One of the things that makes NFL free agency so interesting is the balance between re-signing your own players, acquiring players from other teams, and letting some go.
But if the latter happens, the NFL has a built-in reward system known as compensatory picks.
But for the second year in a row, Pittsburgh will miss out on an opportunity to add draft capital to the rounds it would normally get.
There are no comp candidates for Pittsburgh.
Teams will be awarded compensatory draft picks between the third and seventh rounds of the draft based on a league formula that takes into account a player’s average annual salary (APY), number of snaps and postseason awards. There is an expected compensation level for players based on the amount of money they sign, but expectations can change depending on their playing time (or lack of playing time) next season.
-Lance Zierlein, NFL Media
The system was designed so that teams that were good at drafting players didn’t have to miss out on free agents and received little in return. However, of the players Pittsburgh lost in 2024 free agency, only Armon Watts was allocated a compensatory pick, and the deal with New England only netted a seventh-round pick.
So for your Pittsburgh, there are two ways to find out. On the other hand, you won’t be losing any valuable players, so you don’t have to worry about compensatory picks.
On the other hand, Terrell Edmunds and Devin Bush both signed elsewhere, but their contracts weren’t big enough to earn them comp picks, so they’ve been missing out on top picks in recent drafts.
However, that trend is likely to change with the 202 NFL Draft. The Steelers decided to decline Najee Harris’ fifth-year option, so he is set to become a free agent. His contract will likely be notable. That means Pittsburgh could collect a second-day pick for Harris, which could be used to draft his replacement if the teams part ways after the season.
