Few teams in the league have had the kind of consistent success with compensatory draft picks quite like the San Francisco 49ers have had over the years.
Due to their coaching prowess, many minority candidates like DeMeco Ryans and Robert Saleh gave the 49ers a chance to add comp picks for the following draft selections.
The team has also gained comp picks through the departures of key free agents.
That's where a bulk of next year's increase is coming from at the very least.
Currently, Over The Cap projects San Francisco to have three compensatory picks in the 2026 NFL Draft: two fourth-rounders and a fifth-rounder. Those additional picks come from the free agent losses of Aaron Banks, Charvarius Ward, and Talanoa Hufanga.
Banks signed a four-year, $77 million deal with the Green Bay Packers this offseason, while Ward signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts. Hufanga signed a three-year contract with the Denver Broncos.
Related: 49ers Shocking Trade Prediction Moves Brandon Aiyuk to Chargers
All teams in the league are only given a max of four compensatory picks each session. San Fran could have had more, but they ended up canceling out many of their other chances.
The signings of Luke Farrell, Mac Jones, and DeMarcus Robinson cancel out the losses of Jaylon Moore, Dre Greenlaw, and Joshua Dobbs in OverTheCap's compensatory formula.
San Fran is a championship contender coming off a six-win season. They are hoping some of those added comp picks will get back back into the playoffs for another run.
That would be the eventual good news for Niners fans.
The bad news? A team has to endure roster losses and long waits to get the payoff ... and "counting comp picks'' isn't nearly as fun as counting on-field wins.
Related: New 49ers Signee Expected to 'Outproduce' Contract
Copyright 2025 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published March 23, 2025 at 12:27 PM.
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