Well, the NFL Combine came and went, and somehow the 49ers still couldn’t avoid being in the news for dramatic reasons. Let’s take a weary look at everything that went down during San Francisco’s combine week..

My Hottest Take: The 49ers Trent Williams Drama Is Entirely Of Their Own Making

Okay, so if this turns into a rant, I apologise, but this news strikes directly at the heart of something you’ve heard me bang on about in this column many times before, and I’ve written it elsewhere as well.

At the start of the week, Adam Schefter reported on a contract impasse between Trent Williams and the 49ers. Essentially, the 49ers would quite like not to have him at a cap number of $39 million this year, and Trent Williams would quite like some more guaranteed money if he’s going to drop that. If it seems like we’ve been here before, it’s because we have. Two years ago, in the dramatic 2024 offseason.

The worst part is, I can’t even blame Trent Williams for pressing hard on the team. He’s an intelligent man and a fantastic football player who knows exactly what his value is to the 49ers. The second he decides to walk away, the 49ers become a team with a bottom-five offensive line in the NFL, and possibly worse.

The team is already likely to be searching for a left guard this offseason, as Spencer Burford, the ersatz solution to starting at the position, is a free agent, while the rest of the offensive line is made up of the mediocrity of Jake Brendel and Colton McKivitz, with Dominick Puni the only player likely to be on the roster beyond next season. Don’t think there’s solutions in youthful backups either–Connor Colby played a little last season but looked overwhelmed, while tackle solutions include such luminaries as, erm … er … well.

Suffice it to say, this is a mess entirely of the 49ers own making. Their continued contempt, from the front office (no tackles drafted since 2022, and only seven, by my quick count, offensive linemen at all, since 2020, the highest being Aaron Banks in 2021), to the coaching staff (Chris Forester, the team’s offensive line coach, has been on the record saying the team "doesn’t need" top tier offensive linemen, yet he’s barely developed a lineman of note in his time with the team), of the offensive line position, one of the most important in the game, has built this problem.

However, the 49ers have always been able to handwave it away by saying "we have a top offensive tackle, and probably the best one in the league!"–but the truth is, it was always built on sand. Williams is a true Hall Of Fame player, but he’s also 38, and the team currently has no future options at his position. Or Colton McKivitz’s, come to that, and he’s a free agent next season.

It’s simply astonishing to me that a team with the 49ers’ ambitions and beliefs have neglected possibly the second most important positions in football to this degree. Let’s hope something gets sorted out, as a lack of Williams for 2026 would make the season a write-off. Regardless of anything else though, and I have to say it again–please, for the love of God, invest in some offensive linemen this offseason.

You Should Know: The 49ers could go multiple ways in the draft

Right, now I’ve got that out of my system, what next? Combine week brought with it its usual deluge of rumors and innuendo, including a pretty definitive declaration by NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline that the 49ers were targeting Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell:

It’s certainly plausible the 49ers could take a wide receiver at the top of the draft–albeit Bell is coming off a torn ACL, and it’s hard to imagine the Niners putting much behind a player who can’t hit the lineup right away, given their likely talent deficit at receiver–but don’t be fooled into thinking that’s the only way the 49ers can go.

I would go as far as to say that almost every non-special teams position outside of quarterback and, hopefully, running back, are on the board for the 49ers in round one.

Tight End – George Kittle needs some time to recover,andthe addition of a second dynamic player wouldn’t hurt, Kyle Shanahan would likely love it.

Offensive Line – I’ve said enough on this topic.

Defensive line/Edge – The eternal search for a Bosa partner continues, and if one jumps out, the Niners could snag him.

Defensive tackle – When was the last time this team had a dominant defensive tackle? DeForest Buckner?

Linebacker – This is quite unlikely, but still plausible. A partner for Fred Warner, a real ball-hawk? I’m not sure there is one in the upper echelons of the draft, but if there was one, I doubt the team would be shy of drafting him.

Cornerback – The 49ers have basically zero depth here. Deommodore Lenoir (coming off a poor season), Renardo Green (seems to frustrate the coaching staff), and ...? If a top corner is available, the 49ers might take a run at them. The Seahawks have shown the way of using a top defense to spearhead everything else.

Safety – Speaking of which, perhaps the 49ers finally add a playmaking safety in round one? Previous picks like Eric Reid and Jimmie Ward have proved foundational to good 49ers sides–perhaps the Shanahan era finds theirs this year?

One thing is for sure, though, and it’ll be my final words of this column …

Before You Go: Don’t believe a word anyone says

Don’t believe anything anyone says in public for about the next two months. Free agency and the draft are approaching, and almost no one will tell the truth about their thoughts, intentions or feelings for that time. Whatever you hear from official team sources is likely BS, or worse, an active lie.

Fortunately, it’s not your job to work out what’s really going on. Unfortunately, it’s mine. So next week, as free agency ramps up, we’ll try and predict whatever the hell this beautiful, wonderful team of ours is going to do for 2026. Come back and see us then.