On Wednesday, the NFL granted the Miami Dolphins the maximum of four compensatory draft picks possible. However, they have since had one of these selections rescinded. Miami initially received compensatory picks in the third and fourth rounds, along with two in the seventh.
While the exact formula is not well-defined, compensatory picks are typically given based on the number of players a team loses during the previous offseason’s free agency. The Dolphins secured a third-round pick for the departure of Robert Hunt, a fourth for Christian Wilkins, and a seventh for DeShon Elliott. The losses of three other players in free agency were offset by the acquisitions of Jordyn Brooks, Aaron Brewer, and Kendall Fuller.
But now, the NFL seems to have identified a mistake. According to a report by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL Management Council re-evaluated the compensatory picks and removed one of Miami’s seventh-round selections, awarding a seventh-rounder to the New Orleans Saints instead. The Dolphins are the sole team to lose a compensatory pick following these recalculations.
Pelissero notes that the Saints are receiving a seventh-round pick, though not necessarily the one Miami lost. The Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers will also be affected by moving back. No official explanation has been provided regarding why the Dolphins are losing a pick or why the Saints are gaining one. Miami lost players like Robert Hunt, Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, and Andrew Van Ginkel in last year’s free agency.
The Dolphins will now have 10 draft picks and, while it might be easy to be frustrated by this confusion, they usually bring in several undrafted players. There is speculation that the mix-up could be linked to the loss of Cedrick Wilson, who might not have been considered in the calculations, but no official statement has been made by the NFL.