As the 2024 NFL Combine wraps up, anticipation builds up for the upcoming NFL draft. Taking the excitement to the next level, the NFL recently released its 34 compensatory picks for this year’s draft. But before delving into the list of players, let us understand the concept behind compensatory picks.
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Compensatory picks are like bonuses for NFL teams that have lost key players to free agency. When a team loses more important free agents than they gain in the previous offseason, they become eligible for compensatory picks in the NFL draft.
To break it down further, let’s take an example. Let’s say Team-A loses three key players in free agency but only signs one new player. Then this creates a mismatch where team-A has lost more players than they gained.
In this case, the NFL would use their formula to determine how many compensatory picks Team-A deserves. These picks can range from the end of the third round to the end of the seventh round, depending on the severity of the losses. According to NFL,
“Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula. Clubs that suffer a net loss of CFAs during the prior free agent signing period are eligible to receive a corresponding number of compensatory selections.”
Now on top of compensatory picks for free agent losses, the NFL also awards picks to teams that have promoted minority employees to head coach or top football executive positions. This is part of league’s efforts to promote diversity in the NFL workforce. NFL provides additional draft picks as a sort of reward for teams that prioritize equal employment opportunities.
Several well-known players have made impactful plays in the NFL after being selected as compensatory picks. These include Tom Brady (Round 6, 1999), Marques Colston (Round 7, 2006), Hines Ward (Round 3, 1993), Matt Hasselbeck (Round 6, 1998), and Brock Purdy (Round 7, 2022).
List of 2024 Compensatory NFL Draft Selections
ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter recently uploaded the list of the Compensatory Draft Selections for 2024 on X platform. This season the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams have five comp picks each followed closely by Philadelphia Eagles with four.
Let us have look into all the 34 selections including two special compensatory selections from Round 3 to Round 7.
Third round
- Jaguars: 96th overall pick
- Eagles: 97th overall pick
- Rams: 98th overall pick (special comp pick)
- 49ers: 99th overall pick (special comp pick)
Fourth round
- 49ers: 132nd overall pick
- Bills: 133rd overall pick
- Ravens: 134th overall pick
Fifth round
- Saints: 167th overall pick
- Packers: 168th overall pick
- Saints: 169th overall pick
- Eagles: 170th overall pick
- Eagles: 171st overall pick
- Chiefs: 172nd overall pick
- Cowboys: 173rd overall pick
- Saints: 174th overall pick
- 49ers: 175th overall pick
Sixth round
- Bengals: 208th overall pick
- Rams: 209th overall pick
- Eagles: 210th overall pick
- 49ers: 211th overall pick
- Jaguars: 212th overall pick
- Rams: 213th overall pick
- Bengals: 214th overall pick
- 49ers: 215th overall pick
- Cowboys: 216th overall pick
- Rams: 217th overall pick
- Jets: 218th overall pick
- Packers: 219th overall pick
- Buccaneers: 220th overall pick
Seventh round
- Chargers: 253rd overall pick
- Rams: 254th overall pick
- Packers: 255th overall pick
- Jets: 256th overall pick
- Jets: 257th overall pick
As compared to his season, the NFL awarded 37 compensatory picks to 16 teams in 2023 NFL draft. The San Francisco led all the way receiving a league high seven selections which included four compensatory and three special compensatory picks. Following them were Los Angeles Rams with four and Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, and Kansas City Chiefs with three each. These 37 picks also included five special compensatory selections that were awarded at the end of the third round to 49ers, Chiefs and Browns.
