49ers projected to receive three compensatory draft picks

Following the season, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch shared that the team expects to have 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.

"We have 10, probably right now, nine draft choices," Lynch said. "We think we'll have 10 with a comp pick.

The 49ers retain most of their own draft picks. However, they forfeited a fifth-round pick last year and had their fourth-round selection moved to the end of the round as a penalty for payroll accounting errors.

As it stands, the team holds the 11th, 43rd, and 75th overall picks in rounds one through three, a third-round compensatory pick for the losses of DeMeco Ryans and Ran Carthon, and three total additional selections spanning rounds four, six, and seven.

According to OverTheCap.com, the 49ers are projected to receive three compensatory picks in the upcoming draft, aligning with Lynch's projection.

Two compensatory picks are expected to be third-round selections, awarded for the losses of defensive end Chase Young and quarterback Sam Darnold.

Young signed with the New Orleans Saints after the 2023 season and played 63% of the defensive snaps during his 2024 campaign. Meanwhile, Darnold had a breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings as their starting quarterback.

While the 49ers lost additional players last offseason, those departures were offset by incoming talent (see table below). However, OverTheCap.com projects the team to gain one more compensatory pick in the seventh round for the loss of wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, who played 86% of the offensive snaps for the Atlanta Falcons this season.

The 49ers are coming off a disappointing 6-11 campaign and aim to bolster their roster with young talent during the offseason. These draft picks could be crucial in setting the team up for future success.

Compensatory free agents lost (7) versus gained (4)