Patriots receive two comp picks in 2021 NFL Draft
The Patriots draft capital for 2021 is officially set, with the league announcing this year’s compensatory picks on Wednesday. New England was awarded two picks, one in the third round (96th overall) and one in the fourth (139th).
Compensatory picks, or comp picks, are draft picks tacked on to the end of the third through seventh rounds in the NFL Draft, as compensation for teams losing free agents. They are decided based on a formula created by the league, which factors in players a team lost and gained in free agency in the previous year.
For instance, the third round pick the Patriots received is the result of them losing Tom Brady as a free agent, and the fourth rounder is tied to Kyle Van Noy signing with the Dolphins.
In past years, when the formula only counted salary, they would have received an additional fourth for the loss of Jamie Collins. However, the new CBA resulted in a formula that takes playing time into account, and Collins was canceled out by the acquisition of Damiere Byrd (explained better by Over The Cap’s Nick Korte).
Here are the Patriots’ updated draft picks:
First round (15)
Second round (46)
Third round (96) compensatory pick
Fourth round (120)
Fourth round (139) compensatory pick
Fifth round (158)
Sixth round (194)
Sixth round (196)
Seventh round (241)
With the comp picks awarded, the Patriots now have nine selections in the 2021 draft, with at least one pick in every round. They’ll have multiple selections in the fourth round – the comp pick – and sixth round, with the pick received from Dallas for Michael Bennett. Their original third was forfeited last season due to illegal filming of the Bengals sideline by an advance scout.
Read below for my first Patriots mock draft of 2021, where I have the Patriots trading down and taking a quarterback in the first round.
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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].