The Detroit Lions have not been awarded any compensatory picks in the 2020 NFL draft, as most experts projected.
The formula for awarding compensatory picks is still a guarded secret in the NFL, but the foundational principle is if a team loses more assets than it gains in free agency, then the following draft they will be compensated with additional draft picks.
During the 2019 offseason, the Lions were very much spenders in free agency, investing in players like Trey Flowers, Justin Coleman, Jesse James, Rashaan Melvin, Logan Thomas, and Oday Aboushi. Additionally, the players they lost to free agency didn’t sign any impactful contracts with other teams further hindering the Lions situation.
While the NFL’s formula is a secret, some knowledgable writers have been historically accurate in projecting what the NFL will do. Here’s a look at Over the Cap’s 2020 Compensatory pick cancellation chart:
As you can clearly see, the Lions were not expecting any additional draft picks this cycle.
Now that the compensatory picks have been added to this years pool, the Lions current 2020 draft picks are:
- Round 1, pick 3
- Round 2, pick 35
- Round 3, pick 67
- Round 4, pick 109
- Round 5, pick 149 and 172
- Round 6, pick 182
Here’s a full look at the compensatory picks that were awarded for the 2020 NFL draft:
With the current CBA being debated by owners, NFLPA, and players, it’s unclear if compensatory picks will be part of the league future, but if they are and the Lions are interested in adding them next draft, they’ll have to be smart with how they approach this year’s free agency period.