Each year, the NFL grants compensatory choices before recruitment. The compensatory choices, given between rounds three and seven, are based on an NFL formula that takes into account the players who left the team on their own the previous spring. The player’s salary, snap count and post-season prizes are among the criteria taken into account when splitting the compensatory choices. To be eligible to receive a compensatory choice, a team must have ended up with more qualified free agents lost than won during the previous off-season.
The number of compensatory choices is limited to 32, the number of NFL teams. No team can receive more than four compensatory choices in a given draft. For a player to qualify as a compensatory choice, he must be hired by a new team by April 27. The player must also have a rating high enough among his peers to be qualified.
Below is each compensatory choice which was distributed before this year’s draft. The 2021 draft will begin at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, April 29, and runs through Saturday, May 1.
Arizona Cardinals
Compensatory choice: None
Atlanta Falcons
Compensatory choice: 5th round, 180th overall choice; 5th round, 183th overall choice; 6th round 219th general choice
Buffalo Bills
Compensatory choice: None
Baltimore Ravens
Compensatory choice: 3rd round, 105th overall choice; 5th round, 184th overall choice
Carolina Panthers
Compensatory choice: 6th round, 22nd overall choice; 6th round, 226th overall choice
Cincinnati Bengals
Compensatory choice: None
Cleveland Browns
Compensatory choice: None
Chicago Bears
Compensatory choice: 6th round, 221st overall choice; 6th round 228th overall choice
Dallas Cowboys
Compensatory choice: 3rd round, 99th overall choice; 4th round, 139th overall choice; 5th round, 179th overall choice; 6th round, 227th overall choice
Denver Broncos
Compensatory choice: None
Detroit Lions
Compensatory choice: None
Green Bay Packers
Compensatory choice: 4th round, 143rd overall choice; 5th round, 178th overall choice; 6th round, 220th overall choice
Houston Texans
Compensatory choice: None
Indianapolis Colts
Compensatory choice: None
Kansas City Chiefs
Compensatory choice: 4th round, 145th overall choice; 5th round, 182 general choice
Los Angeles Chargers
Compensatory choice: 3rd round, 97th overall choice
Los Angeles Rams
Compensatory choice: 3rd round, 101st general choice; 3rd round, 104th overall choice; 4th round, 142nd overall choice
Jacksonville Jaguars
Compensatory choice: None
Miami Dolphins
Compensatory choice: None
Minnesota Vikings
Compensatory choice: 4th round, 144th overall choice; 6th round, 223rd overall choice
New England Patriots
Compensatory choice: 3rd round, 96th overall choice; 4th round, 140th overall choice
New Orleans Saints
Compensatory choice: third round, 98th overall choice; 3rd round, 106th overall choice; 6th round, 218th overall choice
New York Giants
Compensatory choice: None
New York Jets
Compensatory choice: None
Oakland Raiders
Compensatory choice: None
Philadelphia Eagles
Compensatory choice: None
San Francisco 49ers
Compensatory choice: 3rd round, 102 general choice; 3rd round, 103rd overall choice; 5th round, 181st overall choice
Seattle Seahawks
Compensatory choice: None
Philadelphia Eagles
Compensatory choice: 6th round, 224th overall choice; 6th round, 225th overall choice
Pittsburgh Steelers
Compensatory choice: 4th round, 141st overall choice
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Compensatory choice: 6th round, 217th overall choice
Tennessee Titans
Compensatory choice: 3rd round, 100th overall choice
Washington Football Team
Compensatory choice: None