For now
The worst part about the Trey Lance trade was waiting through the first night of an NFL Draft over the last two years thinking and hoping the San Francisco 49ers might trade up, but knowing in the back of your head that was nonsense and everyone else was making picks. Good news, 49ers fans: the 49ers have a 1st round pick in 2024.
2023 was rather agonizing because not only did the 49ers not have a pick in the 1st round, they didn’t have a second round pick either. This post isn’t here to argue if the moves that created this situation were correct, but it will highlight just how boring the 2023 draft was until the 3rd round. All that changes next year as the 49ers are restocked with the standard allotment of picks (minus the fifth rounder in the Christian McCaffrey trade) plus their compensatory picks. Below is what they should have:
- 1st Round pick
- 2nd Round pick
- 3rd Round pick
- 3rd Round compensatory pick (for Ran Carthon’s hiring of the Tenessee Titans)
- 4th Round Pick
- 6th Round Pick
- 7th Round Pick
Keep in mind, this is only the sure-fire picks they have as of now. We don’t know what they will get for compensatory picks with players that left in free agency, but Jimmy Garoppolo and Mike McGlinchey should help that formula get them something.
Now all this could change. They could package picks up as Week 1 approaches due to disaster, someone hitting the trade block or just another splashy deal like they made to get McCaffrey over to Santa Clara.
For now, we can watch the 49ers and know we have a first round selection. And can return to making fun of the Panthers and the Browns for not having a 1st round selection.