What are compensatory draft picks and why do NFL teams get them?

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The 2023 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and with that comes a slew of unique quirks and traditions for the three-day long event. 

In the leadup to the draft, teams will start to take stock of their options, and the final touch came with the awarding of compensatory picks on Thursday.

But what are compensatory picks? The practice, which is meant to balance the level of competition for teams that suffer major losses in free agency, was first introduced in the NFL in 1994 and is also seen in other leagues, such as the NHL and MLB.

With the NFL offseason in full swing, here’s a look at compensatory picks.

What is a compensatory pick?

The NFL offers draft placements – known as compensatory picks – designated from rounds No. 3 through 7 in the event of specific personnel changes. These include the net loss of compensatory free agents or the hiring of a minority employee as the head coach or general manager with a different team.

How many compensatory picks are there each year?

Like many of the details surrounding compensatory picks, there isn’t a hard and fast number of picks awarded each year. 

In 2022, the league awarded 39 compensatory picks to 16 different teams. The year before, 36 compensatory picks were handed out to 17 clubs. 

However, no team can receive more than four picks per draft. If a team still qualifies for more than four compensatory picks following calculations, they will be awarded the four highest remaining selections.

How do NFL draft compensatory picks work?

When awarding compensatory picks, the NFL uses a formula that accounts for a player’s average salary per year (APY), snap count and postseason awards. The exact specifics of the formula are confidential, but we do know it also takes into consideration a player’s history of playing time (or lack thereof). 

Who has compensatory picks in the 2023 NFL Draft? 

There were 37 comp pick awarded to 16 teams for the 2023 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers got the most with seven, while the Los Angeles Rams received four.

Here's a full look at each comp pick for 2023:

Third round

Arizona Cardinals, No. 96 pick

Washington Commanders, No. 97 pick

Cleveland Browns, No. 98 pick

San Francisco 49ers, No. 99 pick

Kansas City Chiefs, No. 100 pick

San Francisco 49ers, No. 101 pick

San Francisco 49ers, No. 102 pick

Fourth round

New England Patriots, No. 135 pick

Fifth round

Los Angeles Rams, No. 167 pick

Arizona Cardinals, No. 168 pick

Dallas Cowboys, No. 169 pick

Green Bay Packers, No. 170 pick

Los Angeles Rams, No. 171 pick

New York Giants, No. 172 pick

San Francisco 49ers, No. 173 pick

Las Vegas Raiders, No. 174 pick

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, No. 175 pick

Dallas Cowboys, No. 176 pick

Los Angeles Rams, No. 177 pick

Sixth round

New England Patriots, No. 210 pick

Minnesota Vikings, No. 211 pick

Dallas Cowboys, No. 212 pick

Arizona Cardinals, No. 213 pick

Las Vegas Raiders, No. 214 pick

Washington Commanders, No. 215 pick

San Francisco 49ers, No. 216 pick

Kansas City Chiefs, No. 217 pick

Seventh round

Kansas City Chiefs, No. 250 pick

Los Angeles Rams, No. 251 pick

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, No. 252 pick

San Francisco 49ers, No. 253 pick

New York Giants, No. 254 pick

San Francisco 49ers, No. 255 pick

Green Bay Packers, No. 256 pick

New Orleans Saints, No. 257 pick

Chicago Bears, No. 258 pick

Houston Texans, No. 259 pick

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