Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers among biggest winners in 2022 compensatory NFL draft picks
The Los Angeles Rams came into the 2022 offseason with a depleted cache of draft picks. Thanks to the league's compensatory selection program, their war chest got a little bit bigger.
The Rams, San Francisco 49ers were the biggest winners when the league announced this year's compensatory picks, each netting five additional draft selections each between rounds three and seven. The Los Angeles Chargers received four compensatory picks.
The league awards these to franchises who lose "more or better compensatory free agents ("CFA") than it acquires in the previous year." In short, any team that sees more stars leave as free agents than it signs is eligible for bonus draft picks based on the NFL's proprietary formula the following year. Compensatory picks are also awarded to teams for having minority coaches hired away. The 49ers received two of those special selections.
In 2021, the Rams lost Samson Ebukam, Gerald Everett, Morgan Fox, Troy Hill, and John Johnson without signing any CFAs, leading to a four-pick haul that includes one third, one fourth, and two sixth-round picks. The Chargers parted ways with Dan Feeney, Hunter Henry, Rayshawn Jenkins, Denzel Perryman, Tyrod Taylor, and Sam Tevi, but also signed Matt Feiler and Corey Linsley, limiting them to one sixth and three seventh-round selections.
NFL MOCK DRAFT: How Carson Wentz, Russell Wilson trades might alter first round
NFL NEWSLETTER: Sign up now to get football news delivered to your inbox
The 49ers and New Orleans Saints might have had the best overall haul. They each received two of the nine third-round selections set to wrap up Day 2 of the 2022 NFL draft.
Here's the full list of compensatory picks:
- Round 3 (overall selection: 97) - Detroit Lions
- Round 3 (98) - New Orleans Saints
- Round 3 (99) - Cleveland Browns
- Round 3 (100) - Baltimore Ravens
- Round 3 (101) - New Orleans Saints
- Round 3 (102) - San Francisco 49ers
- Round 3 (103) - Kansas City Chiefs
- Round 3 (104) - Los Angeles Rams
- Round 3 (105) - San Francisco 49ers
- Round 4 (138) - Pittsburgh Steelers
- Round 4 (139) - Baltimore Ravens
- Round 4 (140) - Green Bay Packers
- Round 4 (141) - Baltimore Ravens
- Round 4 (142) - Los Angeles Rams
- Round 4 (143) - Tennessee Titans
- Round 5 (176) - Dallas Cowboys
- Round 5 (177) - Detroit Lions
- Round 5 (178) - Dallas Cowboys
- Round 5 (179) - Indianapolis Colts
- Round 6 (211) - Los Angeles Rams
- Round 6 (212) - Los Angeles Rams
- Round 6 (213) - Atlanta Falcons
- Round 6 (214) - Los Angeles Chargers
- Round 6 (215) - Arizona Cardinals
- Round 6 (216) - Indianapolis Colts
- Round 6 (217) - Detroit Lions
- Round 6 (218) - Los Angeles Rams
- Round 6 (219) - Tennessee Titans
- Round 6 (220) - San Francisco 49ers
- Round 6 (221) - San Francisco 49ers
- Round 7 (254) - Los Angeles Chargers
- Round 7 (255) - Los Angeles Chargers
- Round 7 (256) - Arizona Cardinals
- Round 7 (257) - Arizona Cardinals
- Round 7 (258) - Green Bay Packers
- Round 7 (259) - Kansas City Chiefs
- Round 7 (260) - Los Angeles Chargers
- Round 7 (261) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Round 7 (262) - San Francisco 49ers