“I would love to play until I’m 40,” Trent Williams recently said, but even he knows time isn’t on his side. The 49ers‘ star is coming off a rough year. Missed the last seven games. The ankle never really bounced back. And when a guy’s pushing 37? That stuff lingers. Especially when you’re carrying the left side of the line. While his return for 2025 is expected, there’s no denying the uncertainty that now hangs over his future in San Francisco.

Still, the 49ers aren’t panicking. In fact, they didn’t even draft a tackle this year. Something that reflects their short-term faith in Williams. But make no mistake: the long-term clock is ticking. According to insider Joe DeLeone, head coach Kyle Shanahan may already have his eyes on a replacement, with early 2026 mock drafts projecting the team to target offensive line help at No. 25 overall.

2026 mock drafts are already pointing toward Auburn’s Xavier Chaplin as a potential long-term answer for the 49ers at left tackle in replacement for the Hall of Famer Trent Williams. Meanwhile, Xavier Chaplin is quietly making noise. Started out at Virginia Tech, then shifted to Auburn, and now? He’s on the radar. Big-time. The name keeps popping up as one of the more intriguing offensive line prospects heading into the new college season. And while the 49ers didn’t address the tackle spot in this year’s draft, they might not be able to delay much longer. “Xavier Chaplin possesses the length and physical play style to be an impactful starting offensive lineman in the NFL,” analyst Joe DeLeone wrote in a report.

Size-wise? He’s a monster. 6’7″, 338 pounds. DeLeone mentioned, “As Trent Williams ages out, an heir to his position should be on the San Francisco 49ers’ radar for this draft.” For context, Trent Williams is 6’5″, 320. So yeah! Chaplin’s got the frame. But it’s not just about size. He was an All-American, earned All-ACC honorable mention, and, according to Pro Football Focus, he posted a 70.4 run-blocking grade and a 72.8 pass-blocking mark in 2023. Two sacks. 607 snaps. Solid. Not perfect, but enough to raise eyebrows going into his senior year.

Scouts are still divided on his draft ceiling, but a good senior season could enable him to enter the first round. Nevertheless, the offensive line is not the only position that is under discussion throughout the early predictions. Some think GM John Lynch is also keen on landing a commanding edge rusher in the shape of Myles Garrett, which indicates a defensive outlay next April.

The 49ers are building a new core through the draft

Joe DeLeone’s latest three-round projection doesn’t stop at the offensive line. In round 2, he has him taking LSU wide receiver Barion Brown, and in round 3, he has the 49ers taking Indiana edge rusher Mikail Kamara. This is not merely about acquiring talent. This is a draft regarding the redesign of the team’s identity. After a wave of offseason exits that included Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, Javon Hargrave, and Talanoa Hufanga, the 49ers are looking to balance a younger roster with the pressure of competing in a loaded NFC. And the stress is even higher on Robert Saleh, who returns as defensive coordinator.

The transformations are hard to swallow. Seventeen of the players are missing, and some of them are franchise staples. The reasoning is sound! San Francisco was old at its core and had limited cap space to deal with. Adding to the stress was the impending Brock Purdy contract extension, which meant there was even more pressure to get things right now. It is crucial to patch holes on both sides of the ball, and the future draft can not only determine the success of the 2025 season. It may guide the whole development of the franchise in the coming several years. All that setup notwithstanding, draft evaluators are still highlighting offensive line improvement as what the Ohio State team should focus on primarily.

Based on what Josh Edwards of CBS Sports said, Will Campbell might be the guy to come and succeed Trent Williams someday. Football Focus rated Campbell at 80.6 in pass-blocking in 2024, so his arm length of less than 33 inches (measured at the NFL Scouting Combine) generated some gossip on his stock. Nevertheless, Edwards views him in the front five anchoring under the direction of Williams. The correlation is obvious, although the forecast remains speculative at the moment.