NFL Announces 2026 Compensatory Picks
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2026 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2025 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.
This year, the NFL awarded 33 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.
Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2026 compensatory selections:
By round:
Round 3: Vikings (No. 97), Eagles (98), Steelers (99), Jaguars (100, from Lions*)
Round 4: 49ers (No. 133), Raiders (134), Steelers (135), Saints (136), Eagles (137), 49ers (138), 49ers (139), Jets (140)
Round 5: Ravens (No. 173), Ravens (174), Raiders (175), Chiefs (176), Cowboys (177), Eagles (178), Jets (179), Cowboys (180), Lions (181)
Round 6: Steelers (No. 214), Eagles (215), Steelers (216)
Round 7: Colts (No. 249), Ravens (250), Rams (251), Rams (252), Ravens (253), Colts (254), Packers (255), Bronc0s (256), Broncos (257)
By team:
- Baltimore Ravens: 4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 4
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 4
- San Francisco 49ers: 3
- Dallas Cowboys: 2
- Denver Broncos: 2
- Indianapolis Colts: 2
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2
- Los Angeles Rams: 2
- New York Jets: 2
- Detroit Lions: 1
- Green Bay Packers: 1
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 1
- Kansas City Chiefs: 1
- Minnesota Vikings: 1
- New Orleans Saints: 1
* = awarded for Lions DC Aaron Glenn becoming Jets’ HC
The Bears lost a minority executive to a GM role, with Ian Cunningham taking over in Atlanta. But the NFL will not award Chicago two third-round picks for that hire because the Falcons have Matt Ryan positioned as their president of football. Although Cunningham — Chicago’s assistant GM for four years — holds plenty of organizational say, Ryan is atop its front office hierarchy. The Bears disagree with the NFL’s ruling, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.
Bears GM Ryan Poles confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin) the team spoke with the NFL about the matter, but the league did not rule in the team’s favor. Had this decision gone the Bears’ way, they would have received third-round picks in the 2026 and ’27 drafts.
Teams Eyeing Alvin Kamara In Trades
The Saints agreed to terms with Travis Etienne earlier today, putting Alvin Kamara‘s New Orleans future in jeopardy. Teams around the league are now wondering if Kamara could be traded.
Not interested in leaving New Orleans last year, Kamara may reasonably change his stance after the Etienne news. Teams are looking into this situation and wondering if a trade could happen, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
One season remains on Kamara’s $24.5MM extension. Kamara is due $3MM guaranteed for 2026. Our Rory Parks examined this situation recently, indicating the team’s most recent Kamara restructure was separate from a standard base-to-bonus adjustment and is something to keep an eye on regarding a potential separation. The Etienne news certainly points to Kamara’s Saints stay wrapping after nine seasons.
Kamara is heading into an age-31 season and is far removed from his Pro Bowl years. Teams showed interest in the former Sean Payton chess piece at the deadline, but the veteran running back said he would retire rather than be traded. Kamara then suffered an MCL sprain that shut him down for the season’s final six games.
It does not seem like Kamara would have too much trade value anymore, but teams would certainly be interested if the Saints cut him. A release would cost New Orleans more than $10MM in 2026 dead money. Such moves are not uncommon in New Orleans, the NFL’s epicenter for cap gymnastics. But this will be a situation to follow now that the Saints have added a true starter-caliber back for the first time since Mark Ingram’s initial departure.
Chargers To Sign G Cole Strange
Cole Strange is heading to Los Angeles. The former first-round pick reached an agreement with the Chargers this evening, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Strange will ink a two-year deal worth $13MM, per Schefter. This move reunites the lineman with Mike McDaniel, who took a chance on Strange in Miami.
The lineman was considered a reach when the Patriots selected him out of Chattanooga in 2022. Strange started all 17 of his appearances as a rookie but was limited to 10 games as a sophomore thanks to a torn patellar tendon. He was activated back to the active roster the following December, and he ultimately got into three games for the 2024 Patriots. He was cut by the organization at the end of the 2025 preseason.
After initially catching on with the Browns practice squad, Strange joined the Dolphins active roster in September. He proceeded to start all 14 of his appearances with Miami, with Pro Football Focus crediting him with 21 pressures allowed and 16 hurries allowed. Strange was also responsible for a pair of sacks.
Still, McDaniel apparently saw enough in the lineman to recruit him to Los Angeles. The Chargers are down both of their starting offensive guards; the team released Mekhi Becton and free agent Zion Johnson agreed to a three-year, $49.5MM contract with the Browns today. The front office re-signed Trevor Penning, although he could profile as OT insurance behind Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. That means Strange may initially be pencilled into the Chargers starting lineup.
Titans To Sign CB Joshua Williams, Re-Sign LS Morgan Cox
The Chiefs’ three-pack of 2022 cornerback draftees has now departed. After the Trent McDuffie trade and Jaylen Watson defection (both are now Rams), Kansas City will lose Joshua Williams.
Williams is on his way to the Titans, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. For the time being, Williams will rejoin former Chiefs teammate L’Jarius Sneed in Tennessee. Sneed is a release candidate, however, as Williams has agreed to a two-year deal. GM Mike Borgonzi was in Kansas City when the Chiefs drafted Williams in the 2024 fourth round.
Additionally, the Titans have another deal in place with long snapper Morgan Cox. A 16-year NFL veteran, Cox is one of the most accomplished long snappers in NFL history. The 39-year-old specialist is a five-time Pro Bowler. Tennessee has also agreed to terms with veteran interior O-lineman Austin Schlottmann, according to Pelissero. The veteran interior swingman, who played for Brian Daboll with the Giants, is joining Robert Saleh‘s team on a one-year deal.
McDuffie and Watson worked in front of Williams over the past two seasons, but the Steve Spagnuolo piece still played regularly — though, not so much last season. After logging at least a 31% snap share on defense from 2022-24, Williams saw only 17 defensive snaps last season. Even with McDuffie landing on IR late in the year, Williams remained a special-teamer.
Pro Football Focus ranked Williams as a top-25 option at corner in 2023, when he helped the Chiefs (with Borgonzi in the front office) win Super Bowl LVIII. Williams, who intercepted a pass during the 2022 playoffs, played behind McDuffie and Sneed primarily from 2022-23. He did start 12 games over his first three seasons, and the Titans will take what probably amounts to a flier here.
Williams is by far the lowest-profile player among the three corners Tennessee agreed to add Monday. The cap-rich Titans agreed to terms with Alontae Taylor and Cordale Flott. The team did not see its previous expenditures at corner — Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie — pan out, but neither Borgonzi nor Saleh was there for those misses. The contracts given to Taylor and Flott point to a Sneed cut, and the Titans — should the former Super Bowl starter pass a physical — will save more than $13MM in cap space.
Bills To Sign QB Kyle Allen
The Bills are bringing veteran QB Kyle Allen back for a second stint. The sides have agreed to a two-year, $4.1MM contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The deal carries a max value of $6.1MM.
Allen was previously a Bill in 2023, though the ultra-durable Josh Allen was their only quarterback to attempt a pass that year. Kyle Allen, who is close friends with Josh Allen, will replace Mitchell Trubisky as the Bills’ backup in 2026. Trubisky agreed to sign with the Titans on Monday.
Kyle Allen entered the pros as an undrafted free agent from Houston in 2018. He briefly became the Panthers’ primary starter a year later. A season-ending foot injury to Cam Newton in Week 2 thrust Allen into action. He went on to complete 62% of attempts for 3,322 yards, 17 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and an 80.0 passer rating in 13 games (12 starts).
That was not enough for Allen to retain a spot in Carolina, which traded him to Washington for a fifth-round pick in 2020. The Panthers turned to Teddy Bridgewater as their QB1 that year, while Allen joined Alex Smith and Dwayne Haskins as Washington passers to total at least four starts. Allen completed 60 of 87 passes (69%) for 610 yards, four TDs and a pick.
In the past five seasons, the 30-year-old Allen picked up just two starts (both with Houston in 2022). Since his first run with the Bills ended, Allen has spent a year apiece in Pittsburgh and Detroit. He has thrown just three regular-season passes in the past three years. In 34 games and 19 starts in the league, Allen has hit on 62.1% of passes, averaged 6.7 yards per attempt, and tossed 26 TDs against 21 INTs. He owns a career 82.1 passer rating.
Giants To Sign DB Ar’Darius Washington
When John Harbaugh arrived in New York after being fired by the Ravens, he quickly brought many of his staffers with him. Those moves created an expectation that the Giants would pursue Harbaugh’s former players in free agency, and that has indeed been the case.
The latest is defensive back Ar’Darius Washington, who spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore. He is expected to sign a one-year, $3MM contract with the Giants, per SNY’s Connor Hughes.
The former TCU standout went undrafted in 2021 due to his 5-foot-9 frame, but made the Ravens’ 53-man roster later that summer. Injury concerns proved to be an issue, as Washington only appeared in eight games in his first three seasons with long absences due to foot and chest injuries. The 26-year-old broke into the starting lineup in 2024 as part of Baltimore’s midseason secondary switch-up. Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson were benched, and Washington joined Kyle Hamilton to stablize the back end of the defense.
Washington’s success built hype for his follow-up campaign in 2025. He was expected to reprise his starting role even after the Ravens drafted Malaki Starks in the first-round, with Hamilton set to return to a nickel/star role closer to the line of scrimmage. But a torn Achilles during offseason training altered those plans. Washington still made an impressive recovery and made his season debut just seven months after his injury, but he played just 61 snaps in his four appearances.
The Giants’ offer is appropriate given Washington’s injury history. He will serve as the team’s third safety behind Tyler Nubin and Jevon Holland and will likely take on some duties in the slot, too. Washington could thrive in those roles in the defense of Dennard Wilson – his onetime secondary coach in Baltimore – but only if he can stay healthy.
Steelers To Add RB Rico Dowdle
Although the Steelers were interested in re-signing Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren will have a new running mate in 2026. Pittsburgh is adding Rico Dowdle, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.
This move will reunite Dowdle with new Steelers HC Mike McCarthy. A 2020 UDFA, Dowdle played in McCarthy’s system for his first five seasons. It’s a two-year, $12.25MM deal, Schultz adds.
The former Cowboys rusher spent last season with the Panthers. Dowdle has gained 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons. Gainwell agreed to terms with the Buccaneers earlier today. As this 1-B back carousel spins, Dowdle will go from complementing/usurping Chuba Hubbard to working with Warren in 2026.
Dowdle is going into his age-28 season, but as a former third-stringer behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in Dallas, he only has 567 career carries. This is a similar strategy to how Pittsburgh proceeded in 2025, with Gainwell a career Eagles backup. Dowdle has more tread on his tires by comparison, but he is also a much more accomplished back.
Playing on back-to-back one-year contracts, Dowdle has impressed. He replaced Pollard as Dallas’ starter in 2024, rushing for 1,079 yards and then overtook Hubbard — despite Hubbard’s 2024 Panthers extension — and totaled 1,076. Both seasons brought 4.6 yards per carry. Dowdle lost some of his workload back to Hubbard late in the year and was planning to target a team that would give him a regular role. The Steelers have Warren, but Gainwell’s season showed an opening exists for carries.
The Steelers voted Gainwell team MVP after he amassed 1,023 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. Gainwell is a year younger than Dowdle and has only 394 carries, but the Bucs will go with him to complement Bucky Irving. Rachaad White is a free agent.
Pittsburgh used a third-round pick on Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson last year. It would stand to reason Johnson will have a chance at a bigger role, but then again, a new coaching staff has arrived and McCarthy’s most recent RB1 is coming to town. Dowdle will give the Steelers a proven option, representing a late-blooming back after tallying just seven carries over his first three seasons.
Jets To Sign S Dane Belton
Giants safety defections in free agency have become commonplace, and with a new coaching staff now in place, another exit is on tap. But Dane Belton will not need to relocate. The Jets are picking up the fifth-year player, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.
It’s a one-year, $4MM deal with a max of $6MM. The former fourth-round pick will follow Julian Love, Xavier McKinney and Jason Pinnock in leaving Big Blue’s safety corps over the past three offseasons.
Belton, 25, carved out a consistent rotational role in the Giants defense in his first two seasons and took on more playing time towards the end of his third year. That would have set him up for a full-time starting role in 2025, but Jevon Holland‘s arrival in free agency pre-empted that. Belton still appeared in every game with a strong 63% snap share and nine starts with both Holland and Tyler Nubin missing time due to injury.
Both veterans are remaining in New York under John Harbaugh, so Belton will switch locker rooms at the Meadowlands, likely to serve as the Jets. No. 3 safety. Minkah Fitzpatrick will take on a starting role after arriving via trade from Miami, and 2025 fourth-rounder Malachi Moore will likely start alongside him after an impressive rookie campaign. All three can line up as a free safety, man the slot, or play down in the box, giving Aaron Glenn and new defensive coordinator Brian Duker plenty of ways to configure their 2026 secondary.
Cardinals To Sign WR Kendrick Bourne
The Cardinals are making another addition in free agency. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is headed to Arizona on a two-year, $11.47MM deal, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, with an additional $5MM available in incentives.
Bourne, 30, appeared in 16 games for the 49ers in 2025, his second stint in San Francisco. He filled key snaps in the receiver rotation during the team’s injuries at the position and finished the year with 37 catches for 551 yards. Those numbers represented somewhat of a bounce-back for Bourne after three straight seasons in New England with fewer than 450 receiving yards.
The 49ers were interested in retaining Bourne with the Dolphins also competing for his signature, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Instead, he will land in Arizona under new head coach Mike LaFleur, where he will be catching passes from Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew. Bourne will join a young Cardinals wide receiver room headlined by 2024 No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison, who has disappointed in his first two years in the NFL, and Michael Wilson, who put forth a surprising 1,006-yard campaign in 2025.
Bourne’s experience will round out that group. The nine-year veteran first joined the 49ers as an undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington in 2017. He carved out a consistent role in the next four years and signed with the Patriots in 2021. After a 800-yard debut in New England, Bourne’s numbers decreased in his next three seasons, leading to his release last offseason. A reunion with the 49ers helped Bourne revive his value, and he will now remain in the NFC West to play his former team twice a year.
Braxton Jones To Re-Sign With Bears
With Ozzy Trapilo expected to miss much of the 2025 season, the Bears are pivoting to their former starter. Braxton Jones is staying in Chicago, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes.
The parties are in agreement on a one-year deal worth up to $10MM. Despite Jones losing his LT job in a contract year, he will give it another go as a Bear.
Involved in a three-man competition with Trapilo and Theo Benedet in training camp last year, Jones held off the younger blockers to keep his job. But he did not make it through the season in the role. The former fifth-round Bears find lost his job to Benedet in early October, and trade rumors followed Jones in the ensuing weeks. An IR placement, due to a knee injury, ended any trade talk.
Chicago used an IR activation on Jones but did not have the four-year vet active for its divisional-round game, further pointing to a 2026 separation. The Bears kicked Joe Thuney to LT, following the Chiefs’ lead, and used Jordan McFadden at guard against the Rams following Trapilo’s wild-card setback. But Jones will have another chance with Ben Johnson‘s coaching staff soon.
From 2022-24, Jones worked as Chicago’s full-time left tackle. The Southern Utah product started 40 games during those three seasons, holding the job throughout Matt Eberflus‘ time at the helm. Pro Football Focus graded the Division I-FCS product as a top-25 tackle in both 2022 and ’24, assigning him a top-35 placement in 2023. As the Bears changed systems in 2025, PFF viewed Jones — who did not qualify as a regular due to limited playing time — outside the top 70.
A 2025 second-round pick, Trapilo suffered a patellar tendon tear and is expected to be out for most of the season. Benedet is still under contract. The Bears may be prepared to hold a two-man competition for the Week 1 gig, though Benedet logged more starts (eight) than Jones under Johnson last season. The Bears have been dealt multiple unexpected blows in 2026, with Drew Dalman‘s retirement at 27 following the Trapilo news. Chicago traded for Garrett Bradbury to replace Dalman.