5 Current 49ers Players Who Could Lose Their Jobs on Draft Night

Draft weekend can be a happy weekend for so many, but it can be tough for others as well. While new prospects are earning new jobs, there were players in those spots already, and they are likely to lose their chance at playing. Which players on the San Francisco 49ers might be most impacted?

Christian Kirk

Kirk just signed in free agency, but he is not a legitimate starting option at this point in his NFL career. He finished behind Xavier Hutchinson in receiving last year on the Houston Texans, and Hutchinson is an end-of-the-roster player. So, the 49ers should draft a receiver relatively early to replace Kirk. If they take KC Concepcion or Omar Cooper in round 1, Kirk will hardly see the field all season.

Luke Farrell

The 49ers brought in Farrell to be a blocking tight end, and he did not live up to his end of the bargain in 2025. With George Kittle out, the 49ers need a legitimate blocking option here, and they need to push Farrell with a draft pick. If the 49ers draft any of Marlin Klein, Sam Roush, or Oscar Delp, the odds of Farrell playing at all would get low.

Robert Jones

The team just signed Jones and is already going to put him on notice. John Lynch said he expects competition at left guard and that they would draft someone. If they take someone in round 1 or 2, they would likely push Jones out in Week 1. If they wait until the fourth round or later to add someone, then Jones has a chance to start, but he will be pushed.

Keion White

White has not had a good offseason. It started with a gunshot wound that led to ankle surgery. Then, the team signed Cam Sample in free agency as insurance for him. They are also linked to an edge rusher. If Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are healthy, the rookie edge rusher would be the third man in line.

That means that White would be competing with Sample and Sam Okuayinonu for end-of-the-roster work.

Ji'Ayir Brown

Brown may be at his best when he is in the dime role and not a starting safety spot, so this could work out. However, if they draft a safety in the first round or two rounds, it will mean that he is going from an every-down player to someone who only plays on occasionally sub-package snaps. That would be a significant drop.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as 5 Current 49ers Players Who Could Lose Their Jobs on Draft Night.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM.