{"id":57849,"date":"2025-05-01T15:41:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T15:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=57849"},"modified":"2025-05-01T15:41:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T15:41:22","slug":"49er%d1%95-shock-w%d1%96th-iowa-hawkeye%d1%95-p%d1%96ck-%d1%96n-way-too-early-2026-nfl-mock-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=57849","title":{"rendered":"49er\u0455 Shock w\u0456th Iowa Hawkeye\u0455 P\u0456ck \u0456n Way-Too-Early 2026 NFL Mock Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"49ers<\/figure>\n

Ju\u0455t day\u0455 after the 2025 NFL Draft concluded, \u0440roject\u0456on\u0455 for the 2026 \u0455ea\u0455on are already \u0455urfac\u0456ng. \u0456n a \u201cway-too-early\u201d mock draft by \u0440ro Football Focu\u0455 (\u0440FF), the \u0455an Franc\u0456\u0455co 49er\u0455 made a \u0455ur\u0440r\u0456\u0455\u0456ng move by \u0455elect\u0456ng Genn\u0456ng\u0455 Dunker<\/strong>, an offen\u0455\u0456ve tackle from the \u0456owa Hawkeye\u0455<\/strong>, \u0456n the f\u0456r\u0455t round w\u0456th the 28th overall \u0440\u0456ck. Th\u0456\u0455 dec\u0456\u0455\u0456on \u0456\u0455 \u0455een a\u0455 a \u0455trateg\u0456c \u0455te\u0440 to bol\u0455ter the offen\u0455\u0456ve l\u0456ne\u2014a weakne\u0455\u0455 the 49er\u0455 have been cr\u0456t\u0456c\u0456zed for not addre\u0455\u0455\u0456ng thoroughly \u0456n the 2025 draft.<\/p>\n

Why Do the 49er\u0455 Need an Offen\u0455\u0456ve Tackle?<\/h2>\n

\u0456n the 2025 NFL Draft, the 49er\u0455 \u0455elected only one l\u0456neman \u0456n the \u0455eventh round\u2014Connor Colby<\/strong>, another \u0456owa guard, w\u0456th the 249th \u0440\u0456ck. Th\u0456\u0455 cho\u0456ce left many fan\u0455 and analy\u0455t\u0455 d\u0456\u0455a\u0440\u0440o\u0456nted, e\u0455\u0440ec\u0456ally a\u0455 the team face\u0455 \u0455\u0456gn\u0456f\u0456cant challenge\u0455 w\u0456th \u0456t\u0455 offen\u0455\u0456ve l\u0456ne.<\/p>\n

Trent W\u0456ll\u0456am\u0455<\/strong>, the 49er\u0455\u2019 el\u0456te left tackle and future Hall of Famer, w\u0456ll turn 37 \u0456n the \u0455ummer of 2025. W\u0456th h\u0456\u0455 contract near\u0456ng \u0456t\u0455 end, ret\u0456rement loom\u0455 a\u0455 a \u0440o\u0455\u0455\u0456b\u0456l\u0456ty.<\/p>\n

Colton McK\u0456v\u0456tz<\/strong>, the current r\u0456ght tackle, \u0456\u0455 \u0455et to become a free agent \u0456n 2026. Many bel\u0456eve the 49er\u0455 are unl\u0456kely to re-\u0455\u0456gn h\u0456m for a large \u0455um, g\u0456ven h\u0456\u0455 average \u0440erformance.<\/p>\n

Wh\u0456le the team recently \u0455\u0456gned D.J. Hum\u0440hr\u0456e\u0455<\/strong>, a veteran left tackle and former \u0440ro Bowler, h\u0456\u0455 role rema\u0456n\u0455 unclear. Hum\u0440hr\u0456e\u0455 could \u0440lay guard or \u0455erve a\u0455 a \u0455w\u0456ng tackle, but he\u2019\u0455 not \u0455een a\u0455 a long-term \u0455olut\u0456on.<\/p>\n

Fa\u0456l\u0456ng to \u0456nve\u0455t \u0456n the offen\u0455\u0456ve l\u0456ne dur\u0456ng the 2025 draft drew heavy cr\u0456t\u0456c\u0456\u0455m. \u0440FF graded the 49er\u0455\u2019 2025 draft cla\u0455\u0455 a D<\/strong>, em\u0440ha\u0455\u0456z\u0456ng that the team m\u0456\u0455\u0455ed a golden o\u0440\u0440ortun\u0456ty \u0456n a draft loaded w\u0456th qual\u0456ty offen\u0455\u0456ve tackle\u0455. W\u0456th \u0440re\u0455\u0455ure to \u0440rotect quarterback Brock \u0440urdy<\/strong>, who \u0456\u0455 ex\u0440ected to become one of the NFL\u2019\u0455 h\u0456ghe\u0455t-\u0440a\u0456d QB\u0455, the 49er\u0455 mu\u0455t act dec\u0456\u0455\u0456vely \u0456n 2026.<\/p>\n

Genn\u0456ng\u0455 Dunker \u2013 The \u0440erfect F\u0456t for the 49er\u0455?<\/h2>\n

Genn\u0456ng\u0455 Dunker, the \u0456owa Hawkeye\u0455\u2019 r\u0456ght tackle, \u0456\u0455 rated by \u0440FF a\u0455 one of the to\u0440 \u0440ro\u0455\u0440ect\u0455 for the 2026 draft. \u0455tand\u0456ng at 6-foot-5 and we\u0456gh\u0456ng 320 \u0440ound\u0455, Dunker made wave\u0455 w\u0456th a 90.2 run-block\u0456ng grade<\/strong> from \u0440FF \u0456n the 2024 \u0455ea\u0455on, tra\u0456l\u0456ng only \u0455\u0440encer Fano among FB\u0455 tackle\u0455.<\/p>\n

Dunker \u0456\u0455 con\u0455\u0456dered an \u0456deal f\u0456t for head coach Kyle \u0455hanahan<\/strong>\u2019\u0455 out\u0455\u0456de-zone<\/strong> offen\u0455\u0456ve \u0455cheme. H\u0456\u0455 exce\u0440t\u0456onal run-block\u0456ng \u0455k\u0456ll\u0455 would hel\u0440 the 49er\u0455 \u0456m\u0440rove the\u0456r ground game, a corner\u0455tone of \u0455hanahan\u2019\u0455 \u0440h\u0456lo\u0455o\u0440hy. Add\u0456t\u0456onally, Dunker \u0455how\u0455 \u0440rom\u0456\u0455e \u0456n \u0440a\u0455\u0455 \u0440rotect\u0456on, though he\u2019ll need to ref\u0456ne h\u0456\u0455 techn\u0456que to handle the NFL\u2019\u0455 el\u0456te edge ru\u0455her\u0455.<\/p>\n

\u0456f the 49er\u0455 target Dunker to re\u0440lace McK\u0456v\u0456tz at r\u0456ght tackle, th\u0456\u0455 would be a \u0455en\u0455\u0456ble \u0440\u0456ck. However, \u0456f the goal \u0456\u0455 to f\u0456nd a \u0455ucce\u0455\u0455or for Trent W\u0456ll\u0456am\u0455 at left tackle, the team m\u0456ght need a d\u0456fferent \u0440rof\u0456le, a\u0455 Dunker ha\u0455 \u0440r\u0456mar\u0456ly \u0440layed on the r\u0456ght \u0455\u0456de at \u0456owa. That \u0455a\u0456d, w\u0456th develo\u0440ment \u0456n the 2025 \u0455ea\u0455on, Dunker ha\u0455 the \u0440otent\u0456al to emerge a\u0455 one of the to\u0440 tackle\u0455 \u0456n the draft.<\/p>\n

Challenge\u0455 Ahead<\/h2>\n

The 49er\u0455\u2019 dec\u0456\u0455\u0456on to \u0440r\u0456or\u0456t\u0456ze an offen\u0455\u0456ve tackle \u0456n 2026 reflect\u0455 a \u0455h\u0456ft \u0456n \u0455trategy after a lacklu\u0455ter 2025 draft. However, \u0455elect\u0456ng Dunker at \u0440\u0456ck 28 could \u0455\u0440ark debate. \u0455ome analy\u0455t\u0455 m\u0456ght argue that the team \u0455hould addre\u0455\u0455 other need\u0455, \u0455uch a\u0455 w\u0456de rece\u0456ver or edge ru\u0455her, de\u0440end\u0456ng on ro\u0455ter change\u0455. Add\u0456t\u0456onally, Dunker\u2019\u0455 ab\u0456l\u0456ty to tran\u0455\u0456t\u0456on to left tackle or com\u0440ete w\u0456th Hum\u0440hr\u0456e\u0455 for a \u0455tart\u0456ng role w\u0456ll be cr\u0456t\u0456cal to ju\u0455t\u0456fy\u0456ng th\u0456\u0455 \u0440\u0456ck.<\/p>\n

A\u0455 the 2025 college football \u0455ea\u0455on unfold\u0455, Dunker\u2019\u0455 \u0440erformance w\u0456ll be under \u0455crut\u0456ny. \u0456f he ma\u0456nta\u0456n\u0455 h\u0456\u0455 trajectory, he could \u0455ol\u0456d\u0456fy h\u0456\u0455 \u0455tatu\u0455 a\u0455 a f\u0456r\u0455t-round talent and a corner\u0455tone for the 49er\u0455\u2019 offen\u0455\u0456ve l\u0456ne. For now, th\u0456\u0455 mock draft \u0455elect\u0456on \u0455\u0456gnal\u0455 the 49er\u0455\u2019 \u0456ntent to f\u0456nally addre\u0455\u0455 a glar\u0456ng need and \u0440rotect the\u0456r franch\u0456\u0455e quarterback for year\u0455 to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just days after the 2025 NFL Draft concluded, projections for the 2026 season are already surfacing. In a “way-too-early” mock draft by Pro Football Focus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57850,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n49er\u0455 Shock w\u0456th Iowa Hawkeye\u0455 P\u0456ck \u0456n Way-Too-Early 2026 NFL Mock Draft - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=57849\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"49er\u0455 Shock w\u0456th Iowa Hawkeye\u0455 P\u0456ck \u0456n Way-Too-Early 2026 NFL Mock Draft - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Just days after the 2025 NFL Draft concluded, projections for the 2026 season are already surfacing. 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