The San Francisco 49ers have started their 2025 campaign with a 4-2 record despite several key players missing significant time with injuries, putting themselves in a three-way tie for the top spot in the NFC West after six weeks.
There’s still a ton of time left in this season, but that hasn’t stopped people like ESPN’s NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid from putting out early mock drafts for the 2026 class.
Reid released his new 2026 mock draft on Wednesday, and with the 49ers picking at No. 26 based on the current standings, Reid projected them to pick Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor in the first round.
“There are mixed opinions on Proctor,” Reid wrote. “He came into the season with Round 1 hype but had a disastrous start to the campaign against Florida State. His play has rebounded, but some scouts are still hesitant to buy into the early-round hype surrounding the 6-7, 366-pound blocker. If he continues to play as well as he has over the past few weeks and shows consistency, I think he could go on Day 1. The 49ers have a long-term need at offensive tackle with Trent Williams turning 38 next summer, so Proctor makes a lot of sense.”
Proctor, 20, initially committed to Iowa but ultimately decided to flip to Alabama. He earned the starting left job as a true freshman and went on to start all 13 games in 2023 and 11 games in 2024, earning All-SEC honors last year. So far this season, he’s started all six games for the Crimson Tide.
In 2025, Pro Football Focus has given Proctor a 75.9 overall grade, putting him 60th out of 1,329 offensive tackles in college football. He’s also earned a 77.5 run-blocking grade (42nd) and a 62.7 pass-blocking grade (623rd).
As Reid mentioned, Williams is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning, so the 49ers should be planning for his eventual retirement. Colton McKivitz signed a three-year extension earlier this year, so if San Francisco does draft a first-round tackle next year, he’ll either take a year to sit behind Williams and learn, or the future Hall of Famer won’t be on the roster one way or another.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers take potential Trent Williams replacement in new 2026 mock draft
