The San Francisco 49ers’ regular season was defined by frustration and disappointment and so far, Kyle Shanahan and Co. have watched several big names leave the Bay Area and find new homes elsewhere.

Names like Charvarius Ward, Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave, and others are no longer with the team, leaving 2025’s prospects up in the air when it comes to expectations.

But, it’s not all dreary and gloomy when it comes to these departures and that’s because the 49ers are projected to receive some solid compensation in the form of two fourth-round and one fifth-round compensatory picks in 2026.

Per Over The Cap, San Francisco is currently on track to receive a fourth-rounder for each loss of guard Aaron Banks and the aforementioned Ward. Then, Hufanga’s exodus to Denver should bring in an extra fifth-rounder. Banks signed a four-year deal worth $77 million with the Packers, Ward inked a three-year, $54 million contract, and Hufanga signed a three-year, $39 million deal.

The 49ers were also in line to receive two more fifth-rounders and a seventh-rounder due to the losses of Jaylon Moore, Joshua Dobbs, and Greenlaw, but the additions of Mac Jones, Luke Farrell, and Demarcus Robinson are projected to cancel those out. Siran Neal’s addition could potentially cross out one of the aforementioned picks, but the loss of Rock Ya-Sin will probably prevent that from happening.

If the 49ers end up receiving these picks, they’ll be slotted in the back end of each round. These aren’t picks to scoff at, either, based off the success John Lynch has had when it comes to selecting players in the late fourth through the late fifth rounds of the draft:

TE George Kittle (2017): Round 5, No. 146
CB D.J. Reed (2018): Round 5, No. 142
LB Dre Greenlaw (2019): Round 5, No. 148
T Colton McKivitz (2020): Round 5, No. 153
S Talanoa Hufanga (2021): Round 5, No. 180
CB Deommodore Lenoir (2021): Round 5, No. 172

You could make a strong case for Spencer Burford, who started the first two years of his career, as well as Isaac Guerendo, who had a solid impact as a rookie last year. Both guys were drafted toward the back end of the fourth round in their respective drafts. And even though Jaylon Moore was a backup in San Francisco, he just received a nice payday and a head start on the Chiefs’ starting left tackle position. It’s the same case with Reed, who just earned another big payday to be the Lions’ top corner.

It’s clear that Lynch can land some guys who can make an immediate impact in positive fashion. Therefore, receiving these swings (and executing them like they’ve done in the past) can certainly help the 49ers get back on track to where they’re making the playoffs on a yearly basis like they did from 2021-2023.