The over-month long period of the offseason where signings factor into the compensatory pick formula has came and went. After the April 27th deadline, all signings going forward in the offseason have no bearing on the compensatory picks a team receives. Teams that lose more compensatory Free Agents than they acquire are eligible to receive compensatory picks the following draft, albeit no team can receive more than 4 compensatory picks. Compensatory picks are awarded between Round 3 to 7 at the end
of each round. The picks awarded are based on a formula that measures average salary per year (APY), snap counts, and postseason awards.
The Colts have had the following moves count toward the compensatory pick formula:
Key Free Agent Losses
- DE Kwity Paye: $16 million APY
- OT Braden Smith: $10 million APY
- S Nick Cross: $6.5 million APY
- DT Neville Gallimore $5m APY
Key Free Agent Additions
- DE Arden Key: $8 million APY
- DE Michael Clemons: $5.7 million APY
Per NFL.com’s Dan Parr, these players are projected to net the Colts a pair of 4th and 7th round compensatory picks, assuming Kwity Paye in particular gets a large snap count from his new team, the Las Vegas Raiders, after earning such a large payday. Neville Gallimore is projected to be the player that nets the Colts their 7th Round compensatory pick, as Braden Smith and Nick Cross are projected to be cancelled out by Arden Key and Michael Clemons in the pick formula.
The Colts 8 picks for the 2027 draft would then be:
- Round 2, Pick TBD
- Round 3, Pick TBD
- Round 4, Pick TBD
- Round 4, Compensatory Pick
- Round 5, Pick TBD
- Round 6, Pick TBD
- Round 7, Pick TBD
- Round 7, Compensatory Pick
