The NFL announced Friday that the Ravens will receive three compensatory picks in the 2016 draft next month.
Two of the selections will come in the fourth round while the final one is a sixth-round pick. This marks the fourth consecutive year in which Baltimore has received at least three compensatory selections. The maximum number of compensatory picks allotted to any team in a single draft is four.
Needing to revamp the roster after the Ravens’ worst season since 2007, general manager Ozzie Newsome will have a total of nine picks to work with in the 2016 draft. The organization owns one first, one second, one third, four fourths, and two sixth-round picks.
The Ravens lost unrestricted free agents Pernell McPhee, Torrey Smith, Owen Daniels, Darian Stewart, and Tyrod Taylor and signed unrestricted free agent Kendrick Lewis last offseason, a net loss of free agents that put them in line to receive up to four compensatory picks. However, Taylor’s deal with Buffalo fellow below the line of the 33 compensatory picks awarded by the league on Friday.
Determinations for compensatory picks are based on a formula considering the salary, playing time, and postseason honors earned by unrestricted free agents who left their teams in the previous offseason. Compensatory picks may not be traded, but that will change beginning with the 2017 draft.
Since the compensatory pick program was introduced in 1994, the Ravens have led the NFL in receiving 47 compensatory picks as the organization has often refrained from signing many unrestricted free agents over the years while losing many of their own. Green Bay and Dallas are tied for a distant second with 37 compensatory picks over that period of time.
Compensatory choices have been used on the likes of McPhee, tight end Crockett Gillmore, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, and right tackle Rick Wagner in recent years. In the 2015 draft, the Ravens selected cornerback Tray Walker (fourth round), tight end Nick Boyle (fifth round), and guard Robert Myers (sixth round) with their three compensatory picks.
1996: none
1997: LB Cornell Brown (sixth), QB Wally Richardson (seventh), S Ralph Staten (seventh), DT Leland Taylor (seventh)
1998: TE Cam Qualey (seventh)
1999: G Edwin Mulitalo (fourth)
2000: none
2001: none
2002: WR Javin Hunter (sixth), RB Chester Taylor (sixth), S Chad Williams (sixth)
2003: FB Ovie Mughelli (fourth), OT Tony Pashos (fifth), C Mike Mabry (seventh), S Antwoine Sanders (seventh)
2004: WR Clarence Moore (sixth), WR Derek Abney (seventh), G Brian Rimpf (seventh)
2005: QB Derek Anderson (sixth)
2006: RB P.J. Daniels (fourth), TE Quinn Sypniewski (fifth), P Sam Koch (sixth), CB Derrick Martin (sixth)
2007: LB Antwan Barnes (fourth), FB Le’Ron McClain (fourth), QB Troy Smith (fifth), LB Prescott Burgess (sixth)
2008: OL Oniel Cousins (third), OL David Hale (fourth), S Haruki Nakamura (sixth), RB Allen Patrick (seventh)
2009: none
2010: none
2011: CB Chykie Brown (fifth), DE Pernell McPhee (fifth)
2012: S Christian Thompson (fourth), CB Asa Jackson (fifth)
2013: FB Kyle Juszczyk (fourth), OT Rick Wagner (fifth), OL Ryan Jensen (sixth), CB Marc Anthony (seventh)
2014: TE Crockett Gillmore (third), DE Brent Urban (fourth), RB Lorenzo Taliaferro (fourth), G John Urschel (fifth)
2015: CB Tray Walker (fourth), TE Nick Boyle (fifth), G Robert Myers (fifth)
