Teams that are astute enough to anticipate the complex formula used by the league to allocate additional draft picks to teams that sign more free agents than they lose will have the option to plan ahead with compensatory picks. And in terms of compensatory picks in 2025, the Dolphins are the team most excited about.
According to Nick Korte, the Dolphins are expected to receive two third-round compensation picks in 2025. The Raiders’ four-year, $110 million contract for Christian Wilkins and the Panthers’ five-year, $100 million pact for Robert Hunt are the reasons Miami lost both expensive free agents. The Dolphins will receive a third-round compensation pick in 2025 from each of those two contracts.
The Vikings will receive the highest compensatory pick in 2025 from Kirk Cousins’ four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons, the only other deal in the league this offseason that would result in a third-round compensatory pick the following year.
Other clubs that will fare well in terms of compensatory picks the next season are the Ravens, who will receive selections in the fourth round in lieu of Patrick Queen, the fifth round in lieu of Jadeveon Clowney, and the sixth round in lieu of Geno Stone and John Simpson. The Ravens have always been the league’s top club at obtaining compensatory selections, and they have performed admirably this offseason as well.
Both the Seahawks and the Bills, who each added a fourth- and fifth-round pick, ought to perform well in the compensatory pick formula. Additionally, the Cowboys anticipate using the compensatory system to obtain one pick in the sixth round and three additional picks in the fifth.
