NFL Draft 2017: This is how compensatory picks work

The NFL added 32 compensatory picks in the 2017 NFL draft order. Ever wonder how those work? We have a handy explainer for that. There’s also a change in how those picks work new for this year.

For the first time ever, the compensatory picks are available to be traded and that means there’s a lot more draft capital at stake after 11 third-round selections were added to the mix.

The NFL has a secret and complex formula that they use to distribute draft picks at the end of rounds 3 through 7 of the NFL Draft. Even though the precise, exact method to the NFL’s madness isn’t disclosed to John Q. Public, there are several general elements, based on a team’s free agency activity, that can serve as a guideline to better understanding and predicting how and why your team has been gifted with extra picks -- and what picks down the road you can expect to receive.

Among the biggest winners are the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns, who each received a third-round pick. The Dolphins are owners of the first compensatory pick at No. 97 overall, and also received a pair of fifth-round selections, while the Browns received a third-round pick, two fourth-round picks, and a fifth-round pick for the loss of Travis Benjamin, Alex Mack, and Tashaun Gipson, among others.

For the Browns, the announcement of compensatory selections also finalized a pair of trades made by the team in 2016. The No. 103 selection belongs to the New England Patriots due to the trade that sent Jamie Collins to Cleveland and the No. 139 pick belongs to the Philadelphia Eagles due to the trade before the 2016 NFL Draft that sent Carson Wentz to Philadelphia.

The top two compensatory selections — awarded to the Dolphins and Carolina Panthers — were for Olivier Vernon and Josh Norman, respectively. Vernon received the transition tag and Norman received the franchise tag, but both were rescinded allowing them to sign elsewhere in 2016.

Vernon received a five-year, $85 million deal from the New York Giants and Washington gave Norman a five-year, $75 million contract. The blockbuster deals meant the Dolphins and Panthers received top 100 picks in return.

The newly awarded selections also mean the Denver Broncos are slated to pick last in the draft and select “Mr. Irrelevant.” The full list of compensatory picks awarded Friday is as follows:

Note: Due to the use of walkie talkies during the 2016 season, the Giants’ fourth-round selection was downgraded. Instead of picking 130th overall, the team now owns pick No. 140, which fell in the compensatory order.