NFL Draft: Top 5 players selected with compensatory picks

15 teams received compensatory picks in the 2018 NFL Draft. The best players ever selected with compensatory picks prove how valuable they can be.

The NFL recently announced that 32 compensatory picks have been distributed amongst 15 franchises. It was a generally under-appreciated revelation, as many have come to view compensatory picks as meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

As history shows us, however, some of the greatest players in NFL history have been products of that very type of selection.

Compensatory choices are essentially awarded to franchises who lost free agents that they struggled to replace. The formula isn’t exactly the most well-known equation in sports, but it’s one that’s intended to provide an organization with restitution of sorts.

While many overlook the value of those selections, a number of teams have proven how valuable they can be—and how many diamonds in the rough can be unsurfaced.

For 15 teams, that opportunity will present itself come April. Whether it’s a selection in the early rounds or a pick further down the board, history shows that superstar talent can be found in any round—even in compensatory territory.

In order to provide context to the opportunity afforded to these 15 franchises, a question must be answered: Who are the best players selected with compensatory picks at the NFL Draft?

Honorable Mention: Matt Hasselbeck

Before the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl with Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and the Legion of Boom, they made it to The Big Game in 2006. Seattle may have lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but reaching the Super Bowl is a feat unto itself.

The starting quarterback for the Seahawks during that unforgettable run was selected with a compensatory selection: Matt Hasselbeck.

Hasselbeck pieced together a more than solid professional playing career, remaining active and relevant for a remarkable 17 seasons. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers at No. 187 overall—the very definition of a steal.

Hasselbeck went on to receive three Pro Bowl nods, starting a grand total of 160 regular season games and 11 postseason outings.

Hasselbeck finished his career with 36,638 passing yards and 212 passing touchdowns. Hasselbeck even had a memorable run in his 17th and final NFL season, when he led the Indianapolis Colts to a 5-3 record in eight games of relief for the injured Andrew Luck.

Hasselbeck won five playoff games, started in the Super Bowl, threw for upwards of 36,000 passing yards, and amassed 220 career touchdowns.

Not too shabby for a sixth-round compensatory pick.

5. La’Roi Glover

Finding a player who can create penetration from the interior of a defensive line is an unenvious task. A great defensive tackle is as elusive a target as any in the NFL Draft, as upside is too often complemented by a poor motor or unideal conditioning.

One of the players who best fit the bill of the elusive draft steal at defensive tackle was NFL 2000s All-Decade Team selection La’Roi Glover.

Glover was one of the best penetrating defensive tackles in NFL history. The fifth-round draft pick led the NFL in sacks in 2000 with a downright unbelievable 17.0— just one shy of the all-time record for a defensive tackle.

That tremendous feat enabled Glover to win the 2000 NFC Defensive Player of the Year award, which validated his emergence as a star of the sport.

Glover finished his career with 83.5 sacks, including two seasons with at least 10.0 sacks. He finished his career with four All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowl appearances, and is a member of the New Orleans Saints’ Hall of Fame

Not bad for a player who was selected with a compensatory pick in the 1996 NFL Draft and was cut after his first season with the Oakland Raiders.

4. Hines Ward

The Pittsburgh Steelers would not have won two of their championships without wide receiver Hines Ward. Not only was Ward one of the most productive players in NFL history, but he was a leader in the locker room who helped establish the culture.

Had the Steelers not received a compensatory pick in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, they may not have been able to build what they did in the 2000s.

Ward has two Super Bowl rings and a Super Bowl MVP award to validate his inclusion on this list. He recorded 11 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown during that unforgettable performance—a performance that was the epitome of his contributions as a player.

His game-to-game production varied, but when the Steelers needed a big play on a big stage, Ward was the player who consistently stepped up.

In terms of postseason production, Ward finished No. 4 in receptions and receiving touchdowns, and No. 6 in receiving yards—in NFL history. He finished his regular season career with 1,000 career receptions, 12,083 receiving yards, and 85 touchdowns.

Hines was a three-time Second-Team All-Pro, a four-time Pro Bowler, and a compensatory pick. In other words: These choices can be incredibly rewarding.

3. Brian Dawkins

Brian Dawkins was one of the most feared and respected players in the NFL during his unbelievable 15-year career. His resumé lines up against some of the greatest safeties in history, and his influence was profound.

Selected with a compensatory pick in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft, Dawkins is now a member of the exclusive Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Dawkins finished his career with insane production: 895 tackles, 26.0 sacks, 37 interceptions, 98 passes defended, . He was the 10th player in NFL history to eclipse at least 20 sacks and 20 interceptions, and helped set the stage for the dynamic safeties of today.

Dawkins’ combination of production, leadership, and influence him to be named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade First Team with fellow safety Ed Reed.

Dawkins received five First-Team All-Pro selections and a Second Team nod, which is a testament to his greatness. Add nine Pro Bowl appearances and the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles retired his No. 20 jersey, and he’s the very definition of an NFL Draft steal.

Dawkins is the prototype for the modern NFL at the safety position. He’s also proof that a franchise can find an elite player with a compensatory choice.

2. Larry Allen

The Dallas Cowboys received a compensatory choice in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. Dallas proceeded to select a player who went on to become one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the history of the sport.

A member of both the 1990s and 2000s NFL All-Decade Teams, Larry Allen was a steal of a selection at No. 46 overall in the 1994 NFL Draft.

Allen received seven First-Team All-Pro selections—more than all but four offensive linemen in NFL history. Those players are Hall of Fame honorees Jim Otto (10), Ron Mix (9), Anthony Munoz (9), and Jim Parker (8).

If that doesn’t tell you how legendary a player Allen was during his Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers careers, I’m not sure what will.

Allen was also an 11-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ Ring of Honor. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013, thus cementing his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

If a team believes that it can’t utilize a compensatory selection to legitimize the offensive line, Larry Allen—one of the Top 100 players in NFL history—should offer evidence to the contrary.

1. Tom Brady

The New England Patriots received a compensatory pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Many assumed it was a meaningless selection to acquire, but the Patriots turned it into a franchise quarterback for the ages.

Thanks to the compensatory pick it acquired in 2000, the Patriots managed to draft Tom Brady at No. 199 overall in the NFL Draft.

Brady has pieced together what may be the greatest resume in football history. He’s a three-time NFL MVP, five-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time First Team All-Pro, Two-Time All-Pro, and two-time Offensive Player of the Year.

Brady is also a 13-time Pro Bowler and the 2009 Comeback Player of the Year who overcame a gruesome injury to become an even greater player.

Brady is also No. 4 on the all-time passing yards list and No. 3 on the all-time passing touchdowns list. Even if he were to retire today, the Patriots superstar whom no one expected to amount to anything would be a first ballot Hall of Famer and a GOAT candidate.

If Brady isn’t proof that compensatory picks in any and every round can be of profound value, I’m not entirely sure what one’s standard is.

Must Read: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Final Evaluations Before The Scouting Combine

The lesson: Every one of the 15 teams that received a compensatory choice in the 2018 NFL Draft has a chance to do something special.