NFL Communications announced today that half of the teams would be receiving compensatory picks in the 2017 NFL Draft. We expected the New Orleans Saints to not qualify for any picks after the experts at OverTheCap.com ran the numbers from last year’s free agency, but seeing it in official print is still disappointing. It’s worth noting that comp picks can now be traded, so teams that the Saints may want to do business with have more draft capital to use to navigate the board.
The Saints have had the fewest comp picks since they were instituted in 1994 with a mere 10. If that seems outlandish, it doesn’t get better when you consider the team with the second-fewest comp picks (12), the Houston Texans, gave New Orleans an 8-year head start by not existing until 2002.
Because comp picks are inserted into the already-established draft order, the Saints’ fourth, sixth, and seventh round picks have all been slightly pushed back. Here’s where the Saints will draft in each round (barring trades):
- Round One: 11th pick, 11th overall
- Round Two: 10th pick, 44th overall
- Round Three: 12th pick, 74th overall
- Round Four: 11th pick, 118th overall
- Round Six: 12th pick, 196th overall
- Round Seven: 11th pick, 231st overall
The Saints’ fifth round pick in 2017 (156th overall) was included in a trade to move up and acquire defensive tackle David Onyemata last year.