candidate to move into the back half of the first round to select quarterback Ty Simpson. With the Rams having selected him 13th overall, though, Arizona was not among the teams moving around late last night. The Cardinals added running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, and several options will be available when they are next on the clock regardless of if a trade is worked out.
The Bills were originally scheduled to select 26th overall. Things changed on multiple occasions as the first round drew to a close, however, with Buffalo opting to trade down three times. That has given general manager Brandon Beane extra capital to work with, although continuing to move down will carry risk in terms of limiting the remaining high-end prospects available when he makes his first pick. It will be interesting to see how Buffalo operates moving forward.
Earlier today, the Giants were floated as a team which could trade up from the No. 37 slot. A pairing between New York and one of the top three teams in the current second-round order could be something to watch for as the countdown to Day 2 continues.
Multiple Teams Looking To Move Up In 2nd Round
Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft was packed with trades. Teams were constantly shuffling the order as they attempted to secure coveted prospects and/or extra draft capital.
The picks are expected to continue flying around on Day 2 with clubs jockeying for top talents who fell out of the first round. Several are looking to move up to the top of the second round, including the Dolphins, Saints, Browns, Steelers, and Jaguars, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He mentions four players are potential trade-up targets: Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, Tennesse cornerbacks Colton Hood and Jermod McCoy, and Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston.
The Dolphins drafted two nose tackles in Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips last year, so trading up for a third in McDonald would make little sense. Their cornerback room was a major liability last year and only saw marginal upgrades in free agency, so either Hood or McCoy could be targets. And of course, trading Jaylen Waddle created a major need at wide receiver in Miami. Boston could fill it.
Saints defensive tackles Nathan Shepherd and Davon Godchaux are both into their 30s and entering the final year of their contract, so the team could certainly target McDonald. They could stand to upgrade at cornerback behind 2024 second-rounder Kool-Aid McKinstry, but trading up to select another wide receiver after taking Jordyn Tyson at No. 8 overall seems unwise.
The Browns are known to have interest in wide receivers in this draft class, though Boston’s skillset may not be ideal for Todd Monken’s new offense. Cleveland could strengthen the interior of their defensive line, especially with a massive run-stuffer like McDonald. They have more talent at cornerback, but could stand to add a high-upside talent to the room.
The Steelers are likely looking to move up for a wide receiver after getting sniped for Makai Lemon by the Eagles in Round 1. They could move up as high as the 33rd overall pick, the first on Day 2, which is currently owned by the 49ers via trades with the Dolphins and Jets. San Francisco has received multiple calls about their selection and is open to moving it, per Pelissero.
Jacksonville would seem to be set at wide receiver with Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas, and Parker Washington. Travis Hunter is going to spend more time at cornerback in 2026, but he will still be available for some offensive packages. The Jaguars traded for defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, this offseason, but they could still add depth, especially with DaVon Hamilton entering the final year of his contract. Similar to the Browns, they have a decent cornerback room right now but could stand to add more long-term upside.
The Jaguars also explored trading into the first round, per Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union, though no deal materialized. General manager James Gladstone was aggressive in pursuing Hunter during last year’s draft, and his time under Rams GM Les Snead further indicates his willingness to chase his favorite prospects.
Jets Collect No. 30 From 49ers, Draft WR Omar Cooper Jr.
Another pass catcher will follow Kenyon Sadiq to the Jets. The team traded up (via the 49ers) to add Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
The Jets are trading Nos. 33 and 179 to the 49ers, who have moved down a second time tonight. San Francisco previously slid down three spots to No. 30 via Miami. The 49ers join the Bills in trading out of Round 1 tonight. Buffalo made three trade-down moves; San Francisco made two.
Although the Jets were high on Cooper, the team was believed to like him better at No. 33 than No. 16. That report turned out to be in line with the club’s thinking. New York used its No. 16 pick on Sadiq, and Cooper will head east via the team’s third choice tonight.
This marks the second time in five drafts the Jets made three first-round picks; they also have three firsts in 2027. New York drafted Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson in 2022. As the Jets have restocked their roster under GM Darren Mougey and HC Aaron Glenn, Gardner and Johnson have both been traded since November. Wilson signed an extension last year; now, Cooper will profile as a high-end complementary target — at least, the Jets hope that will be the case.
Cooper joins Adonai Mitchell — obtained in the Gardner trade — as rookie-deal cogs set to flank Wilson. Two years remain on Mitchell’s rookie contract, while Cooper’s deal can run through 2030 via the fifth-year option. The past two Jet GMs have now invested a first-round pick at wideout; the team had previously gone from Santana Moss (2001) to Wilson between such moves.
Ranking 17th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Cooper heads to New York after helping Fernando Mendoza guide Indiana to a storybook unbeaten season. Helping a formerly downtrodden program complete a stunning two-year rise to the top of the sport, Cooper caught 69 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns during his final Hoosiers season. Cooper’s highwire act in the end zone in the final minute of Indiana’s Penn State matchup kept the Hoosiers’ undefeated, and he totaled five catches for 71 yards in the team’s national championship victory over Miami.
The 199-pound receiver prospect clocked a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. Displaying quality route-running ability with run-after-catch success, Cooper will join a Jets team that managed to complete a 17-game season without a 400-yard receiver emerging. That was an organizational first since the 1976 Lou Holtz-helmed season. While Wilson’s injury led directly to this stat, the team was in dire need of auxiliary help when Wilson was on the field. Cooper brings a good chance of providing it come September.
Dolphins Acquire No. 27 From 49ers, Draft CB Chris Johnson
After trading back with their first pick tonight, the Dolphins are moving up three spots from their second first-round window. Miami will send Nos. 30 and 90 to San Francisco, and the Dolphins are selecting San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson at No. 27. The 49ers will acquire the pick the Broncos sent to the Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle.
After LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, several cornerback prospects were thought to be potential first-round candidates, but none were guarantees. Lo and behold, McCoy has slipped past Day 1, and Johnson takes the honor of CB2 and the only corner, with Delane, who will receive a fifth-year option.
It’s not hard to see why Miami opted to select Johnson here. Johnson started to pop on film as a sophomore for the Aztecs. Rotating in off the bench, he made the most of his opportunities, recording his first interception, deflecting a pass, and forcing a fumble all in limited time. As a full-time starter his junior year, Johnson’s production increased with another interception, four passes defensed, and three forced fumbles. He exploded in Year 4 at San Diego State, lighting up the stat sheet with four interceptions, nine passes defensed, a sack, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.
Part of what makes Johnson such a valuable defender isn’t just that he has a nose for the football and is constantly around the play. He also makes the most of his opportunities when he does get his hands on the ball. While the college downing rules mean many interceptions result in zero return yards as defensive backs tumble to the ground to make a play, Johnson showed a different initiative. Over the course of his collegiate career, he averaged 38.7 yards per interception return, and in his senior year, his four picks were returned for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
There are concerns about Johnson’s physicality and strength against larger ballcarriers with his thin frame, and his level of competition was never the best in college, but Johnson dominated the tier of football that he was at, as shows the ability to continue dominating.
Miami saw cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Jack Jones depart in free agency and veteran Rasul Douglas‘ contract expired, as well. Making his way across the country, Johnson should immediately have a pathway to a starting role across from Darrell Baker in a young, inexperienced secondary. There may be some challenge, but with the Dolphins trading up to land him, it may just be his job to lose.
OL-Heavy First Round Expected
This draft is expected to bring the rare instance of a running back, safety and off-ball linebacker each chosen in the top 10. Beyond the Jeremiyah Love, Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles inclusions, this draft lacks quarterback depth — at least at the top of the prospect pool — and does not feature a surefire top-10 cornerback.
In terms of high-end volume, offensive line may be where this group stands out. Although no blockers are certain to go in the top five, ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes as many as 10 could come off the board in Round 1. Various executives have informed veteran insider Jordan Schultz simulations are seeing nine O-linemen go in the first round.
The Nos. 10-14 spots may be where the run begins, per Schultz, and Graziano names a host of teams as interested parties. The Lions (No. 17), Panthers (No. 19), Steelers (No. 21), Chargers (No. 22), Eagles (No. 23), Browns (Nos. 6, 24), 49ers (No. 27), Chiefs (Nos. 9, 29) and Patriots (No. 31) are among the teams who would “love” to exit Round 1 with an O-lineman added.
Cleveland’s O-line interest has been well documented, and Graziano adds the team wants to leave the first round with a tackle and a receiver. The Browns traded for Tytus Howard to play right tackle but have injury-prone Dawand Jones penciled in at LT; Jones’ place on the depth chart may well change based on a transaction tonight. Detroit has been linked to tackles following Taylor Decker‘s release. Kansas City was loosely tied to Trent Williams, but the longtime San Francisco LT has reached an extension to stay in the Bay Area.
The collection of teams Graziano mentioned would lend to the O-line run beginning in the back half of the first round, and FOX’s Jay Glazer points to seven or eight being off the board by the early 20s. That could influence trade-up moves from teams who view the first round as essential to restocking their front fives.
Francis Mauigoa (Miami), Spencer Fano (Utah), Vega Ioane (Penn State), Monroe Freeling (Georgia), Kadyn Proctor (Alabama) and Blake Miller (Clemson) look like the safest bets to be chosen in Round 1. Mauigoa and Fano have been connected to Cleveland at No. 6, while Ioane-Giants ties have circulated after Ravens connections emerged. Ioane may be viewed as the safest bet among the whole lot, as Glazer adds NFL personnel staffers have him among four players in this class (along with Downs, Love and Fernando Mendoza) as the surest candidates to rise to the Pro Bowl level.
The Chiefs using their No. 9 pick on a blocker would not be surprising, Graziano adds, and it would mean back-to-back years with a first-round lineman chosen. Kansas City has a right tackle vacancy following its Jawaan Taylor release. While Jaylon Moore (two years, $30MM) is an overpriced backup, the ex-49er entered last season behind Taylor and Josh Simmons — the Chiefs’ No. 32 overall pick in 2025.
Caleb Lomu (Utah) and Max Iheanachor (Arizona State) also land in Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com top 32. Both were busy on the “30” visit circuit. Although Keylan Rutledge comes in 47th on Jeremiah’s big board — as the next O-lineman listed — ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds the Texans have done plenty of work on the Georgia Tech guard. The Texans have been connected to further bolstering their O-line — a recent trouble spot — early in this year’s draft. Houston met with Lomu, Iheanachor and Miller recently, and Proctor visited in March.
49ers Have Discussed Brandon Aiyuk In Trades; Team May Retain WR Into Summer
Early in free agency, a 49ers plan to release Brandon Aiyuk surfaced. Five-plus weeks later, the disgruntled former All-Pro remains on the team. Aiyuk, who missed all of last season due to injury, saw the 49ers take the rare step to void future guarantees on his deal due to his rehab approach. The wide receiver and the team are headed for a divorce, but it could take much longer to finalize than expected.
John Lynch confirmed this week Aiyuk generated trade discussions at the league meetings, but the 10th-year GM does not expect (per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch) anything to happen here during the draft. The updated structure of Aiyuk’s contract gives San Francisco some time, and the team is assuredly not eager to do the receiver any favors based on how things have gone since his extension was finalized.
As our Ben Levine noted recently, an early-September option bonus likely serves as the point of no return for the 49ers with Aiyuk. The WR is due a nearly $25MM bonus that, if picked up, would be prorated through 2030. If it isn’t exercised, then it would be owed all at once. That would drive Aiyuk’s 2026 price to an untenable $26MM. While a future in which the 49ers mend fences with Aiyuk and retain him has been floated (by CEO Jed York), it remains highly unlikely. After all, Lynch said this relationship was essentially over earlier this year.
The September bonus date creates some time for the 49ers to dangle Aiyuk in trades, and Casino.com’s Jason La Canfora notes the team may even prefer stringing this process out into the summer before moving on. This would give Aiyuk less time to acclimate in a new offense, though that is not exactly the 49ers’ chief concern. Kyle Shanahan said as much at the league meetings.
“You’ve got to do what’s right for the Niners, and you’re not trying to hook up any other team as fast as you possibly can,” Shanahan said, via Branch.
Finding a team to take on this contract, after Aiyuk has missed 1 1/2 seasons and became a distraction for his current club, will not be easy. Nonguaranteed base salaries of $27.27MM (2027) and $29.15MM (’28) are in place. An injury to a key receiver elsewhere could lead a team to consider parting with lower-level draft assets for Aiyuk, and a franchise not confident in its ability to lure the former first-round pick in free agency could always swing a deal.
Aiyuk has been closely tied to the Commanders, where he would have considered going in 2024 had the team — one built around ex-Aiyuk Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels — shown interest during that summer’s trade derby. It would be unlikely Washington would trade for Aiyuk, with the team likely confident it would win a recruiting battle. Lynch may be hoping another team will try and beat the Commanders to the punch with a trade.
The 49ers have added Mike Evans and Christian Kirk to a roster that includes 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall. The team is not expected to re-sign Jauan Jennings, whose price point has not aligned with teams’ valuations, but another receiver move could certainly commence during this week’s draft. Considering the ages of Evans and Kirk and the injury file Pearsall is building, the 49ers may well need to make another investment at WR early in the draft. Aiyuk would theoretically be an option to complement Pearsall and the other veterans, but that bridge is most likely burned. It looks like the seventh-year WR will need to wait before finding a new destination.
49ers Expected To Retain Mac Jones
Although 49ers quarterback Mac Jones entered the offseason as a potential trade candidate, he has stayed put so far. That is not expected to change, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The market for Jones has not “heated up,” Schefter adds.
As a first-round rookie in 2021, Jones got off to a promising start in helping lead the Patriots to the postseason. There was hope the Patriots had found a long-term successor to Tom Brady, but Jones’ career hit the skids in his second year. After he struggled in New England through 2023, the team traded him to Jacksonville for a sixth-round in the ensuing draft. The change of scenery did not work out for Jones, who struggled over 10 games and seven starts while filling in for an injured Trevor Lawrence.
While Jones’ stock remained relatively low going into free agency last March, he still scored a two-year, $7MM pact with San Francisco. The 49ers did not make the highest offer for Jones, but he took less to land in a good spot under offensive guru Kyle Shanahan. For the second straight year, Jones had to step in for an injured starter. It worked out far better in 2025. With Brock Purdy missing nine games, Jones posted a 5-3 record at the helm and recorded some of the best numbers of his career. The 27-year-old completed 69.6% of passes, averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, tossed 13 touchdowns against six interceptions, and put up a 97.4 traditional rating and 62.3 QBR.
After Jones helped them earn a playoff berth last year, the 49ers reportedly tagged him with an “astronomical” asking price. As of early March, they wanted at least a second-rounder for Jones. Nobody has met their demands, and with offseason QB movement mostly finished, it does not appear anyone will.
Aside from the Steelers, who are waiting on Aaron Rodgers, everyone has a starting quarterback or at least a competition in place a few months in advance of training camp. The Colts kept Daniel Jones around on a pricey contract to remain their starter. Elsewhere, the Dolphins (Malik Willis), Vikings (Kyler Murray), Falcons (Tua Tagovailoa), Raiders (Kirk Cousins), Jets (Geno Smith) and Cardinals (Gardner Minshew) have all brought in notable veteran signal-callers. All of those players will either open next season as a starter or vie with an in-house signal-caller for the job. Meanwhile, unless the Browns veer away from their planned Shedeur Sanders–Deshaun Watson battle, Jones probably is not a fit in Cleveland. That’s likely fine with the 49ers, who have been content to keep Jones all along.
When asked in January about a potential Jones trade, Shanahan said: “As any player on our team, including myself and John (Lynch), you always listen to people and trade offers, but we’re also not into getting rid of good players. So, I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”
49ers, LT Trent Williams Agree To Deal
The contract impasse between Trent Williams and the 49ers has come to an end. Monday has brought about an agreement on another new accord for the future Hall of Famer.
Williams has worked out a two-year, $50MM deal, per an announcement from his agency. The pact contains $37MM fully guaranteed; that figure includes a $22MM signing bonus. After questions loomed about his future, Williams is now in position to continue his San Francisco career through at least 2027.
The guarantee figures on this pact are nearly identical to the ones included in the 49ers’ most recent offer. It thus comes as little surprise an agreement has been reached, and the left tackle spot is once again secured for the team ahead of this week’s draft. Williams was already on the books for next year, but he was scheduled to carry an untenable cap charge of $46.34MM in 2026 in the absence of a new deal. This new deal will lower his cap hit for the immediate future while offering a fresh round of guarantees.
As of March, a gap existed between team and player with respect to a new contract agreement being reached. That helped fuel speculation about a potential trade, with San Francisco reported to be open to a swap at one point. The Chiefs loomed as a landing spot in such a scenario, but the 49ers remained optimistic an agreement on a new contract would ultimately be reached. Negotiations in the days leading up to the draft have indeed taken a major piece of offseason business off the team’s to-do list.
Williams has been in place with the 49ers since arriving via trade in 2020. The 12-time Pro Bowler has been a mainstay up front over that span, collecting a total of four first- or second-team All-Pro nods in San Francisco. Williams inked a six-year deal worth just over $138MM in 2020, then agreed to a three-year extension in 2024. Retirement questions have become increasingly common for the veteran, who will be 38 by the start of next season. Given today’s news, though, Williams will be expected to remain in the fold for at least two more years.
A consistent presence throughout his 49ers tenure, Williams has ranked between first and seventh among tackles every year in terms of PFF grade since arriving in the Bay Area. Remaining one of the game’s best deep into his career will be key for the team’s offensive line, a unit which has faced a number of concerns at positions other than left tackle over the years. Williams is still one of the nine offensive tackles around the NFL attached to an average annual value of $25MM or more, and this latest pact will take him past $250MM in career earnings.
That figure is comfortably the highest in league history for non-quarterbacks. Williams has managed to secure another notable payday in time for offseason workouts later this spring, while the 49ers will not need to find his immediate replacement in the draft. Continued high-end play on the blindside will be expected for the short-term future as San Francisco looks to make further postseason runs over that span.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/20/26
Last Friday was the deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with other teams. Now, they can only sign with their original club, and a number of players completed those deals on Monday. Several exclusive rights free agents also put pen to paper, giving them at least a roster spot heading into the draft. Here are the latest updates:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Xavier Guillory
Carolina Panthers
- Signed ERFA tender: WR Jalen Coker, WR Brycen Tremayne
Denver Broncos
- Signed ERFA tender: LB Dondrea Tillman
Green Bay Packers
- Signed ERFA tender: G Donovan Jennings, WR Bo Melton
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed ERFA tender: WR Nikko Remigio
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed ERFA tender: G Justin Dedich, WR Xavier Smith
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed RFA tender: LB Ivan Pace
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed ERFA tender: OT Austen Pleasants
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed ERFA tender: S Ty Okada
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed RFA tender: RB Sean Tucker
Coker signed with the Panthers as an undrafted rookie in 2024. He has quietly been a consistent presence in Carolina’s offense with 39.6 yards per game and 9.8 yards per target in 22 appearances across his first two seasons. That is better production than 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette, indicating Coker could be in line for a bigger role in 2026.
The Packers turned heads when they attempted to convert Melton to cornerback last year, but he instead served as their primary kick returner with just 96 snaps on offense. The departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks could open up more targets this year.
Remigio was a reliable returner for the Chiefs in his first two years in the NFL. He is now set to retain that role for another season.
Dedich started nine games at both guard spots for the Rams in the last two years. He can also line up at center and will continue to serve as valuable depth on the interior.
Pace saw his defensive snap share drop precipitously in 2025 with former Packer Eric Wilson stepping up next to Blake Cashman. He will likely remain in a tertiary role in 2026 while serving as a core special teams contributor.
The Seahawks dealt with several injuries in their safety room in 2025, pressing Okada into 11 starts on one of the league’s best defenses. He largely held up, though he returned to the bench in the postseason with Julian Love back on the field.
Tucker showed promise in 2024 with 308 yards on 50 carries (6.2 yards per attempt). However, he did not step up in 2025 despite Bucky Irving‘s extended absence, managing 320 yards on 86 carries (3.7 yards per attempt). He did find the end zone seven times on the ground, and his return abilities should keep him in the mix for a 2026 roster spot.