The San Francisco 49ers wanted to add a difference-maker to their roster at the trade deadline, but not at a price that would significantly impair them in the 2024 NFL Draft.

San Francisco, despite possessing a huge amount of blue-chip talent, has a clear need to refresh its roster by adding some premium draft prospects to the ranks having not held a first-round pick since the 2021 draft.

General manager John Lynch managed to achieve the aim of adding another star to the roster for what the 49ers hope will be a Super Bowl push in the 2023 season while holding on to the bulk of the franchise's 2024 draft capital in Tuesday's blockbuster trade with the Washington Commanders for edge rusher Chase Young.

San Francisco only sent a compensatory third-round pick for Young, meaning they are still projected to have 11 picks in the 2024 draft. Per Over The Cap, the Niners are set to receive a third-round compensatory pick after Mike McGlinchey left in free agency for the Denver Broncos, a fifth-rounder for Samson Ebukam signing with the Indianapolis Colts and sixth-rounders for Charles Omenihu (Kansas City Chiefs) and Azeez Al-Shaair (Tennessee Titans) leaving via the open market.

The 49ers' draft selections break down as follows:

• Round 1
• Round 2
• Round 3
• Round 3 (*Compensatory)
• Round 4 
• Round 4 (via Dallas) 
• Round 5 (*Compensatory)
• Round 6 (*Compensatory)
• Round 6 (*Compensatory)
• Round 7
• Round 7 (Rams via Broncos)

San Francisco is therefore well set to attack the draft and, regardless of how the 49ers' campaign ultimately pans out, they will have a host of needs to address. Offensive tackle remains an area of concern, with right tackle Colton McKivitz producing an unconvincing season and recent games without Trent Williams revealing a lack of depth behind him.

The 49ers' cornerback depth remains shaky and, with Young and fellow 2020 first-round pick Javon Kinlaw both free agents in the offseason, an infusion of rookie talent on the defensive line may be required.

San Francisco, having had to wait until the third round to make a pick this year, has more substantial capital with which to refresh things even after adding Young into the mix, and Lynch conceded that finding the balance between boosting the Niners' Super Bowl hopes and still being able to build for the future was paramount in the franchise's plans for the trade deadline.

He told his Wednesday conference call:

"It's tough because it's become an expectation that we're going to do something and everyone's kind of looking at you close to the trade deadline when you haven't done something yet and you're saying, hold on, Randy Gregory, we did that and I'm glad we did Chase for the right reasons, not because we just felt like, hey, we've got to do something. I believe wholeheartedly that all the answers are right here in the building. We didn't have to go do this. We just saw an opportunity and we felt like we could stay true to who we want to be in terms of building through the draft, with also adding a player who we felt could help us the rest of this year."

Now the onus is on Young to prove he can give San Francisco the necessary lift, but the 49ers will be in an excellent position to reload the roster irrespective of whether Young lives up to the pressure he will be under.

Titans GM and DeMeco Ryans played huge role in 49ers’ Chase Young trade

Their progress helped make it happen.