New England Patriots

Patriots receive NFL’s highest 2021 compensatory draft pick after losing Tom Brady

The Patriots received the 33rd pick of the third round and 34th pick of fourth round.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots have two extra picks to work with. Photo by John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

By Tom Westerholm

1 minute to read

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The New England Patriots will receive two of the highest compensatory draft picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, per a release from the league.

The Patriots added the No. 33 selection in the third round (No. 96 overall), as well as the No. 34 pick in the fourth round — the second-highest compensatory pick in the fourth round at No. 139 overall.

Compensatory picks are handed out to teams who lost high-impact free agents, and they follow a formula determined by the league. The picks can range from the third to seventh rounds and factor in “average salary per year, snap count, and postseason awards of departed free agents.” Per the NFL, “to qualify for compensatory picks, teams must end up with more qualifying free agents lost than gained in a particular year.”

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The Patriots, of course, most notably lost Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they expected to receive three compensatory picks after the departures of Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy. Per Nick Korte of Over The Cap, however, Damiere Byrd counted against the Patriots as an addition, while Elandon Roberts and Nate Ebner did not count as losses, which eliminated one of the selections.

Here’s where the Patriots will draft now:

  • Round 1, Pick 15 (15)
  • Round 2, Pick 15 (47)
  • Round 3, Pick 33 (96) – Compensatory Selection
  • Round 4, Pick 15 (121)
  • Round 4, Pick 34 (139) – Compensatory Selection
  • Round 5, Pick 15 (159)
  • Round 6, Pick 13 (195) – From Cowboys
  • Round 6, Pick 15 (197)
  • Round 7, Pick 15 (243)

The draft begins on April 29.

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