49ers select All-Big Ten guard in first 2026 mock draft

After a quiet trade deadline, the 6-3 San Francisco 49ers will face the second half of the season with what's left of their injury-riddled roster. Even when healthy, the roster has some holes. Perhaps none of those holes is greater than on the offensive line, which is reflected in Vinnie Iyer's first mock draft of the season.

With the 22nd pick of that mock draft, Iyer had the 49ers selecting Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State's 6-foot-4, 330-pound left guard.

Anyone who has followed the 49ers in recent years, and particularly in 2025, will be relieved to see them devoting serious resources to the offensive line. It's an area where, aside from left tackle Trent Williams, the 49ers have tried to put patchwork units on the field for far too long. And while there have been some reasonable success stories, it's clearly time for San Francisco to take upgrading the trenches a little more seriously. 

But is Ioane the right pick?

Iyer had the Los Angeles Rams selecting Utah tackle Caleb Lomu at No. 24. With Williams, who will be 38 next season, and a struggling Colton McKivitz at the two tackle spots, a case could be made that Lomu would be a better pick. Iyer also had Auburn's guard/center Connor Lew going to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 32 pick. Given San Francisco's struggles at center this season, that wouldn't be a bad selection for the 49ers either. 

That said, it's tough not to like Ioane, and not just because of his viral moment helping an Ohio State staffer.

This guy is an absolute beast. Throughout his time at Penn State, Ioane has proven to be valuable in situations where raw strength is required, like in short-yardage situations. He's also been quite adept at getting down the field and blocking. That's an asset for any team, particularly one like the 49ers, who rely a lot on the likes of Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle turning short passes into big gains. 

This is a solid draft class for offensive linemen. There are several players, including both Lomu and Lew, that San Francisco would do well to end up with. 

That said, Ioane should top the list of targets, at least realistic ones. Sure, it would be nice to see the 49ers come away with Utah's other tackle, Spencer Fano, but it's not particularly realistic. San Francisco has likely already won too many games to get into position to draft him without a trade. 

Ioane is a guy with the skill and versatility to anchor the offensive line for several years. If he's available when the 49ers go on the clock, they shouldn't waste a lot of time before making that pick.