The 2026 NFL Draft is heres, and the San Francisco 49ers entered Thursday with six draft picks at their disposal, far different than the 11 they had last offseason.
Of the six picks, three were compensatory picks, which the 49ers got for the losses of Aaron Banks, Charvarius Ward, and Talanoa Hufanga.
How did the 49ers get a compenstatory pick for Charvarius Ward?
The 49ers were awarded a fourth-round compensatory pick for the loss of Ward, who signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts last offseason.
They got the No. 138 overall pick, which
was their second of three compensatory picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
There were eight compensatory free agents who earned a higher average annual value than Ward last offseason. Three of those resulted in third-round compensatory picks (Nos. 97-99), while the other five resulted in fourth-round compensatory picks (Nos. 133-137). That included Aaron Banks, for whom the 49ers got the No. 133 overall pick.
How did Charvarius Ward perform for the Colts in 2025?
Ward was crucial for the Colts in their hot start to the season, allowing just a 56.8 percent completion rate and an 81.4 passer rating on the year. He also had seven pass breakups, but he only played in seven games due to suffering three concussions, which kept him on Injured Reserve for the rest of the year.
Despite retirement questions, he is expected to return for the 2026 season, where he’ll form a tandem with midseason acquisition Sauce Gardner.
What did the 49ers do with the compensatory pick from Charvarius Ward leaving?
When the 49ers pick at 148, we will update.
What is a compensatory pick?
Compensatory picks are awarded to teams that suffer a net loss of qualifying free agents during the previous year’s free agency period. So 2026 NFL Draft compensatory picks are awarded due to free agents lost in 2025.
Then those players are ranked on the amount of salary, playing time, and a bunch of other criteria and slotted into the end of rounds three through seven.
