Tag: Compensatory Picks

Final projection opens the door for Saints to get multiple 2025 comp picks

The New Orleans Saints may receive another compensatory pick in the 2025 NFL draft, pending whether or not Willie Gay Jr. is deemed a compensatory free agent:

The New Orleans Saints have stocked up on a decent amount of NFL draft picks so far heading into the 2025 offseason. They currently sit on seven selection, with an additional compensatory pick likely to be added in the seventh round. That corresponds to the loss of cornerback Isaac Yiadom in free agency. The Saints won’t get compensation for losing linebacker Zack Baun to the Philadelphia Eagles after signing defensive end Chase Young.

However, they could potentially pick up another compensatory seventh-round pick (for defensive tackle Malcolm Roach going to the Denver Broncos) pending the contract incentives and offseason of Willie Gay Jr.

In an article from Over The Cap’s Nick Korte, he explains the current situation regarding this pick and Gay’s involvement, and the flip that could happen so the Saints gain a selection from the Kansas City Chiefs:

“Having just missed playing 25% of the snaps, his contract got no boost in that regard, drawing it very close to the qualifying cutoff. Should he not become a CFA, Kansas City would be completely shut (out) of 2025 comp picks, and New Orleans would go from getting one 7th rounder to two.”

Ultimately this is a wait-and-see game, as we’ll learn in March whether the incentives in his contract qualified for a compensatory free agent status. Regardless, a ninth pick would be nice (even in the draft’s final round) whether it is used as a trade piece or spent on a late-round gem.

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Steelers receive bad news ahead of 2025 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t have any compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, limiting their chances to add another hidden gem.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have proven themselves adept at selecting elite talent with compensatory picks in the NFL Draft—and it has now been confirmed that they will receive none of these selections.

Some of the biggest home-run hits from the compensatory picks made by the Pittsburgh Steelers include legends like Hines Ward, elite playmakers like RB James Conner and OLB Alex Highsmith, and rising stars like WR Calvin Austin III. It is nothing short of bad news that the Steel City will have no opportunity to add to this list in 2025.

While the compensatory pick system is complicated, it can typically be summed up by determining whether a team lost more free agents than they signed in an offseason—which the Pittsburgh Steelers did not in 2024.

While Pittsburgh’s 2024 NFL Draft class proved that GM Omar Khan and the Steelers’ front office are more than capable of finding elite talent throughout all seven rounds, it is troubling that the team will be without any compensatory picks heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Seahawks projected to receive 3 compensatory selections in 2025 NFL Draft

Seahawks projected to receive 3 compensatory selections in 2025 NFL Draft

The Seattle Seahawks currently own five definitive selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. General manager John Schneider notably owns two picks in the top 50 overall, but Seattle is projected to own far more picks than meets the eye. They’re currently on-track to receive three additional selections via the compensatory format, according to Over The Cap’s Nick Korte.

Schneider is projected to receive a fourth-round pick for losing offensive linemen Damien Lewis, a fifth-rounder for parting with linebacker Jordyn Brooks, and a sixth-round selection for legendary linebacker Bobby Wagner. That would give Seattle eight picks in all — one per round, plus an extra sixth.

Brooks signed a three-year contract worth $26.25 million with the Miami Dolphins last offseason. Brooks was his usual workhorse self in Miami this season, recording 143 tackles. The Seahawks initially struggled to replace him at off-ball linebacker, eventually landing on a successful off-ball partnership between Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight.

Lewis inked a four-year deal with the Carolina Panthers worth a sizable $53 million. The Seahawks received putrid play from their replacement guards, Laken Tomlinson and Anthony Bradford. At least they’re getting a compensatory selection.

The legendary Wagner landed a one-year deal worth $6.5 million with the Washington Commanders. The future Hall of Famer is an ageless talent, totaling 132 regular-season tackles, helping the Commanders embark on an ongoing playoff run that’s thus far reached the NFC Championship Game.

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Compensatory pick projections for the 2025 NFL Draft

Compensatory pick projections for the 2025 NFL Draft, which get awarded later this winter

The NFL doesn’t award compensatory picks for the upcoming draft until later in the winter, but there are already several predictions for what those comp picks will be. While the exact formula isn’t publicly known, many have reverse-engineered the comp picks in prior years to come up with a pretty exact model of predictions.

At the core, compensatory picks are awarded to teams with net spending losses in free agency. The greater the net loss, the higher the compensatory pick award will be. Those picks start after the end of the third round of scheduled picks, beginning with No. 97 overall.

There are also special compensatory picks awarded via the NFL’s initiative to promote racial diversity in hiring. The newly awarded picks that qualify are not yet set for 2025, but the 49ers do have one carrying over from 2024 that is already set. A maximum of 32 regular compensatory picks are awarded. These picks can be traded.

Here’s how Over The Cap projects the compensatory draft picks for the 2025 NFL Draft:

3rd round – Vikings
3rd round – Dolphins
3rd round – Rams
3rd round – 49ers (for coach/GM loss)

4th round – Giants
4th round – Dolphins
4th round – Ravens
4th round – Seahawks
4th round – 49ers
4th round – 49ers

5th round – Cowboys
5th round – Bills
5th round – Cowboys
5th round – Seahawks
5th round – Cowboys
5th round – Bills
5th round – Ravens
5th round – Chargers
5th round – Ravens

6th round – Cowboys
6th round – Seahawks
6th round – Ravens
6th round – Raiders
6th round – Chargers
6th round – Browns
6th round – Browns
6th round – Raiders

7th round – Packers
7th round – Dolphins
7th round – Chargers
7th round – Saints
7th round – 49ers
7th round – Chiefs
7th round – Browns

Lions due compensatory picks if Aaron Glenn leaves for a head coaching job

The Lions would get two compensatory draft picks if Aaron Glenn leaves for a head coaching job

Aaron Glenn is in New York on Tuesday with the expectation that the Lions defensive coordinator will become the new head coach of the Jets. If (when?) that happens, the Lions are due some compensatory draft picks for Glenn’s departure.

Thanks to an NFL policy, the Lions would receive a compensatory pick at the end of the third round in the 2025 and 2026 NFL drafts. Those picks generally fall in the 105-110 overall range, though they aren’t officially set until after the NFL awards compensatory picks for net free agency losses later this winter.

The NFL created the compensatory pick program back in 2020 to help encourage teams to allow minority candidates to pursue higher-level jobs with other teams. It’s technically Resolution JC-2a from 2020, which states,

“The employer-club of a minority employee who has been hired by another club as its Head Coach or Primary Football Executive shall receive Draft choice compensation in the form of a compensatory Draft pick in the third round in each of the next two Drafts for an employee hired as either a Head Coach or Primary Football Executive.”

Glenn would be the first instance in which the Lions capitalize on the policy. The pick at the end of the third round would prove a nice boost for Detroit, which traded its third-round pick in 2025 to select offensive lineman Giovanni Manu in the fourth round in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Lions do not currently have a fifth-round pick as well.

Broncos not projected to get any comp picks in 2025 NFL draft

The Broncos are not expected to receive any compensatory draft picks in 2025.

Each spring, the NFL awards compensatory draft picks to teams who essentially lost more than they gained in free agency in the previous year (the exact formula is more complicated than that). The comp picks are awarded beginning with the end of the third round.

This year, the Denver Broncos are not expected to receive any comp picks. OverTheCap.com estimates that the team’s loss of center Lloyd Cushenberry was canceled out by the signing of wide receiver Josh Reynolds.

Meanwhile, Denver’s loss of inside linebacker Josey Jewell was canceled out by the signing of safety Brandon Jones. Additionally, the Broncos signed linebacker Cody Barton and defensive lineman Malcolm Roach in 2024. So Denver won’t get extra picks in 2025.

The Broncos have not been awarded a comp pick since 2018, when they received one extra pick. Before that, Denver received four comp picks each year from 2015-2017. Overall, they have received 22 comp picks since 1999.

The Broncos hold seven picks to use in the 2025 NFL draft (April 24-26).

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List of all Cowboys 2025 draft slots, including projected comp picks

A look at the projected compensatory picks Dallas should receive and why, and what kind of ammunition they have.

The Dallas Cowboys are done for. At least, for the 2024 season, it’s a wrap. With a 7-10 record, the Cowboys players are sitting at home getting ready to watch the wild-card round move on without them, while the front office and coaching staff wrestle with the lame-duck status of Mike McCarthy.

Whether or not McCarthy is retained will have a huge impact on the two primary phases of the offseason; free agency and the draft. The scouting department won’t fully know which veterans and amateurs best fit the offensive and defensive schemes best until those schemes are locked in with the 2025 coaching staff.

The only thing that is known are the parameters to both of those phases. The Cowboys don’t have a lot of cap space for free agency at the moment, but can create a ton of it in the blink of an eye. Over the Cap has Dallas currently over the projected cap in 2025, but with the flick of a switch they can create up to $80 million in space.

The other part of the equation, the draft picks, are generally known as well. Dallas expects to have 10 picks to play with in 2025, six standard picks and four compensatory picks.

Comp picks are determined by a formula that looks at qualified free agents signed or lost in the previous offseason. Because Dallas didn’t sign any qualified free agents, all of the ones they lost are part of the formula.

Based on the amount of the deals with their new teams, and how much they played this year, here are the five players who qualified for Dallas.

Tyron Smith (NY Jets), Dorance Armstrong (Washington), Tyler Biadasz (Washington), Tony Pollard (Tennessee), and Dante Fowler (Washington).

Smith, Armstrong and Biadasz should bring the Cowboys three extra fifth-round picks, while Pollard should bring a sixth. Fowler was at a seventh-round level, but the NFL limits teams to four comp picks a season.

Comp picks are officially awarded around the start of the new league year in March.

Here’s a look at the Cowboys’ full haul.

1st Round (12) – 12th

2nd Round (12) – 44th

3rd Round (12) – 76th

* 4th Round (12) – ~113th – Traded to Carolina Panthers for WR Jonathan Mingo

5th Round (11) – ~148th

5th Round Comp- ~168th

5th Round Comp- ~170th

5th Round Comp- 171st

6th Round (18) – ~186th

6th Round Comp – ~209th

7th Round (10) – 226th

Updated projections for 2025 NFL Draft compensatory picks

The 2025 NFL Draft isn’t for over 350 days but that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead with some projections when it comes to draft picks.

The 2025 NFL Draft isn’t for over 350 days, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead with some projections when it comes to draft picks. The way the NFL gives compensatory picks can be tough to figure out but the folks over at Over the Cap have a formula that does a good job of predicting them.

It is important to remember, the picks we are about to discuss and the projections are just that, projections.

The NFL gives compensatory draft picks for various reasons, namely the loss of key players in free agency. In March, the team lost both Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter to free agency. Cousins went to Atlanta, and Hunter went to Houston.

The team is projected to receive a third-round pick for the loss of Cousins. They were also expected to receive a third-round pick for the loss of Hunter but the team signing Shaq Griffin loses that pick for them as Over the Cap explains.

“. . .3rd rounders for both Cousins and Hunter leaving were on the board…until they signed Shaquill Griffin to a one year, $4.55 million contract, leaving the Vikings with a net loss of only 1 CFA, giving the formula no choice but to cancel out Hunter’s contract with Griffin’s.”

Much goes into the formula and the projections, much more than most of us realize. Their projections are very well done and are a fun read for Viking and NFL fans alike. I strongly suggest you read their piece to further understand their reasoning for each pick being given out.

Commanders not projected to receive any compensatory picks in 2025 for free-agent losses this offseason

No surprise, the Commanders aren’t expected to receive any compensatory picks for 2025 after a busy offseason.

The Washington Commanders signed over 20 outside free agents this offseason and watched some former starters leave via free agency.

However, Washington signed much more than it lost, meaning the Commanders would not receive any compensatory selections in the 2025 NFL draft, per Over the Cap.

That’s not a surprise and something general manager Adam Peters knew before free agency. The Commanders had so many holes it would need to be aggressive in free agency just to field a competitive roster in 2024.

While Washington didn’t land any compensatory picks for 2025, three of its signings helped other teams land them. The Commanders’ signings of center Tyler Biadasz and defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr. give the Dallas Cowboys a pair of fifth-round selections.

Also, Washington’s signing of running back Austin Ekeler means the Los Angeles Chargers will receive a sixth-round pick.

The Commanders were busy in free agency but also added nine newcomers via the NFL draft and 11 more undrafted free agents. Washington will look like a completely different team in 2024, which should be encouraging news to the fans.

Rams not projected to receive any compensatory picks in 2025 for free-agent losses this offseason

The Rams are not projected to receive any compensatory picks in next year’s draft for their free-agent departures this offseason

The Los Angeles Rams changed their strategy in free agency this offseason. Rather than primarily targeting players who were cut by other teams and letting some of their top free agents walk, they did they opposite. They re-signed their top guy in Kevin Dotson and also brought in some high-level free agents such as Jonah Jackson, Colby Parkinson and Kamren Curl.

The result? A lack of compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL draft. Because the Rams signed a few qualified free agents and didn’t suffer any major losses, they’re not going to have any additional picks for their departures.

According to Over The Cap, the Rams are not projected to receive any regular compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL draft. It’s unofficial, of course, because compensatory picks won’t be awarded until next spring, but the Rams aren’t in line to receive any.

The only extra pick they’ll receive is a special compensatory pick for Raheem Morris being hired as the Falcons’ head coach this offseason. That will be a third-round comp pick at the end of the round, just as they received this year.

Here’s a breakdown of the compensatory pick cancellation chart from Over The Cap, showing who the Rams lost and who they added to offseason their departures.

The Rams are known for being a team that accumulates compensatory picks. Just for free-agent losses, they received four in the 2024 draft, four in 2023, four in 2022 and three in 2021.

Next year will feel much different with the absence of compensatory picks for the Rams, especially after they also traded away their 2025 second-rounder to move up for Braden Fiske.