The Philadelphia Eagles won the trade of underperforming defensive end Bryce Huff, who wasn't exactly a scheme fit under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Getting out from under Huff's lucrative contract and getting NFL Draft compensation in return is a victory.
Yet the San Francisco 49ers won the trade, too, paying only a portion of Huff's salary and taking on a pass-rusher who thrived under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh when the two were together with the New York Jets in 2023.
And it didn't take the Niners much to land Huff either.
When news of the pending deal first went live, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported San Francisco was sending a mid-round pick in the 2026 draft to make the move work.
We now know the nature of that pick, thanks to one league insider.
49ers sending conditional 5th-round draft pick for Bryce Huff
CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones got the scoop that San Francisco was sending a conditional Round 5 pick to Philly in exchange for Huff:
Trade compensation update: it’s a 2026 conditional fifth round pick that can turn into a fourth. Condition(s) tied to performance. All pending physical. https://t.co/LIAQeKD0uR
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) June 2, 2025
What the exact "conditions" are regarding the compensation have yet to be determined, but they're likely to center around snap counts, games played, stats or some other related combination.
Either way, even a fourth-rounder wouldn't be too bad a price to pay for a player who registered 10 sacks and 21 quarterback hits under Saleh just two seasons ago in a defensive scheme almost identical to the one the 49ers are expected to operate in 2025.
Should Saleh and Co. help revitalize Huff's career within a system in which he thrived, a day-three draft pick would appear to be the cheapest of price tags to pay.
If Huff ultimately doesn't pan out, then few would mind sending out relatively low compensation for a reclamation project that didn't net desired results.
That's a win, too.