Ravens projected to receive three compensatory picks in 2022 NFL draft
The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the best teams at acquiring compensatory picks ever since they entered the league in 1996. The formula was introduced in 1993, and since then, Baltimore leads the league in total compensatory picks awarded.
With the 2021 NFL draft complete, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com released projections for who will be awarded 2022 compensatory picks based off of the unrestricted free agents that each team added and lost before May 3rd, the date where signing free agents no longer impacts the compensatory pick formula.
Zierlein anticipates that Baltimore will receive three extra picks in 2022 based off of their transactions during the 2021 offseason, as the team saw multiple free agent edge rushers depart in Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue and Jihad Ward. While they did sign wide receiver Sammy Watkins, the team also saw assistant coach David Culley leave town to become the head coach of the Houston Texans, and under the reworked Rooney Rule, he qualifies as someone who will give the Ravens extra compensation.
“The Ravens will receive their second third-round compensatory selection in 2022 due to the hiring of David Culley, head coach of the Houston Texans. They will also receive fourth-round selections for the loss of defensive players Judon and Ngakoue. The latter basically became a three-month rental, and the fourth-rounder gained by his departure this offseason helps to mitigate the loss of the third- and fifth-round picks the Ravens gave up to bring him in.”
Judon signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the New England Patriots while Ngakoue inked a two-year, $26 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. As Zierlein notes, those contract numbers have the Baltimore in-line for two fourth rounders, plus the extra third-round selection that the team will get for Culley.
The Ravens use the compensatory picks they acquire to assure that they have plenty of swings at selecting talent during each draft, but now that they’re able to be traded, the team also utilizes them to acquire veterans or even move up and down the draft board. Baltimore values their compensatory selections, and are slated to get a few more to play around with in 2022.
