NFL announces compensatory picks

Apr 25, 2013; New York, NY, USA; A general view of the NFL shield logo and main stage before the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL has announced the compensatory picks for this year’s NFL Draft (linked here).  The NFL awards picks based on free agent losses that were not recouped by other free agent signings.  32 picks, effectively an entire round is handed out from rounds 3 to 7 depending on the severity of those losses.

This year, four teams received third round compensatory picks:  Pittsburgh, Green Bay, San Francisco and Baltimore.  Baltimore tied for the league lead with picks after having to let go a number of players from their Super Bowl roster.  They lost Dannelle Ellerbe (Dolphins), Paul Kruger (Browns), Ed Reed (Texans) and Cary Williams (Eagles) while not adding any players in free agency.  That netted the Ravens a total of four picks including a third rounder, two fourth round picks, and a fifth round pick.  The New York Jets also received four picks, though they got a fourth round pick and three sixth round picks.

Compensatory picks cannot be traded, so teams have to use them and at the spot they got them.  Having compensatory picks makes it so they can be more flexible with other picks as possible trade bait to move around the draft.