When teams break NFL rules, one of the ways the league can penalize them is through the loss of draft picks.
This is what happened to both the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers in the last year.
Atlanta was docked its 2025 fifth-round pick and was fined $250,000 for violating the NFL’s anti-tampering policy regarding free-agent signings. The league announced in June 2024 that it had found the Falcons had made improper contact with then-free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Charlie Woerner, all of whom signed with Atlanta in the 2024 offseason. Additionally, general manager Terry Fontenot was fined $50,000 for violating the league’s anti-tampering policy.
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The investigation was spurred following comments Cousins made during his introductory news conference, when he indicated he spoke with team medical personnel while driving from Minnesota with his family to sign the already agreed-upon contract. In its investigation, the NFL also found that the Falcons had premature conversations with Mooney and Woerner. Cousins’ deal got the most attention because he was one of the top free agents in last year’s class and his four-year, $180 million pact was one of the biggest in the league. He lost his starting job late last season to Michael Penix Jr., whom the Falcons drafted with the eighth pick in the first round last spring.
Atlanta enters the 2025 draft with five picks in total.
San Francisco forfeited its 2025 fifth-round pick (in addition to a 2024 fourth-round pick) after the league discovered administrative payroll accounting errors that resulted in a misreporting of the team’s cumulative player compensation. That draft pick penalty was announced in March 2024. The accounting errors were found to be from the close of the 2022 league year — a season that saw the 49ers go 13-4 and reach the NFC Championship Game.
Since the penalty was announced, the 49ers have acquired two fifth-round picks from other teams among their 11 total picks entering draft weekend. They now hold pick No. 147 from the Washington Commanders (as part of the Deebo Samuel trade) and pick No. 160 from the Minnesota Vikings (as part of the Jordan Mason trade).
Since the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch regime took over in 2017, the fifth round has been a spot where the 49ers have found multiple starters and impact players. Among them: tight end George Kittle (2017), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (2019), cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2021) and safety Talanoa Hufanga (2021). Greenlaw and Hufanga both signed with the Denver Broncos in March.
(Photo: Tom Pennington / Getty Images)
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