Few teams in the NFL had as big an exodus as the San Francisco 49ers in the 2025 offseason. After the disappointing 2024 campaign that saw them go 7-10 and miss the playoffs, 49ers fans saw several key contributors leave San Francisco in free agency. Aaron Banks, Charvarius Ward, Jaylon Moore, Talanoa Hufanga, and Dre Greenlaw were only a part of a long list of departed Niners.
The biggest reason for GM John Lynch's decision to let key free agents walk is obviously financial. The 49ers were already an expensive team, and the looming contract extensions for George Kittle and Brock Purdy made it difficult for the team to retain everyone they wanted to keep around.
Another underrated aspect of letting players leave in free agency is the compensatory picks a team gets. Sometimes, teams may value a compensatory pick they will get when one of their important players leaves over giving them a lucrative, long-term contract themselves.
One benefit the 49ers will have after this offseason is the additional picks they will get in the 2026 NFL Draft. NFL.com's draft analyst Lance Zierlein revealed his projections for compensatory picks for next season.
Zierlein projected three compensatory picks for the 49ers, two in Round 4 and one in Round 5. Considering that no team can receive more than four compensatory picks in a single draft, and the highest pick you can get is a third-rounder, San Francisco's haul is one of the best you can receive.
It's important to note that these are projections and compensatory picks will not be finalized by the NFL Management Council until after the 2025 season. The 49ers could get an even better return if the likes of Banks, Hufanga, and Ward play more and better than expected.
Depending on how these veterans perform and how well the 49ers do with the compensatory picks will determine whether it was the right decision to let them walk this offseason.