Compensatory draft picks are awarded to NFL teams based on players gained and lost in free agency the season prior. They’re awarded better and more compensatory picks based on the quality of the players lost and gained in addition to the value of the contracts they sign. Teams can gain up to a maximum of four compensatory picks any given year.
This season the Kansas City Chiefs are without a compensatory draft pick. They lost four qualifying free agents but signed four players, which canceled out those signings. In the past, they’ve added some solid pieces to their team using compensatory picks. Kansas City has been awarded a total of 25 compensatory picks since they were introduced in 1994. However, they’ve only selected 21 players as they traded three compensatory selections in 2017 and one in 2018.
Here is an updated history of all the players that the Chiefs have selected in the NFL draft using a compensatory pick:
2019: RB Darwin Thompson
Thompson was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft with the 214th pick. He had an exciting preseason for Kansas City but got off to a slow start once the regular season kicked off. He finished the season with 128 rushing yards on 37 carries with one touchdown. You can find our full write-up on Thompson’s rookie season here.