2012 NFL Draft Compensatory Picks: 49ers Likely To Receive None

The NFL usually announces compensatory draft picks in March, but it is not too difficult to at least figure out whether the 49ers will receive compensation picks in the meantime. A team is eligible for compensatory draft picks when it loses "more or better free agents than it acquires in the previous year."

The San Francisco 49ers lost several notable free agents this past offseason including Aubrayo Franklin, David Baas, Manny Lawson, Takeo Spikes and Travis LaBoy. They added a host of free agents as well, including Carlos Rogers Donte Whitner, David Akers, Jonathan Goodwin, and Braylon Edwards.

As MM pointed out, when a team cuts or does not tender a free agent, they do not count towards the formula. That means Nate Clements and David Carr do not count as losses, and Madieu Williams, Larry Grant and Blake Costanzo do not count as gains.

With all that math, it basically comes down to the 49ers gaining five free agents and losing five free agents. The five they lost did not come close to matching the combined performances of the five they gain (or four plus Braylon Edwards), so compensatory picks are likely not in the 49ers immediate future. That leaves them with their normal seven draft picks.

As the 49ers get ready for the 2012 NFL Draft with the picks they have in hand, do you expect any wheeling and dealing to acquire more picks or even unloading picks to move up? Last year, the 49ers moved up nine spots in the second round using their fourth and fifth round picks. They then moved four spots back in the third round and acquired a sixth round pick. They wrapped up their trading by moving up eleven spots from the top of the sixth round into the bottom of the fifth round using a seventh round pick.