How the NFL awards compensatory draft picks: Which free agents factor into formula?

Last month, the NFL officially awarded 33 compensatory picks to 15 teams in the 2026 draft, which began Thursday night in Pittsburgh.These picks, as stipulated by the collective bargaining agreement, fall between the third round and the seventh round. They are slotted in after the final selection of each round. This year, for example, the final four picks of the third round are compensatory selections. The final eight picks of the fourth round are compensatory selections. So forth and so on.Advertisement