After a brief mixup because of an error in the NFL’s compensatory pick distribution, the 49ers officially know they’ll receive two compensatory picks in the 2021 NFL draft.
The NFL on Wednesday officially announced compensatory selections. San Francisco was awarded the pair they were expected to get – one third-round choice for Robert Saleh getting hired as the Jets’ head coach, and one fifth-round choice as compensation for Emmanuel Sanders’ exit in free agency.
Teams can be awarded comp picks a couple of ways. When free agents leave, there’s a formula that dictates whether the team will be awarded a pick for that player.
The other way is through the new adjustments to the Rooney Rule, which gives teams compensatory picks if they have a coach or front office member hired away as a head coach or general manager. If a team has minority coach hired away from their staff as a head coach, they get two third-round picks spread out over two years. If they have a minority front office member hired as a GM, they get one comp pick.
San Francisco this offseason had both scenarios play out after Saleh was hired by the Jets and vice president of player personnel Martin Mayhew was hired as the Washington Football Team’s GM. That’s where the confusion appeared to stem from in the NFL’s initial list of comp picks which awarded two third-round selections to the 49ers.
Instead, they’ll get one this year and one next year for Saleh getting hired, and then another in 2023 for the Mayhew hire.
The NFL corrected the error and officially gave the 49ers the No. 102 overall pick, and the No. 180 overall selection. San Francisco is now set to enter the draft with 10 picks.
