The 49ers are slated to pick in the 1st round for the 1st time since 2021

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers will no longer be spectators on the opening night of the NFL draft.

After sitting out round one the past two years thanks to a pricey decision to trade up for quarterback Trey Lance in 2021, the 49ers will be in position to fill a hole on the roster on day one of the draft this year.

San Francisco holds the 31st overall selection in the draft, as well as nine additional picks the final two days, making the opening night far more entertaining for the Niners than the past two years.

“It’s pretty miserable not having a first-round pick, just watching and having nothing to do that first day,” coach Kyle Shanahan said last month at the NFL owners meetings. “We knew we weren’t going to have one the last (two) years, so we didn’t look as much at those top picks. We’ll be prepared for everybody this year. You never know whether we stay where we’re at or if we move around, but at pick No. 31, you have to be ready for anything.”