NFL announces 32 compensatory draft choices

A total of 32 compensatory choices in the 2010 NFL Draft have been awarded to 19 teams, the NFL announced today.

Under terms of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.

The number of picks a team receives equals the net loss of compensatory free agents up to a maximum of four.  The 32 compensatory choices announced today will supplement the 223 choices in the seven rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft (April 22-24).  This year, the compensatory picks will be positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost.

Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors.  The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council.  Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula. 

Three clubs this year (Oakland, Miami and Tampa Bay) will each receive a compensatory pick even though they did not suffer a net loss of compensatory free agents last year.  Under the formula, the compensatory free agents lost by these clubs were ranked higher than the ones they signed (by a specified point differential based upon salary and performance).

Thirty compensatory picks were awarded to clubs based upon the compensatory pick formula.  By rule, two additional choices were awarded at the end of the seventh round to bring the total number of compensatory selections to 32, equaling the number of NFL clubs.  The two additional picks were awarded to St. Louis and Detroit based upon the 2010 draft selection order.

The following 2010 draft picks have been determined by the NFL Management Council:

                          ROUND CHOICE-
ROUND        OVERALL SELECTION             TEAM

3                  33-96                                         Cincinnati
3                  34-97                                         Tennessee
3                  35-98                                         Atlanta
4                  33-131                                       Cincinnati
5                  33-164                                       Pittsburgh
5                  34-165                                       Atlanta
5                  35-166                                       Pittsburgh
5                  36-167                                       Minnesota
5                  37-168                                       San Diego
5                  38-169                                       Green Bay
6                  33-202                                       Carolina
6                  34-203                                       Jacksonville
6                  35-204                                       Carolina
6                  36-205                                       New England
6                  37-206                                       San Francisco
6                  38-207                                       Tennessee
7                  33-240                                       Indianapolis
7                  34-241                                       Tennessee
7                  35-242                                       Pittsburgh
7                  36-243                                       Philadelphia
7                  37-244                                       Philadelphia
7                  38-245                                       Seattle
7                  39-246                                       Indianapolis
7                  40-247                                       New England
7                  41-248                                       New England
7                  42-249                                       Carolina
7                  43-250                                       New England
7                  44-251                                       Oakland
7                  45-252                                       Miami
7                  46-253                                       Tampa Bay
7                  47-254                                       St. Louis
7                  48-255                                       Detroit