49ers' Draft Strategy: Making Every Pick Count

0:00It's April 25th. Welcome in. This is NFL News Today, where football meets AI. The 2026 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the San Francisco 49ers are rolling into it with just six picks, a big drop. From the 11, they had last offseason. Three of those are compensatory selections they earned for losing key free agents, Aaron Banks, Tarvarius Ward, and Talanoa Huffanga. The Banks pick stands out as their fourth rounder at number 133 overall, the highest compensatory in the fourth round for any team. He bolted to the Green Bay Packers on a 4-year, $77 million deal, which bumped them up in the formula. Banks had a tough go in his first year with Green Bay, dealing with injuries and allowing 29 pressures over 460 pass blocking. Snaps Now he's one of the top paid guards league-wide, with plenty to prove heading into year 2. Other squads scored even better, like the Vikings, Eagles, and Steelers grabbing third-round comms for free agents pulling at least $21 million.

1:02A year while the Troik got one for their defensive coordinator leaving, compensatory picks reward teams for net free agent losses, ranked by salary, snaps, and more, slotted at the end of rounds three through seven. We'll keep eyes on who the 49ers grab at 133, but for now, this slim-down hall means they got to make every selection count too. We build that roster depth.