As we head into Week 1 and put the offseason in the rearview mirror, we can turn the page from hearing about how much talent the San Francisco 49ers lost this season. Ultimately, the players who left in free agency were either expendable, replaced by rookies, or had players waiting in the wings to replace them.
One starter the 49ers must replace, Aaron Banks, suffered a back injury that hampered him for much of this past training camp with the Green Bay Packers. While Banks is no longer on the injury report,
when is the last time you met somebody who used to have a bad back? Those injuries linger and can pop up again at any moment.
San Francisco replaced Banks with a much cheaper version in Ben Bartch. He’s no stranger to the injury list, either. However, Bartch’s play last year made Banks expendable. It’s also a position the 49ers believe they can get by without investing heavily in, as evidenced by Bartch’s $1.17 million contract and his backup being an undrafted free agent rookie.
Charvaris Ward is an All-Pro talent. The 49ers elected to move forward with Deommodore Lenoir, but Renardo Green, a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has the closest skill set on the roster to Ward. Green has the potential to flourish under Robert Saleh if he can stay healthy. There haven’t been many cornerbacks the 49ers have rostered who could turn and run with DK Metcalf. Ward and Green might be the only ones.
Lastly, Talanoa Hufanga. He’s starting in Denver. Hufanga was a goner as soon as the Niners drafted Malik Mustapha. Hufanga’s recurring injuries and lack of playmaking made it difficult to bring him back. Mustapha, beginning the season on the PUP list, isn’t ideal, but he’s on a rookie contract. When he was on the field last year, he was arguably one of the top three players for the Niners’ defense. The combination of Mustapha, Ji’Ayir Brown, and now Marques Sigle should more than make up for what Hufanga brought to the table.
Can we count Dre Greenlaw, even though he didn’t play last season? Dee Winters looked poised to break out last year, but the coaching staff went with a veteran. This season, it’ll be all Winters. If we’re doing bold predictions, mine will be that Winters is an upgrade from Greenlaw.
Comp pick update
And that brings us to where the 49ers stand in the compensatory market for next year’s 2026 NFL Draft. The 49ers had notable losses up and down the roster as they tried to shift from a veteran-heavy team and inject some youth into the roster. That led to releasing Leonard Floyd, Javon Hargrave, and Maliek Collins, among others, in exchange for a rookie class full of defensive linemen.
Trading for a veteran like Bryce Huff won’t impact the Niners’ comp pick formula. Huff figures to make an instant impact on a team that has been desperate to ensure Nick Bosa has help opposite him at all times.
Per Over the Cap, the 49ers are expected to receive three comp picks in the 2026 NFL Draft:
Aaron Banks – 4th
Charvarius Ward – 4th
Talanoa Hufanga 5th
San Francisco would have received two additional fifth-round picks for Jaylon Moore and Greenlaw. However, signing backup quarterback Mac Jones and linebacker Luke Farrell canceled those contracts out. The seventh-rounder the team would have netted from Josh Dobbs was nixed by signing Demarcus Robinson. I don’t think the team will be unhappy about that if Robinson performs as I expect this season.
Mustapha and Isaac Guerendo were fourth-round picks, as was Jacob Cowing. The 49ers have hit on their fifth-rounders at an alarming rate. So, while they may not be receiving third-round comp picks anymore, the Niners stand to benefit next draft, or at least put themselves in a position to add useful talent.
It also gives John Lynch and the front office ammo to move up on the first or second day of the draft.
