By Eric Edholm
March 31, 2008

Updated at 7:25 p.m. EDT Monday, March 31

The NFL has released the complete order for the 2008 draft, including the 32 additional compensatory picks gained as a result of free agents who were lost last year. The NFL uses a secretive and esoteric system — based on salary, playing time and postseason honors — to determine teams’ net value lost in free agency from the year before to determine which picks it allots. Teams that gain more free agents than they lose are not eligible to gain compensatory picks.

The big winners include the Ravens and Bengals, which each have four extra picks, and the Redskins, which gained three choices, including the highest compensatory pick, No. 96 overall. That pick, plus the other third-round compensatory selections, is one slot higher than it typically would be because of the Patriots forfeiting their first-round pick following the Spygate incident.

Other teams to gain three extra selections are the Eagles, Bears and Colts. The Eagles netted the first compensatory pick of the fourth round, plus two sixth-rounders.

There were four picks granted at the end of the third round. The Redskins, who had a net loss of three players, including OG Derrick Dockery, pick first, followed by the Bengals, who had a net loss of four players, including OG Eric Steinbach. Those two picks are followed by the Falcons, who saw DE Patrick Kerney depart in its net loss of one, at No. 98, and the Ravens, who lost four players, including OLB Adalius Thomas.

Oddly, there was only one fifth-round pick granted — No. 166 overall, to the Chargers. The Chargers have already exercised their fourth-round pick, which would have been No. 125 overall, when they took CB Paul Oliver in last summer’s supplemental draft.

The Rams, which were awarded one compensatory pick (No. 252) even though they signed as many free agents as they lost, now will choose Mr. Irrelevant, the pseudo-honor granted to the final player chosen in the draft every year.

Compensatory picks are not allowed to be traded and must be used by the clubs that receive them.

The 2008 compensatory picks, by round:

Round Three

No. 96 — Washington
No. 97 — Cincinnati
No. 98 — Atlanta
No. 99 — Baltimore

Round Four

No. 131 — Philadelphia
No. 132 — Buffalo
No. 133 — Baltimore
No. 134 — Tennessee
No. 135 — Green Bay

Round Five

No. 166 — San Diego

Round Six

No. 199 — New York Giants
No. 200 — Philadelphia
No. 201 — Indianapolis
No. 202 — Indianapolis
No. 203 — Philadelphia
No. 204 — Miami
No. 205 — Indianapolis
No. 206 — Baltimore
No. 207 — Cincinnati

Round Seven

No. 240 — Baltimore
No. 241 — Carolina
No. 242 — Washington
No. 243 — Chicago
No. 244 — Cincinnati
No. 245 — Miami
No. 246 — Cincinnati
No. 247 — Chicago
No. 248 — Chicago
No. 249 — Washington
No. 250 — Carolina
No. 251 — Buffalo
No. 252 — St. Louis

Following are the compensatory free agents lost and signed by the clubs that will receive compensatory picks in the 2008 draft:

Atlanta
Lost: Justin Griffith, Patrick Kerney, Ashley Lelie
Signed: Ovie Mughelli, Lewis Sanders

Baltimore
Lost: Aubrayo Franklin, Ovie Mughelli, Tony Pashos, Adalius Thomas

Buffalo
Lost: Nate Clements, Andre Davis, London Fletcher, Mike Gandy
Signed: Derrick Dockery, Langston Walker

Carolina
Lost: Vinny Ciurciu, Chris Draft

Chicago
Lost: Alfonso Boone, Justin Gage, Todd Johnson, Ian Scott
Signed: Anthony Adams

Cincinnati
Lost: Kevin Kaesviharn, Eric Steinbach, Tony Stewart, Kelley Washington, Anthony Wright
Signed: Michael Myers

Green Bay
Lost: Ahman Green, David Martin
Signed: Frank Walker

Indianapolis
Lost: Nick Harper, Cato June, Dominic Rhodes

Miami
Lost: David Bowens, Damion McIntosh, Sammy Morris, Jeff Zgonina
Signed: Jay Feely, David Martin

New York Giants
Lost: Jay Feely, Visanthe Shiancoe, Frank Walker
Signed: Kawika Mitchell, Anthony Wright

Philadelphia
Lost: Shawn Barber, Jeff Garcia, Roderick Hood, Michael Lewis, Donté Stallworth
Signed: Kevin Curtis, Ian Scott

St. Louis
Lost: Kevin Curtis, Travis Fisher, Shaun McDonald
Signed: Drew Bennett, Chris Draft, Todd Johnson

San Diego
Lost: Donnie Edwards

Tennessee
Lost: Drew Bennett, Robaire Smith, Bobby Wade
Signed: Justin Gage, Nick Harper

Washington
Lost: Derrick Dockery, T.J. Duckett, Warrick Holdman, Kenny Wright
Signed: London Fletcher

Related Articles:

Complete draft selection order for all seven rounds
March 31, 2008