March 11, 2025, 07:37 PM ET
In recent developments, Baltimore, Dallas, and Miami have all been granted a league-high of four compensatory picks for next month’s NFL draft. This comes as a result of their activities in last year’s free agency, specifically related to the players they lost and acquired.
Interestingly, the NFL also shared on Tuesday that the San Francisco 49ers picked up four compensatory picks too. Three of these were awarded through the free agency formula, while the fourth was given for nurturing DeMeco Ryans’ transition into a head coach role.
Moreover, two more teams bagged picks at the tail end of the third round. These were distributed for the successful hiring of minorities as head coaches or general managers by other organizations. To break it down, the Los Angeles Rams received a pick for their contribution in developing Raheem Morris, now the head coach in Atlanta, and Detroit snagged one courtesy of Aaron Glenn, the new coach at the New York Jets.
In total, 15 teams have been awarded 35 compensatory draft picks, and these will come into play during the draft scheduled from April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Compensatory picks, slated from the third to seventh rounds, are primarily granted to teams who lost more or better free agents than they managed to recruit in the previous offseason. Additionally, picks are also given for the minorities stepping into head coach or general manager roles within different organizations.
The Ravens, Cowboys, and Dolphins were the fortunate ones to benefit from the full four picks accorded through the free agency formula. For Miami, this meant extra selections at the conclusion of the third and fourth rounds, plus two more in the seventh. This haul was due to their loss of free agents such as Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, and a few others.
Baltimore found itself with picks in the fourth and fifth rounds, plus two in the sixth, having lost free agents like Jadeveon Clowney, Ronald Darby, and others. Since this compensatory process kicked off in 1994, Baltimore has amassed a remarkable total of 60 picks through free agency arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys received three fifth-round selections and a single sixth-round pick, following the exits of players like Dorance Armstrong and Tony Pollard, among others.
On the other hand, Minnesota and the New York Giants were also on the receiving end of extra third-round picks. The Vikings benefited following the departure of their quarterback Kirk Cousins to Atlanta, while the Giants were compensated for losing safety Xavier McKinney to Green Bay.
These compensatory free agents are determined by a specialized formula considering factors like salary, playing time, and postseason accolades. It’s important to note, however, that not every free agent a club gains or loses falls within the brackets of this complex formula.
