( KRON ) — The San Francisco 49ers lost a 5th-round pick in April’s
NFL Draft due to “administrative payroll accounting errors,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday. A 49ers 4th-round pick was also moved back four spots. “This action resulted from a league review that found administrative payroll accounting errors at the close of the 2022 league year that resulted in a misreporting of the club’s cumulative player compensation. The NFL determined that the club would have remained under the salary cap at all times regardless of the error and there was no intent to circumvent the cap,” Pelissero reported. In short, the 49ers misreported how much they paid their players in 2022, but the NFL determined that the 49ers were not trying to cheat the salary cap in making the accounting mistakes. Still, the 49ers will be punished. Their fourth-round pick will move from No. 131 to No. 135 and their fifth-round pick is gone. “We take responsibility and accept the imposed discipline from the NFL due to a clerical payroll error,” the team said in a statement to the Associated Press . “At no time did we mislead or otherwise deceive the league or gain a competitive advantage in connection with the payroll mistake.” The loss is easier to swallow because the 49ers were awarded several compensatory draft picks by the NFL. They have extra draft picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. The lost draft pick will cost general manager John Lynch a shot at finding a diamond in the rough, which he has shown the ability to do. Tight end George Kittle, safety Talanoa Hufanga and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir are among the key players Lynch has drafted in the fifth round.