Eagles projected to have three compensatory picks in 2026 NFL Draft

[ASFN Admin]

Philadelphia just used 10 picks in the 2025 NFL draft, and GM Howie Roseman could be loaded with 12+ for 2026 after losing several key free agents.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein projected the compensatory pick process for next spring and has the Eagles penciled in for three more extra draft picks following the departure of several key contributors.

How the process works​

The number of compensatory picks allotted each year is limited to the number of teams in the league (32), per the collective bargaining agreement. However, compensatory picks are not divided up equally among the teams, and no team can receive more than four compensatory picks in a single year. Teams that end up with more qualifying free agents lost than gained in a particular year are eligible to receive compensatory selections. A team that lost as many qualifying free agents as it gained might be eligible to receive a Round 7 compensatory pick, based on the value of the qualifying free agents it lost versus the value of the qualifying free agents it gained.

Teams are awarded compensatory draft picks between Rounds 3 and 7 based on a league formula that takes into account a player's average salary per year (APY), snap count and postseason awards. While there is an expected level of compensation for a player based on the amount he has signed for, his playing time (or lack thereof) in the upcoming season could alter the expectation.

Here's what Zierlein said about Philadelphia:

Projected compensatory picks: one in Round 3; one in Round 4; one in Round 5.

Key free-agent losses: Milton Williams (Patriots), Josh Sweat (Cardinals), Mekhi Becton (Chargers), Isaiah Rodgers (Vikings)

Key free-agent addition: Azeez Ojulari

Ojulari and Rodgers will cancel each other out in the formula, but the Eagles should still earn compensatory picks in the third (Williams), fourth (Sweat), and fifth (Becton) rounds.

The NFL Management Council's formula to determine the compensatory picks for the 2026 NFL Draft will not be completed until after the 2025 season is over. To qualify for the compensatory-pick formula, players need to have been signed as unrestricted free agents before April 28. Players released by their previous team are not eligible for the formula, so they're not included in the key additions. Note also that players are presented in order of descending APY, according to Over the Cap.

Baltimore and Pittsburgh are the only teams projected to have four.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles projected to have three 2026 compensatory picks

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