A total of 37 compensatory draft selections in the 2023 NFL Draft have been awarded to 16 teams, the NFL announced Thursday.
Under the rules for compensatory draft selections, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents (“CFA”) than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.
The compensatory picks will be positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost.
The 49ers lead the way with seven compensatory picks, and the Los Angeles Rams have the second-most with three.
In addition to the 30 compensatory selections awarded under the net loss formula and the two Supplemental Selections, five special compensatory selections were awarded to three clubs: the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers (three special compensatory selections), and Kansas City Chiefs under a 2020 amendment to the League’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, which was agreed upon by the NFL and the NFLPA to promote equal employment opportunities and an inclusive workforce within NFL clubs.
The following 2023 compensatory draft picks have been awarded for the 2023 NFL Draft, which will be held on April 27-April 29 in Kansas City:
Round
Round Choice/
Overall Selection
Team
3
33-96
Arizona
3
34-97
Washington
3
35-98*
Cleveland
3
36-99*
San Francisco
3
37-100*
Kansas City
3
38-101*
San Francisco
3
39-102*
San Francisco
4
33-135
New England
5
33-167
Los Angeles Rams
5
34-168
Arizona
5
35-169
Dallas
5
36-170
Green Bay
5
37-171
Los Angeles Rams
5
38-172
New York Giants
5
39-173
San Francisco
5
40-174
Las Vegas
5
41-175
Tampa Bay
5
42-176
Dallas
5
43-177
Los Angeles Rams
6
33-210
New England
6
34-211
Minnesota
6
35-212
Dallas
6
36-213
Arizona
6
37-214
Las Vegas
6
38-215
Washington
6
39-216
San Francisco
6
40-217
Kansas City
7
33-250
Kansas City
7
34-251
Los Angeles Rams
7
35-252
Tampa Bay
7
36-253
San Francisco
7
37-254
New York Giants
7
38-255
San Francisco
7
39-256
Green Bay
7
40-257
New Orleans
7
41-258
Chicago
7
42-259
Houston
The compensatory free agents lost and gained in 2022 by the clubs that will receive compensatory picks in the 2023 Draft:
The Philadelphia Eagles may have gotten one of the steals of the 2022 NFL Draft when they selected former Georgia LB Nakobe Dean(5-11, 229 pounds) in the third round on Friday.
Dean was one of the 21 players invited to Las Vegas, and many expected him to be selected in Round 1. However, injury concerns may have caused him to drop, which surprised Dean.
“It was definitely nerve-wracking, especially not knowing exactly all the way why I was falling like that,” he said via video conference call. “But, at the end of the day, I feel like I got picked by a great organization, and I’m just ready to get to work…
“I’d be remiss to say that I wasn’t surprised. But at the end of the day, you know, thank God for the whole process. It’s done nothing but make my chip grow bigger, and I’m just ready to play. Ready to get to work.”
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Dean suffered a strained pectoral muscle during his prep for the draft, which he did not get repaired surgically. According to reports, the decision not to get surgery concerned some teams, but according to Dean, none of his doctors said he needed surgery.
“That was the thing that was so surprising and mind-boggling,” Dean said. “It was never … I went to doctors, got second opinions and everything, and nobody, nobody said I should have surgery. Nobody had told me I had to have surgery.
“So, for that to come up and for teams to be saying that and waiting until the day of the Draft to say something like that, that was kind of crazy to me.”
The 2021 Butkus Award winner(given to college football’s best linebacker) and All-American played with the newest Eagle, Jordan Davis, at Georgia, and he is excited to play with Davis again on the NFL level.
“He kind of clears things up for me,” Dean said. “Had me run a little bit more. He makes it easy for everybody, if you ask me, not just for the linebackers but for the rest of the [defensive line] and for the secondary. I feel like having him there is going to be great.”
Dean, who many called a great leader at Georgia, wished he would have gone earlier in the draft, but, in the end, he’s looking forward to the opportunity to play in Philadelphia.
“I’m ready to go,” he said. “I know mini-camp is next week, and I expect to be a full participant for that. And why I dropped, it’s not in my control—nothing I can do. I couldn’t – there was nothing I could do to make them pick me earlier. Just grateful and pleased that I have this opportunity.”
The Eagles needed linebacker help, and getting maybe one of the best linebackers in the draft in Dean could definitely strengthen that unit and the defense in 2022.
The Washington Commanders selected quarterback Sam Howell in the fifth round (No. 144overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Howell, who many expected to be a Day 2 selection, said he often communicated with the Commanders throughout the draft process.
“I met with them at the senior bowl, met at the combine,” Howell said. “I think a couple people were at my pro day. I’ve had a good amount of communication with them. I just kinda knew all along. I kind of had a couple teams that I was interested in. Just after that combine interview and talking to coach Rivera, I knew this was a place that I definitely wanted to be and wanted to play for a guy like that. I’m super excited.”
The North Carolina native will have an opportunity to develop next season behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke, which excites him.
“I just think it’s a great team, great defense, so many weapons on offense,” Howell said. “I love the quarterback room as well—so many good guys with Carson [Wentz] and Taylor Heinicke in there. I’m just looking forward to getting to work with those guys. Be a lot of fun. I’m fired up.”
Howell can do it through the air and with his legs, and last season, he started 12 games and recorded 217 completions for 3,056 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in his junior year in 2021. He added 183 carries for 828 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Howell believes his legs will be a weapon in the league.
“I think I can definitely use my legs as a weapon,” he said. “In the NFL, I think the main thing is I need to do a better job protecting myself a little bit, taking less hits and slide a little bit more than I did in college, but I definitely think I can use my legs as a weapon.”
He finished third in ACC history with 92 career passing touchdowns, which are the most ever by a player in three or fewer seasons. He ranks fifth in total touchdowns (111), eighth in total offense (11,292 yards), fifth in passing yards (10,283), second in passing yards per game (277.9), and second in passing efficiency (164.2).
If things work out, and he has the goods, maybe Howell can be the quarterback of the future for Washington.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft for the second year in a row. Last season, they went offense and grabbed QB Trevor Lawrence. This season, they went defense as they selected former Georgia DE Travon Walker.
The Jaguars are hoping to strengthen a defense that was 27th in the NFL in sacks last season and is hoping that Walker, whose versatility allowed him played various positions on the defensive line at Georgia, can help improve the pass rush.
In Jacksonville, Walker will be able to focus on one position, which will probably be defensive end. and he believes that will help him be better on the next level.
“Just to all the people that say that I can’t pass rush or do whatever I didn’t, wasn’t as productive at Georgia,” Walker said at his introductory press conference on Friday. “I’ve never really just played one position consistently, so I feel like I’ll be able to grow as a player once I just focus on one main position…
“I see myself playing on the edge, five-technique, anything on the outside on the edge. At Georgia, I was just, like you said, I always told my coaches I’d do anything to get on the field, so therefore, I played everything from a zero nose all the way out to a nine, wide, six technique.”
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson added on Walker: “As Travon alluded to, put him in one spot and let him grow in one spot. And obviously, there is versatility, so as we grow with him and as he understands what we’re doing schematically, we can move him around the defense just a little bit. But it’s just a matter of getting him in here, getting him acclimated, getting him around the teammates, and getting him started with the defense. Really solidify him in one spot and let him grow in one spot.”
Walker will see some familiar faces in Jacksonville, including Lawrence and his former Georgia teammate, corner Tyson Campbell.
“I’d have to say I’m pretty close with Trevor Lawrence,” he said. “I’ve known him ever since high school, so I feel like he’ll be somebody who takes me under his wing. I came on my top-30 visit; he was working out, he ran up to me, so I just feel like we already have that bond. I have Tyson Campbell here as well to help me.”
Walker, who had a career-high six sacks last season at Georgia, says the best advice he received was to be himself, which he discussed Friday.
“They just tell me to be myself,” Walker said. “They tell me to stay humble like I’ve always been, and they know I’m a hard worker. I’m a person who’s going to give it my all. They just tell me to be who I always have been.”
Jacksonville was 28th in points allowed in 2021, and they focused on defense in the first round. The Jaguars grabbed for Utah LB Devin Lloyd with the 27th overall pick. The team hopes that Walker and Lloyd can help improve make their defense more formidable in 2022 and beyond.
On Thursday night, The Philadelphia Eagles moved up to the 13th pick after trading with the Texans for picks 15, 124, 162, and 166.
Following the move, the Eagles grabbed former University of Georgia DT Jordan Davis.
Last season, Davis(6-6, 340 pounds), who won the Outland Trophy(presented to the best interior lineman) and Chuck Bednarik Award(given to the best defensive player in college football), had career-highs in tackles and sacks.
After the selection, Davis, who is known for ability to stop the run, reacted to becoming a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Q.What was the moment like for you, and how much interest did you think the Eagles had in you during this process?
JORDAN DAVIS: It was extremely unreal getting a call. 30 seconds earlier, before the call, you hear that they moved up and you got the phone call, and you knew that they really wanted you. It was crazy. I talked to [Eagles Executive Vice President/General Manager] Howie [Roseman] on the phone, and then it was like, man, this is a dream come true.
I knew the Eagles were interested in me. They were one of three of my Top-30 visits, so I [had] already been to the facility, and I saw how it looks and I saw all the staff. I’m just really excited to be here.
Q.Just curious when you talk about that pre-Draft process and meeting with the Eagles, do you remember who you were talking to, was it just Eagles Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman? Was it Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni? Was it Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon? What did they tell you about the organization, and what did they tell you that they liked about your skill set?
JORDAN DAVIS: They liked how I was as a defensive player. They thought I could be a great addition to the D-Line. You have guys like [DT Javon] Hargrave and Fletch [DT Fletcher Cox], and those are [some] of the best people. Those are guys I watched growing up. So, to be an addition and to help the team, I just want to do anything I can to help.
Q.Could you explain more about your relationship with Eagles Defensive Line Coach Tracy Rocker and your early interactions with him dating back to several years ago?
JORDAN DAVIS: D-Line coach Tracy Rocker, he recruited me at Georgia when he was there and gave me an offer. I talked to him and stayed in communication with him. To be able to work with him and just get to work. You can obviously see the type of work that he does, and he can put in the work. I’m really excited.
Q.As you know,in the pre-Draft process, a big question was about how you can affect the game in the passing game. How do you think you can do so?
JORDAN DAVIS: My get-off is getting faster. I’m getting after the QB, I’m working bags, and I’m just willing to learn. You have great guys in the defensive room that can teach you little tools and can teach you a lot of things. Schematically, we’re similar to what we were doing in Georgia. So, it’s like going into the same place with the same playbook, it’s just different terms. It’s definitely going to be a smooth transition. I just have to get in that playbook and learn the nuances of the game.
Q.You said you mentioned beforehand that you watched video of DT Fletcher Cox and tried to emulate some of the stuff into your game. What’s some of the stuff you took away from that video, and what’s it going to be like playing next to him now, and what can you take away from him now that you are both on the same team?
JORDAN DAVIS: Just how dominant he is. He put in a lot of work to get where he is now. If he can do it, I feel like I can do it. Just soak in all the information, soak in all the teachings that he will give me. He’s a vet. He’s well represented in the league, not just on this team, but all across the league. Anything he says or any knowledge he drops, I just want to soak it up like a sponge.
Q.You tested as this unbelievable athlete at the Combine, all these crazy results. Are there any like crazy athletic things that you can do that we might not know about, like a back flip or anything like that?
JORDAN DAVIS: I do back flips in the pool, jumping off the edge, I don’t know if that counts. Pretty solid at basketball if you want to know. I know Coach [Sirianni], when I was on my Top-30 we were shooting around, and I lost in a game of Pig. But other than that, I’m just an athlete. I’ve played sports all my life and I will continue to.
Q.How did you react after you lost? I am sure that is what Coach Sirianni wanted to know.
JORDAN DAVIS: You have to give your respect, man. When an athlete beats another athlete, they really put in the work, and he spends a lot of time down there and he trains. Maybe next time I see him, we can run it back and get a rematch in.
Q.What’s the strongest aspect of your game, and how good are you at taking on double-teams and people coming at you and whatnot?
JORDAN DAVIS: Being a run defender is what my bread and butter is. That was the first thing I learned at the University of Georgia. Just being a run defender, being stout in the middle, making sure I could get out, get off, be an athlete, make a play. That play-making ability and also being stout in the middle and being selfless, not selfish, because it takes a lot of selflessness to take two defenders so your linebackers can run free, or your safety can come down cracking the B gap. It’s one of those things I learned along the way that I’m going to continue to carry with me.
Q.You were obviously part of a stacked defensive line at Georgia with Travon Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Jalen Carter. Obviously, it probably didn’t help your stats much, but how much did it help you get to this point playing with those guys day-in and day-out in practice and everything?
JORDAN DAVIS: We push each other to be the best and we talked about this day for a very long time. Jalen’s time is coming this time next year, so I’ll be watching out for that. It’s just we work together. Those are the guys you have memories with, you bleed, you sweat, you cry with them and just to have that and those memories and to win a National Championship alongside those guys, you’re going to carry that forever.
Pro Football Hall of Famer and the 1976 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Franco Harris will announce the Pittsburgh Steelers first round selection in honor of the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception”.
Day 2 Draft selections will be highlighted by Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka who will announce Miami’s third round choice. Csonka was a member of the Dolphins 1972 undefeated team that went 17-0, capped by a win in Super Bowl VII, and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022.
In addition to announcing NFL Draft selections, players are on-site to mentor the prospects and give back to the city of Las Vegas through a variety of service driven events to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Below is the list of players scheduled to make selections in Rounds 2 and 3 of this year’s NFL Draft:
Twenty-one prospects are confirmed to attend the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas, Nevada, the NFL announced today.
Georgia leads all colleges with three players in attendance while Alabama and Ohio State will each have two players on-site. The Southeastern Conference leads all conferences with seven prospects confirmed to attend, followed by the Big Ten (four players), Pac-12 (four) and Atlantic Coast Conference (three).
The draft begins with the first round on Thursday night, April 28, and continues Friday, April 29, with Rounds 2-3. The draft will conclude on Saturday, April 30, with Rounds 4-7.
The NFL Draft, which was held in Cleveland last year, will be hosted in the state of Nevada for the first time.
The players confirmed to attend this year’s NFL Draft:
1)
Matt Corral
QB
Mississippi
2)
Charles Cross
OL
Mississippi State
3)
Jordan Davis
DL
Georgia
4)
Nakobe Dean
LB
Georgia
5)
Ikem Ekwonu
OL
North Carolina State
6)
Sauce Gardner
CB
Cincinnati
7)
Kyler Gordon
CB
Washington
8)
Kyle Hamilton
S
Notre Dame
9)
Aidan Hutchinson
DE
Michigan
10)
Zion Johnson
OL
Boston College
11)
Jermaine Johnson
DE
Florida State
12)
George Karlaftis
DE
Purdue
13)
Devin Lloyd
LB
Utah
14)
Drake London
WR
Southern California
15)
Evan Neal
OL
Alabama
16)
Chris Olave
WR
Ohio State
17)
Kayvon Thibodeaux
DE
Oregon
18)
Jameson Williams
WR
Alabama
19)
Malik Willis
QB
Liberty
20)
Garrett Wilson
WR
Ohio State
21)
Devonte Wyatt
DL
Georgia
2022 NFL DRAFT FACTS & FIGURES
WHAT:
87th Annual National Football League Player Selection Meeting.
WHERE:
Las Vegas, Nevada.
WHEN:
5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 28 (Round 1).
4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET, Friday, April 29 (Rounds 2-3).
9:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET, Saturday, April 30 (Rounds 4-7).
The first round will conclude on Thursday by approximately 8:30 PM PT (11:30 PM ET). In 2021, the first round consumed three hours and 44 minutes. The second and third rounds will conclude on Friday by approximately 8:00 PM PT (11:00 PM ET). The second and third rounds took a combined four hours and 26 minutes in 2021. The draft will conclude by approximately 3:30 PM PT (6:30 PM ET) on Saturday with the final four rounds. Rounds 4 through 7 took six hours and 42 minutes in 2021.
ROUNDS:
Seven Rounds – Round 1 on Thursday, April 28; Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, April 29; and Rounds 4 through 7 on Saturday, April 30.
There will be 262 selections, including 39 compensatory choices that have been awarded to 16 teams that either experienced a net loss of certain quality unrestricted free agents last year or received special selections under a 2020 amendment to the League’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, which was agreed upon by the NFL and the NFLPA to promote equal employment opportunities and an inclusive workforce within NFL clubs.
The following 39 compensatory choices will supplement the 223 regular choices in the seven rounds:
Round 3: Detroit, 33; New Orleans, 34; Cleveland, 35; Baltimore, 36; Philadelphia (from New Orleans), 37; Miami (from San Francisco), 38; Kansas City, 39; Los Angeles Rams, 40; San Francisco, 41.
Round 4: Pittsburgh, 33; Baltimore, 34; Green Bay, 35; Baltimore, 36; Los Angeles Rams, 37; Tennessee, 38.
Round 6: Los Angeles Rams, 33; Los Angeles Rams, 34; Atlanta, 35; Los Angeles Chargers, 36; Arizona, 37; Indianapolis, 38; Detroit, 39; Los Angeles Rams, 40; Tennessee, 41; San Francisco, 42; San Francisco, 43.
Round 7: Los Angeles Chargers, 33; Los Angeles Chargers, 34; Arizona, 35; Arizona, 36; Green Bay, 37; Kansas City, 38; Los Angeles Chargers, 39; Tampa Bay, 40; San Francisco, 41.
TIME LIMITS:
Round 1:10 minutes per selection. Round 2:Sevenminutes per selection. Rounds 3 through 6, including compensatory picks:Five minutes per selection. Rounds 7, including compensatory picks:Four minutes per selection.
TELEVISION & RADIO:
The 2022 NFL Draft will be televised nationally by NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and can be heard nationwide on Westwood One Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio and ESPN Radio.
INTERNET:
On Thursday, April 28, Draft Today airs on NFL.com, the NFL app and YouTube immediately following the conclusion of NFL Network’s coverage of the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft with Matt “Money” Smith, Cynthia Frelund and Lance Zierlein.
Draft Today continues Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 following each day of the 2022 NFL Draft.
On Sunday, May 1, Draft Today recaps the 2022 NFL Draft and passes out Draft Grades for each team with Smith, Zierlein and Bucky Brooks. This edition streams at 5:00 PM ET on NFL.com, the NFL app and YouTube, and airs at 6:00 PM ET on NFL Network.
Additionally, NFL.com’s Draft Tracker has live coverage of every selection in the draft, including video and analysis of the picks as they happen.
MOBILE:
Live NFL Network coverage of the 2022 NFL Draft is available across devices (smartphone, PC, tablet and connected TVs) through the NFL app or NFL.com/watch for subscribers of participating NFL Network providers. For more information, go to NFL.com/nflnetwork.
2022 FIRST ROUND DRAFT ORDER
(as of April 14, 2022)
#
Team
1.
Jacksonville Jaguars
2.
Detroit Lions
3.
Houston Texans
4.
New York Jets
5.
New York Giants
6.
Carolina Panthers
7.
New York Giants (from Chicago)
8.
Atlanta Falcons
9.
Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)
10.
New York Jets (from Seattle)
11.
Washington Commanders
12.
Minnesota Vikings
13.
Houston Texans (from Cleveland)
14.
Baltimore Ravens
15.
Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami)
16.
New Orleans Saints (from Indianapolis via Philadelphia)
After the Rams victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl 56, the draft order is now set.
The first round will start on Thursday, April 28, in Las Vegas, Nevada with the second and third rounds on Friday, April 29, followed by rounds four through seven on Saturday, April 30.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed rookie QB Trevor Lawrence, the team announced on Monday.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s a four-year, $36.8 million contract that includes $24.1 million in guaranteed money and the standard fifth-year option.
The Jaguars selected Lawrence with the first overall pick of the 2021 draft. Lawrence, 21, played in 40 games with 36 starts at Clemson from 2018-20. His 34-2 (.944) record as a starter is the third-best winning percentage by a starting quarterback with at least 30 career starts in college football history since 1978. He finished his career undefeated as a starter in regular season play and did not lose a regular season game at either the high school or collegiate levels. Lawrence led the Tigers to a national championship as a true freshman in 2018.
For his career, Lawrence completed 758-of-1138 passes (66.6 percent) for 10,098 yards, 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He holds several school records, including career winning percentage.
For Memphis RB Kenneth Gainwell, getting drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of this year’s draft does a few things for him. It allows him an opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing football and a chance to play with his cousin, Eagles DT Fletcher Cox.
Like Cox, Gainwell is from Yazoo City, Mississippi. According to Gainwell, the people of Yazoo City are happy to see Gainwell and Cox together in Philly.
The city is very excited about me and Fletcher(Cox),” Gainwell said on Saturday. “Man, they just excited about us. They’re excited that we play ball, and now we are playing with each other on the same team, so they are going to be even more excited.”
Gainwell opted out last season due to COVID concerns. In 2019, he put up monster numbers for Memphis, including running for 1459 yards with 13 touchdowns on the ground, and he caught 51 passes for 610 yards with three receiving touchdowns.
According to Gainwell, he spent a lot of time in the gym during his time away from football.
“I basically just started training,” he said. “So basically, the next week after I opted out, I started training, and I’ve been working out ever since. It’s been basically six months for me working out straight, non-stop. I’ve just been putting in the work, staying down, staying healthy throughout this process.
While Gainwell wanted and some expected him to be picked higher in the draft, he’s happy to be in Philly.
Yeah, I was surprised,” he said about going later in the draft. “But I’m happy now; I’m happy y’all got me. I’m happy I’m with the Eagles. That really don’t matter. It’s time to work. It’s time to put in the work. Getting drafted first, getting drafted at the fifth, it don’t really matter about all that. I am ready to ball for the Eagles.”
Gainwell does not lack for confidence, and when asked who does he compare himself to in the NFL, he had this to say:
“I’m a rare breed,” he said. “I’m a different one.”
Gainwell has a lot of versatility. As the numbers show, he can do things on the ground and in the passing game. With his skill set, he should add depth to the Eagles’ running back room in 2021.
