Jaguars' 2024 free-agency haul comes with a compensatory-pick drawback
• They're projected to get none next year.
The Jacksonville Jaguars bucked a trend this year when they got two compensatory draft picks, one in the third round and one in the seventh. It was the first time they were awarded compensatory selections since 2010. Unfortunately, they won't be starting a streak, as the Jags are projected to get no compensatory selections in 2025.
Jacksonville won't be getting any compensatory selections based on Over the Cap's latest projection. Meanwhile, clubs like the Miami Dolphins, the Baltimore Ravens, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Buffalo Bills will be getting multiple selections. That said, the Las Vegas Rams got a compensatory selection because their defensive coordinator last year, Raheem Morris, became the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons.
The NFL hasn't made the formula to award picks public but Over the Cap has figured it out. Basically, teams who lose more free agents than the ones they sign get a pick that ranges from a third to a seventh. The pick they get depends on the contract the player who left signs. The bigger the contract, the higher the pick will be. It's also worth noting that players who are cut don't count toward the formula.
On the other hand, clubs that have minority coaches or executives hired by other teams as head coaches or general managers (like the Rams) are also awarded a selection.
Keep in mind that the league only awards 32 selections, so there may be teams who qualify for compensatory picks but won't get one. The Jags got a third-round selection for losing right tackle Jawaan Taylor and a seventh for defensive end Arden Key. They also qualified for a seventh when tight end Chris Manhertz walked but there were no more picks to give, so Jacksonville didn't get one for him.
It won't matter that the Jaguars won't get compensatory draft picks in 2024
Even though it would've been great to see the Jacksonville Jaguars get compensatory picks two years in a row, it's not the end of the world if they aren't awarded any in 2025. The front office entered free agency with a plan and knew that they were going to sign more players than the ones they lost. This strategy made sense when you take into account that the Jags had to address several needs after failing to make the playoffs last year.
Simply put, the Jaguars knew that getting better in free agency outweighed the disadvantage of not getting compensatory picks next year.
Also, the Jaguars already have two extra picks for 2025, so that should soften the blow. They had the 17th overall selection this past draft but traded it to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for picks No. 23, No. 167, which they used on return specialist Keilan Robinson, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-rounder. That's two extra selections for next year and one is as high as the best compensatory pick they could've gotten.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars won't be getting any compensatory picks next year but they'll find a way to work around it.
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