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 and Los Angeles Chargers were the biggest winners when the league announced this year’s compensatory picks, each netting four additional draft selections each between rounds three and seven. 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.
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.
While the two Los Angeles teams led the league in total compensatory picks, the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints may 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, courtesy of NFL.com.
| Round |
Round Choice/ Overall Selection |
Team |
| 3 | 33-97 | Detroit |
| 3 | 34-98 | New Orleans |
| 3 | 35-99* | Cleveland |
| 3 | 36-100* | Baltimore |
| 3 | 37-101* | New Orleans |
| 3 | 38-102* | San Francisco |
| 3 | 39-103* | Kansas City |
| 3 | 40-104* |
Los Angeles Rams
|
| 3 | 41-105* | San Francisco |
| 4 | 33-138 | Pittsburgh |
| 4 | 34-139 | Baltimore |
| 4 | 35-140 | Green Bay |
| 4 | 36-141 | Baltimore |
| 4 | 37-142 |
Los Angeles Rams
|
| 4 | 38-143 | Tennessee |
| 5 | 33-176 | Dallas |
| 5 | 34-177 | Detroit |
| 5 | 35-178 | Dallas |
| 5 | 36-179 | Indianapolis |
| 6 | 33-211 |
Los Angeles Rams
|
| 6 | 34-212 |
Los Angeles Rams
|
| 6 | 35-213 | Atlanta |
| 6 | 36-214 |
Los Angeles Chargers
|
| 6 | 37-215 | Arizona |
| 6 | 38-216 | Indianapolis |
| 6 | 39-217 | Detroit |
| 6 | 40-218 |
Los Angeles Rams
|
| 6 | 41-219 | Tennessee |
| 6 | 42-220 | San Francisco |
| 6 | 43-221 | San Francisco |
| 7 | 33-254 |
Los Angeles Chargers
|
| 7 | 34-255 |
Los Angeles Chargers
|
| 7 | 35-256 | Arizona |
| 7 | 36-257 | Arizona |
| 7 | 37-258 | Green Bay |
| 7 | 38-259 | Kansas City |
| 7 | 39-260 |
Los Angeles Chargers
|
| 7 | 40-261 | Tampa Bay |
| 7 | 41-262 | San Francisco |
