The NFL announced on Monday it has awarded 33 compensatory picks to 15 teams for the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
The 33 compensatory picks include one special selection that was awarded at the end of the third round to the Lions for the hiring of former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as Jets head coach in 2025. Detroit went on to trade that pick to the Jaguars. Teams that have had a minority employee hired as a head coach or primary football executive by another club receive special compensatory picks, which were instituted as an amendment to the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement in an effort to promote equal employment opportunities within NFL teams.
Separate from the special compensatory picks, a team that suffers a net loss of compensatory free agents (CFAs) during the previous free-agent signing period is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks, per the league. Also, a team that lost the same number of CFAs that it gained could be eligible for a selection at the end of Round 7 if the value of the CFAs it lost exceeds that of the CFAs it gained.
The compensatory picks are positioned from Round 3 to Round 7, with no team allowed to receive more than four. The formula that determines compensatory free agents is based on salary, playing time and postseason honors.
Below is the full list of compensatory picks awarded to teams ahead of this year's draft (special compensatory picks denoted by an asterisk):
ROUND 3
97. Minnesota Vikings
98. Philadelphia Eagles
99. Pittsburgh Steelers
100. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Lions)*
ROUND 4
133. San Francisco 49ers
134. Las Vegas Raiders
135. Pittsburgh Steelers
136. New Orleans Saints
137. Philadelphia Eagles
138. San Francisco 49ers
139. San Francisco 49ers
140. New York Jets
ROUND 5
173. Baltimore Ravens
174. Baltimore Ravens
175. Las Vegas Raiders
176. Kansas City Chiefs
177. Dallas Cowboys
178. Philadelphia Eagles
179. New York Jets
180. Dallas Cowboys
181. Detroit Lions
ROUND 6
214. Pittsburgh Steelers
215. Philadelphia Eagles
216. Pittsburgh Steelers
ROUND 7
249. Indianapolis Colts
250. Baltimore Ravens
251. Los Angeles Rams
252. Los Angeles Rams
253. Baltimore Ravens
254. Indianapolis Colts
255. Green Bay Packers
256. Denver Broncos
257. Denver Broncos
Here's a breakdown of the number of compensatory picks allotted by team (asterisk denotes a special compensatory pick is included in the team's total):
| Team | Total compensatory picks |
|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2 |
| Denver Broncos | 2 |
| Detroit Lions | 2* |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2 |
| New York Jets | 2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 |
